INFECTION CONTROL REVIEW
HEALTH SCIENCE 2014-15
STERILE TECHNIQUE
• WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU SHOULD DO WHEN
SETTING UP A STERILE FIELD?
• WASH HANDS
• WHEN STARTING TO PUT ON STERILE GLOVES, THE
HEALTH CARE WORKER CAN TOUCH WHICH PART
OF THE GLOVE?
• INSIDE CUFF OF THE FIRST GLOVE
• WHEN WORKING WITH A STERILE FIELD, WHAT IS
THE SIZE OF THE BORDER THAT IS CONSIDERED NOT
STERILE?
• 1-2 INCHES
• WHAT HAPPENS IF SOMETHING SPILLS ON A STERILE
FIELD?
• THE ENTIRE FIELD IS CONTAMINATED
• IF YOU ARE PLACING STERILE DRESSINGS ON A
STERILE FIELD, AND YOU NOTE THAT THE STERILE
TOWEL IS WET, WHAT DO YOU DO?
• KNOW THAT THE SUPPLIES ARE NOW CONSIDERED
CONTAMINATED.
• IF A PERSON REACHES OVER A STERILE FIELD, IS IT
CONTAMINATED?
• YES
• IS IT SAFE TO USE THE CONTENTS OF A STERILE
PACKAGE IF THE TAPE HAS NOT TURNED COLOR?
• NO
• WHERE DO YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR HANDS
WHEN YOU ARE STERILE?
• IN FRONT OF YOU, AND ABOVE THE WAIST.
MRSA
• IS MRSA MORE CONTAGIOUS THAN OTHER TYPES
OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS?
• YES
• IS MRSA SPREAD THROUGH THE AIR?
• NO; RARELY
• DOES MRSA INFECT ANYONE WHO COMES IN
CONTACT WITH IT?
• NO
• IF YOU WEAR GLOVES WHEN CARING FOR MRSA
PATIENTS, DO YOU HAVE TO WASH YOUR HANDS
AFTER YOU REMOVE THE GLOVES?
• YES!
• IS MRSA HARD TO STAMP OUT ONCE IT’S
ESTABLISHED IN A HEALTHCARE FACILITY.
• YES
• IF SOMEONE IS COLONIZED WITH MRSA, WILL THEY
EVENTUALLY BECOME INFECTED?
• NOT ALWAYS
• IF A PATIENT HAS OPEN WOUNDS, DOES IT MAKE IT
EASIER FOR MRSA TO ENTER THE BODY?
• YES
• ARE MOST CASES OF MRSA THE RESULT OF PATIENT
TO PATIENT CONTACT, OR HEALTHCARE WORKER TO
PATIENT CONTACT?
• HEALTHCARE WORKER TO PATIENT
• ARE PATIENTS WHO ARE SERIOUSLY ILL AT HIGHER
RISK OF MRSA INFECTION?
• YES. WHY?
• BECAUSE THEY HAVE A SUPPRESSED OR
COMPROMISED IMMUNE SYSTEM
VRE
• IS IT NECESSARY TO DISINFECT EQUIPMENT SUCH AS
THERMOMETERS, BP CUFFS, AFTER BEING USED ON A
PATIENT WITH VRE?
• ABSOLUTELY! EVERY TIME.
• DOES VRE INFECT EVERYONE WHO COMES IN
CONTACT WITH IT?
• NO
• IF A PATIENT HAS A PRESENCE OF ENTEROCOCCI IN THEIR
GI TRACT, IS THAT A SIGN OF INFECTION?
• NO; THAT BACTERIA LIVES IN THE GI TRACT, BUT
SOMETIMES CAUSES AN INFECTION.
• CAN VRE ONLY BE SPREAD BY HEALTHCARE WORKERS?
• NO; IT CAN BE SPREAD BY CONTACT WITH
CONTAMINATED PATIENTS OR EQUIPMENT
• IF THE HOSPITAL LABORATORY DETERMINES THAT
VRE IS PRESENT IN A CULTURE, WHAT SHOULD THEY
DO?
• IMMEDIATELY REPORT IT
• SHOULD PHYSICIANS PRESCRIBE VANCOMYCIN
WHENEVER POSSIBLE?
• NO; ONLY WHEN ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY
IMMUNITY AND VACCINATIONS
• WHAT IS THE TERM FOR ONE’S OWN ABILITY TO FIGHT
OFF DISEASE?
• NATURAL IMMUNITY
• WHAT IS ACQUIRED IMMUNITY?
• THE BODY DEVELOPS SPECIFIC ANTIBODIES IN RESPONSE
TO BACTERIA, VIRUS, TOXINS, FOREIGN TISSUES.
• WHAT CELLS DIRECT THE BODY’S IMMUNE SYSTEM?
• LYMPHOCYTES
• WHAT DO MACROPHAGES DO?
• THEY DESTROY OLD, DAMAGED AND DEAD CELLS IN
THE BODY
• WHAT IS THE FOREIGN SUBSTANCE THAT TRIGGERS
THE BODY TO MAKE ANTIBODIES?
• ANTIGEN
• WHAT IS PASSIVE IMMUNITY?
• IMMUNITY ACQUIRED THROUGH THE PASSAGE OF
ANTIBODIES FROM A MOTHER TO THE FETUS /
INFANT
• WHAT IS AN AGENT INTRODUCED INTO THE BODY
TO STIMULATE ANTIBODY PRODUCTION?
• A VACCINATION OR IMMUNIZATION
• WHAT IS AN ATTENUATED VACCINE?
• A VACCINE IN WHICH THE ORGANISM HAS BEEN
WEAKENED
• WHAT IS THE DISEASE THAT CAUSES PAINFUL
TIGHTENING OF MUSCLES, LEADING TO ‘LOCKJAW’?
• TETANUS
• WHAT IS THE TERM FOR ‘WHOOPING COUGH’?
• PERTUSSIS
• WHICH HEPATITIS IS FOUND IN STOOL, AND CAN BE
SPREAD BY CLOSE PERSONAL CONTACT OR BY EATING
FOOD OR WATER THAT IS CONTAMINATED BY IT?
• HEPATITIS A
• HOW IS HEPATITIS B SPREAD?
• THROUGH CONTACT WITH BLOOD AND BODY FLUIDS
OF AN INFECTED PERSON
• HOW DO YOU GET LYME DISEASE?
• FROM BEING BITTEN BY AN INFECTED TICK
• WHAT DOES THE MMR VACCINE PROTECT YOU
FROM?
• MEASLES, MUMPS, RUBELLA
• WHAT IS MENINGITIS, AND WHO SHOULD RECEIVE THE
VACCINE TO PREVENT IT?
• AN INFECTION IN THE LINING OF THE BRAIN AND SPINAL
CORD; MILITARY RECRUITS, COLLEGE STUDENTS, THOSE
WHO HAVE BEEN EXPOSED; TRAVELERS
• WHICH VACCINE IS NO LONGER GIVEN, DUE TO THE
DISEASE BEING ERADICATED?
• SMALLPOX
• IF YOU HAVE HAD CHICKENPOX, WHICH DISEASE
CAN YOU GET LATER IN LIFE?
• SHINGLES
• WHICH VACCINE SHOULD YOU GET TO PREVENT
CHICKENPOX?
• VARICELLA
• WHICH VACCINE SHOULD A PERSON GET LATER IN
LIFE IF THEY HAVE HAD CHICKENPOX IN THEIR
LIFETIME?
• SHINGLES VACCINE