Infection Prevention
& Control
An introduction for new employees
Clinical Nurse Specialist
CDHB Infection Prevention & Control
Service
Aim of Infection
Prevention & Control
• The primary aim of
infection prevention
& control is to
prevent patients,
staff and visitors
from acquiring an
infection while in
our healthcare
facilities.
Achieving the Aim
• If you always use Standard
and Transmission-based
Precautions appropriately
and correctly, you will keep
yourself and your patients
safe from acquiring infection
while in the healthcare
setting.
Infection Prevention
• Standard Precautions
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Transmission-based Precautions
– Contact Precautions
– Droplet Precautions
– Airborne Precautions
• Multi Drug Resistant Organisms (MDRO)
• A safe environment
– Cleaning and disinfection
– Blood and body fluid exposures (BBFE)
Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE)
PPE is defined as...
“Specialised clothing
or equipment worn
by an employee for
protection against
infectious materials”
(OSHA) Centres for Disease
Control and prevention web site.
Types of PPE used in
healthcare settings
• Gloves - protect hands
• Gown/aprons - protect
skin and or clothing
• Masks - protect
mouth/nose
• Goggles - protect eyes
• Visors/visor masks protect face, mouth,
nose and eyes
N95 Masks
Transmission-based
Precautions
(Isolation Precautions)
• When Standard
Precautions are not
quite enough
Contact
Droplet
Airborne
• Used IN ADDITION TO
Standard Precautions
Contact Precautions
Used when in direct
contact with patient
or their environment
e.g. Scabies, MRSA,
diarrhoea
Droplet Precautions
Used for diseases
which generate
large droplets which
travel approx. 1 - 2m
then fall to the floor
e.g. Influenza
Airborne Precautions
Used for diseases
which are carried
on small droplet
nuclei suspended
in the air
e.g. Pulmonary
TB, Chickenpox,
Measles
New Posters and Other
updates available
Multi drug resistant
organisms (MDRO)
• ESBL-producing
enterobacteriaceae
 E. Coli and Klebsiella
pneumoniae most common
• VRE
 Vancomycin-resistant E.
faecium & E. faecalis
• MRSA
 Methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
• MDR-GNB
 MDR Acinetobacter baumanii
Cleaning & Disinfection
Know what you are using!
Sharps Safety
Blood and Body Fluid
Exposures (BBFE)
• Report all BBFE
• BBFE packs in
clinical areas
• Pink reporting form!!!
• Hepatitis B
immunisation
Achieving Infection
Prevention….
If you always use Standard
and Transmission-based
Precautions appropriately
and correctly, you will keep
yourself and your patients
safe from acquiring
infection while in the
healthcare setting.
And finally…