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�Brief Public Health Overview

�Overview of Infection Control

▪ The Chain of Infection

▪ Breaking the Chain of Infection

�Activity

�Questions

�Quiz

Key Learnings for Today

Public Health Overview• Ontario: 36 health units in Ontario that

are mandated to protect and promote the health of the public

-Water safety -Healthy babies

-School health -Prenatal health

-Immunization -Sexual health

-Infectious disease follow-up

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Health Protection and Promotion Act

• 68 reportable/infectious diseases or

conditions

• Must be reported to the Health Unit by:– Physicians

– Laboratories

– School principals

– Hospitals (via lab, ICP, physician)

– Directors of institutions

We want to cast a net wide enough - fast enough - to stop

the spread of disease.

Why?

Infection Control

A set of proven practices that are promoted by health care

professionals to help stop the spread of illness and infection.

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Infectious Infectious Infectious Infectious AgentAgentAgentAgent ReservoirReservoirReservoirReservoirPortal of Portal of Portal of Portal of ExitExitExitExitMode of Mode of Mode of Mode of TransmissionTransmissionTransmissionTransmissionPortal of Portal of Portal of Portal of EntryEntryEntryEntrySusceptible Susceptible Susceptible Susceptible HostHostHostHostThe Chain of Infection

Infectious Agent

An infectious agent is something

that infiltrates another living thing,

like you. When an infectious agent

hitches a ride, you have officially

become an infected host.

The invasion and multiplication of microorganisms such as

bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites that are not normally present within the body.

What is an Infection?

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BacteriaBacteria can thrive in many different types of environments. Some varieties live in extremes of cold or heat. Others make their home in people's intestines, where they help digest food. Most bacteria cause no harm to people, but there are exceptions.

Bacteria

Examples of infections caused by bacteria could include:

• Strep throat

• Tuberculosis (TB)

• Urinary tract infections

Can you name some others?

Can these be treated? How?

Viruses

Viruses are even smaller than bacteria and require living hosts — such as people, plants or animals —to multiply. Otherwise, they can't survive. When a virus enters your body, it invades some of your cells and takes over the cell machinery, redirecting it to produce the virus.

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Viruses

Diseases caused by viruses may include:

• Chickenpox

• Measles

• Common colds

Can you name some others?

Can these be treated? How?

Reservoirs – “Hiding Places”

• People

• Animals

• Equipment

• Water

Any place where an infectious agent can live

Portal of Exit – “The Way Out”

• Nose or mouth

• Blood

• Skin

• Urine/Feces

The way the Infectious Agent leaves the reservoir

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Mode of Transmission –

“Getting Around”The way the Infectious Agent gets from the reservoir to the new hostContact

Direct Indirect

Mode of Transmission Con’t

• Droplet

≤ 3 feet

• Airborne

Mode of Transmission Con’t

• Vehicle-Contaminated food, water

medications, instruments

• Vector borne-Mosquitoes, flies, ticks

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Portal of Entry – “The Way In”

• Eyes

• Nose

• Mouth

The way the Infectious Agent gets into the next host

Portal of Entry Con’t

• Open wound/

Damaged skin

Susceptible Host – “The Next Sick Person”Any person who is at risk of getting an infection from the Infectious Agent

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Part of working in Infection

Control is figuring out how

we can Break the Chain of

Infection

Infectious Infectious Infectious Infectious AgentAgentAgentAgent ReservoirReservoirReservoirReservoirPortal of Portal of Portal of Portal of ExitExitExitExitMode of Mode of Mode of Mode of TransmissionTransmissionTransmissionTransmissionPortal of Portal of Portal of Portal of EntryEntryEntryEntrySusceptible Susceptible Susceptible Susceptible HostHostHostHostWhat are Some Ideas?

Breaking the Chain

of Infection through

-Handwashing

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Hand Hygiene

• Can be preformed using alcohol based hand sanitizer (ABHS) or soap and water

• When hands are not visibility soiled ABHS is the preferred method of hand hygiene

• When using ABHS there needs to be enough product for your hands to be wet for 15 seconds

• Handwashing with soap and water should be done for a minimum of 20 seconds

Areas Most Often Missed

Top RightBottom Right

Proper Hand Washing

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• Before handling, preparing or serving

food

• After using the washroom

• After sneezing, coughing, or blowing

your nose

• Before eating

When to Wash Your Hands?

Breaking the Chain

of Infection through

-Cleaning and Disinfection

The Principle

Cleaning and disinfection is done to:

Prevent transmission of microorganisms to

individuals.

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Definitions:

CLEANING

• Physical removal of foreign material

– dust, soil, blood, secretions, excretions

How:

Water, detergent and mechanical action

DISINFECTION

• Inactivation of disease-causing microorganisms

How:

Appropriately chosen chemical

disinfectants

Environmental Cleaning

• Cleaning alone will make most surfaces safe for individuals.

• Certain organisms may require specific cleaning practices (ie. C. difficile, Norovirus).

Cleaning reduces or eliminates the reservoirs of microorganisms

Breaking the Chain of

Infection through

-Personal Protective

Equipment (PPE)

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PPE Practices

• Gloves

• Gown

• Mask

• Goggles or a face shield

PPE for Hospitals

• Contact Precautions – Gown and gloves for contact with patient or environment of care

(e.g., medical equipment, environmental surfaces)

• Droplet Precautions – Surgical masks within 3

feet of patient

• Airborne Infection Isolation – Particulate

respirator; negative pressure rooms

Negative Room Pressure

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Breaking the Chain

of Infection through

-Immunization

Vaccines contain small parts of specific germs, or inactivated germs. The immune system reacts

to the vaccine to make the proper immunity (memory) cells. When germs enter the body at a later time, these memory cells kill them before they

have a chance to infect the body.

Immunization

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Herd Immunity

• When most people in a community have been immunized against a disease, the chance of an outbreak of that disease is greatly reduced.

• Protects vulnerable people (babies too young to be immunized, people undergoing chemotherapy, elderly and other medical reasons.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqKP-ETVvrc

Flu Shot ‘Match’

• The flu shot contains 3 or 4 different strains of inactivated influenza (depending on which one

you get).

• You want the circulating strains to be similar to those included in the yearly flu shot.

• The strains included in the flu shot change

every year… that’s why it’s important to get the shot every year!

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If you don’t follow the recipe, you get…

• Institutional outbreaks • Community outbreaks

• Increased rates of illness, hospitalization and death in the

population • Staff/student absence