Introduction to infections
What are micro-organisms?
Bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites
Normal flora and pathogens
Definition of an infection
How infections spread: contact, vehicle, airborne, vector
The chain of infection
Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs)
Mission: fill-in-the-blanks quiz
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MRSA
What is MRSA?
How MRSA can spread – colonisation, endogenous infection,
cross-infection
Who is at greatest risk?
Steps to minimise cross-infection
Diagnosing infection or colonisation
Treatments for MRSA
Mission: identify ‘suspects’ possibly
colonised with MRSA
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Hand washing
Why hand washing is so important
When you should wash your hands
Looking after your hands
Soap and water vs. alcohol hand rub
Step-by-step guide to efficient and effective hand washing
Mission: identify common tasks where hand washing
is required
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Isolation
What is isolation?
When is it used?
Categories of isolation and isolation cards
Mission: identify the correct isolation card for
each of four isolated patients |
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Needles and sharps
Definition of a sharp
Who is at risk?
Common causes of needlestick injuries
The dangers of recapping
Using sharps containers
What to do if you suffer a needlestick injury
Mission: advise a nurse on what action she should
take following a needlestick injury |
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Hygiene and Cleaning
Who is at risk from poor cleanliness?
Different cleaning solutions for different tasks
Hypochlorite (bleach) warning
Good cleaning practices
Colour-coded cleaning equipment
Handling laundry/linen
Colour-coded laundry bags
Disposing of waste
Mission: help a colleague identify which type
of laundry should go into which laundry bag
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