Lecture Clinical procedures for medical assisting (4/e): Chapter 2 – Booth, Whicker, Wyman

Chapter 2 - Infection control techniques. Although our bodies ordinarily are quite capable in their defense against pathogens, patients coming into an office for treatment may be more susceptible to infections. In this chapter you will learn the three levels of infection control and their respective processes.

CHAPTER Infection Control Techniques © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 2­2 Learning Outcomes 2.1 Describe the medical assistant’s role in infection control 2.2 Describe methods of infection control 2.3 Compare and contrast medical and surgical asepsis 2.4 Describe how to perform aseptic hand washing 2.5 Compare and contrast the procedures for sanitization, disinfection, and sterilization © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 2­3 Learning Outcomes (cont.) 2.6 Describe measures used in sanitization 2.7 List various methods used in disinfection and the advantages and disadvantages of each 2.8 Discuss the goal of surgical asepsis 2.9 Explain what an autoclave is and how it operates 2.10 List the steps in the general autoclave procedures © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 2­4 Learning Outcomes (cont.) 2.11 Explain how to wrap and label items for sterilization in an autoclave 2.12 Describe how to complete the sterilization procedure using an autoclave 2.13 Define the Blood-Borne Pathogens Standard and Universal Precautions as described in the rules and regulations of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 2­5 Learning Outcomes (cont.) 2.14 Explain the role of Universal Precautions in the duties of a medical assistant 2.15 List the procedures and legal requirements for disposing of hazardous waste 2.16 Describe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requirements for reporting cases of infectious disease 2.17 Discuss the need for specific guidelines for isolating patients in health-care settings © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 2­6 Learning Outcomes (cont.) 2.18 Describe the appropriate use of personal protective equipment in various situations 2.19 Explain the purpose of immunization 2.20 Describe your role in educating patients about immunizations 2.21 Explain how to educate patients in preventing disease transmission © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 2­7 Introduction • Patients coming to the office for treatment may be more susceptible to infections • Immunizations and patient education are important methods of infection control  You will be introduced to Occupational Safety and  Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines, the  Blood­Borne Pathogen Standard, reporting  guidelines, and isolation procedures © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 2­8 MA’s Role in Infection Control • To control infectious diseases, the cycle of infection must be broken • Apply principles of infection control in office setting © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 2­9 MA’s Role in Infection Control (cont.) • Follow correct sanitization, disinfection, and sterilization procedures • Help patients understand basic disease prevention • Educate patients about immunizations • Administer immunizations © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 2­10 Apply Your Knowledge What is your role as a medical assistant in controlling infection in the medical office? ANSWER: To apply principles of infection control by following correct sanitization, disinfection, and sterilization procedures Correct! © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 2­62 Preventing Disease Transmission • Patient education – Health promotion – Disease prevention – Disease treatment • Medical assistant role in patient education – Share responsibility – Reinforce and explain instructions © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved Preventing Disease Transmission 2­63 (cont.) • Educate patient on – Nutrition and diet – Exercise and weight control – Prevention of STDs – Smoking cessation – Alcohol and drug abuse prevention and treatment – Proper use of medications and prescribed treatments – Stress-reduction techniques © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved Preventing Disease Transmission 2­64 (cont.) • Goal of patient education – Help patients take care of themselves • Encourage patients to participate actively in their own health care © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 2­65 Apply Your Knowledge What three areas should patient education focus on? What is the medical assistant’s role in patient education? ANSWER: Patient education should focus on health promotion, disease prevention, and disease treatment The medical assistant shares responsibility with the physician and other staff members and should reinforce and explain instructions given by others Bravo! © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 2­66 In Summary 2.1 It is the medical assistant’s responsibility to apply the principles of infection control by following correct sanitization, disinfection, and sterilization procedures, helping patients understand basic disease prevention, administering immunizations, and teaching patients about the importance of immunizations 2.2 The two basic methods of infection control are medical asepsis (clean technique) and surgical asepsis (sterile technique) © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 2­67 In Summary (cont.) 2.3 The goal of medical asepsis is to prevent the spread of infection in the medical environment by reducing the number of microorganisms Surgical asepsis requires that all organisms be eliminated 2.4 Aseptic hand washing removes accumulated dirt and microorganisms by wetting your hands, applying soap, carefully scrubbing every surface of the hands, rinsing, and carefully drying with clean paper towels © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 2­68 In Summary (cont.) 2.5 Sanitization is the scrubbing of instruments and equipment with special brushes and detergent to remove blood, mucus, and other contaminants or media where pathogens can grow Disinfection uses special cleaning products applied particularly to instruments and equipment to reduce or eliminate infectious organisms Sterilization is usually accomplished through the use of steam and pressure in an autoclave 2.6 Sanitize instruments by soaking them in a disinfecting solution, carefully scrubbing every surface of each instrument, rinsing thoroughly, and allowing them to dry © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 2­69 In Summary (cont.) 2.7 There are several types of disinfectants, each with different properties Choose a disinfectant based on the type of instrument and the level of disinfection required 2.8 The goal of surgical asepsis is to destroy all microorganisms 2.9 An autoclave is a device that uses steam and pressure to sterilize instruments and equipment © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 2­70 In Summary (cont.) 2.10 The general steps for using the autoclave include preparing the instruments, checking the water level, preheating the chamber, loading the instruments, choosing the correct settings, running the autoclave, and allowing the instruments to dry at the end of the cycle 2.11 Instruments should be carefully wrapped in a porous material, bag, or envelope and labeled with the contents of the pack, date, and your initials © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 2­71 In Summary (cont.) 2.12 To ensure that the sterilization procedure is complete, you should make sure you use the correct amount of time, the correct temperature, and adequate levels of steam In addition, you should avoid overcrowding the chamber 2.13 Laws set forth in the OSHA Blood-Borne Pathogens Standard of 1991 dictate how you must handle infectious or potentially infectious waste generated during medical or surgical procedures According to these rules, any potentially infectious waste materials must be discarded or held for processing in biohazardous waste containers © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 2­72 In Summary (cont.) 2.14 Standard Precautions prevent health-care workers from exposing themselves and others to infections Following Standard Precautions means assuming that all blood and body fluids are infected with bloodborne pathogens 2.15 OSHA requires that all hazardous waste be placed in properly labeled biohazard containers and disposed of in an appropriate manner © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 2­73 In Summary (cont.) 2.16 The CDC requires reporting of certain diseases to the state or county department of health, who then reports the information to the National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System of the CDC 2.17 The CDC issued the current Guideline for Isolation Precautions in Hospitals to ensure that an environment is created that protects people from disease-causing microorganisms © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 2­74 In Summary (cont.) 2.18 There are a number of different types of personal protective equipment, including gloves, gown, masks, and goggles Choosing the correct type depends on the exposure type 2.19 Immunizations prevent infection by reducing the susceptibility of the host to infection © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 2­75 In Summary (cont.) 2.20 As a medical assistant, you should educate patients about the importance of getting immunizations and following the immunization schedule You should also discuss potential hazards and side effects of immunizations 2.21 You should emphasize the basic principles of hygiene and disease prevention, including frequent hand washing, routine bathing and dental care, covering coughs and sneezes, eating well, and avoiding stress © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved 2­76 End of Chapter Soap and education are  not as sudden as a  massacre, but they are  more deadly in the long  run ~ Mark Twain © 2011 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved ... reserved 2 13 Medical Asepsis (cont.) • During medical assistant procedures – Prevent cross-contamination • Hand washing – Beginning of day – After breaks – Before and after each patient – Before... correct disinfectant – Germicidal soap products – Alcohol – Acid products – Formaldehyde – Glutaraldehyde – “cold disinfection” – Bleach – Iodine and iodine compounds © 20 11 The McGraw-Hill Companies,.. .2 2 Learning Outcomes 2. 1 Describe the medical assistant’s role in infection control 2. 2 Describe methods of infection control 2. 3 Compare and contrast medical and surgical asepsis 2. 4 Describe