Infection Control of Blood Borne Pathogens: 3 Major Factors

Infection control of blood borne pathogens is preventing their spread from one individual to another and thereby preventing illness and infection. The first step in infection control is to understand how the germs spread. The second step is, knowing how to control their spread.

There are 3 factors involved in infection control. There are discussed below:

• Knowing and practicing universal precautions
Universal precautions protect you from contracting infection by bloodborne pathogens. They also keep others around you safe. Hand washing, gloving and wearing protective clothing are the main precautions to be followed to control the spread of infection. Universal precautions are standards of infection control. They protect you from blood borne diseases like Hepatitis B, C and HIV. You must follow these precautions when you come in contact with blood and other human body fluids like semen, vaginal secretions, saliva, nasal secretions, vomit, urine and excretion.

Hand washing: Thorough, regular washing of hands will help to curb the spread of infection. Hospital employees must always wash hands before and after contact with patients and while using sterilized equipments.

Gloving: While attending patients and especially whenever you come in contact with body fluid you are required to wear disposable latex gloves. This is a part of the universal precautions. Correct donning and removing of gloves is crucial in preventing the spread of blood borne pathogens. Gloves should be changed after every use. New gloves are to be used for new patients as used or contaminated gloves can transfer germs from one patient to another. In the event of a glove tearing while working on a patient, take it off immediately and thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water.

Personal Protective Clothing: Put in the protective clothing in the prescribed order, i.e. gown, mask or respirator, goggles or face shields, and gloves. Be careful while putting the clothing on and off.

• Cleaning and Disinfection
The second way to prevent the spread of blood borne pathogens is by cleaning and disinfecting the surroundings. It is essential for health care employers not to infect others and also not to be infected by others. Regular cleaning of surfaces and other items with soap and water is the best way to prevent infection. Going a step ahead of cleaning is called Disinfection. This involves soaking the surface or item with a special solution for sometime after washing with soap and water. Soaking in the special solution kills any extra germs. The best and most common washing solution is water and household bleach.

• Awareness and Reporting
Be aware of the various signs and symptoms of blood borne pathogen infections. Report them to a doctor accurately and in a timely manner. This will help the doctor is correctly diagnosing the infection and thus providing you with the best treatment.

It is not enough to be aware of the signs. Reporting the incident immediately is essential. Instant reporting permits immediate medical action which can prevent the development of Hepatitis B and enable the doctor to know if there is risk of potential HIV infection. Instant reporting also helps in avoiding spread to other individuals. Moreover, it helps the people in-charge to assess the situation and find means to avoid the same situation from repeating in the future.

For more information, please visit our bloodborne pathogens website.

How to Select a CPR Certification Course in 4 Simple Steps

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) comprises of emergency techniques used for the revival of blood circulation and oxygen supply within the body that might have been affected due to a health condition or because of any kind of accident.

CPR techniques can be life saving and are thus not only required when working in certain fields but can prove to be useful in day-to-day life too. If you want to learn this invaluable skill and have decided to take up a CPR course then you will be spoilt for choices because there are several bodies offering such courses today, both through the in-class and online medium.

The following 4 steps will guide you in the process for choosing a CPR certification course that is right for you.

• Personal Requirement: While a CPR course is beneficial for everyone your particular requirement from the course will differ if you want a career in the healthcare industry or are in an occupation where such a skill may come in handy. If you want to learn CPR simply in a personal capacity then a basic course that gives you an overview and covers the most common situations will be sufficient. On the other hand a more detailed course or one that focuses on a particular area may be required depending on the nature of your profession. Thus you must pick a course that fits your requirement for anything exceeding or falling short of your needs will be useless.

• Standardized Courses: CPR like any other aspect in the healthcare industry has evolved over the years and will continue to do so as advanced and more effective techniques are found to address emergencies. Organizations like American Red Cross, American Heart Association, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and other reputed agencies in healthcare issue various guidelines for administering CPR. The course that you select must be line with the guidelines recommended by one or more of these organizations.

• Course Recognition: All CPR courses offered by different bodies are not equivalent even though of a similar level, and also do not enjoy a uniform recognition by different employers. Making sure that the course is recognized by certain premier bodies is not enough, if you want to enter a certain field it is best that you find out their particular requirements and then select a course that confirms to it.

• Curriculum and Institute: The CPR course that you are enrolling in must include theoretical as well as practical modules covering a number of situations and possibilities. Also ensure that the institute has the required facilities and equipment for effective training. Furthermore the teachers and instructors must be experienced in the relevant field and have updated knowledge to make the learning useful. If the course is partly online then make sure that there is sufficient support to address your queries.

After you finish learning the contents of the course you will have to appear for theory and practical examinations. On passing them with a minimum number of marks, you will receive your certification.

For more information, please visit our cpr certification website.