The work of medical personnel is associated with an increased risk to health. Patients may be the owners of dangerous diseases. In order to protect workers, the Ministry of Health has developed special measures. Infectious safety is an integrated approach to the organization of working conditions that excludes accidental infection of personnel due to an accident, accident or other incidents.
The essence of protective measures
The protection algorithm has several subsections that indicate the rules of behavior in a particular situation. Sanitary requirements include compliance with hygiene rules when working with tools, devices, analyzes. All unforeseen situations are taken into account when a person can get injured or make a mistake, after which the infection enters the body through the mouth or blood.
Anti-epidemic measures include actions aimed at preventing the group spread of infection through the air, from one person to another, through water, or through rash actions by staff or a sick patient. The task of all procedures is to exclude the further development of morbidity in society. The first step is to establish the source of infection and narrow down its area of influence.
Measures to protect clinic employees from possible risks
Hand treatment is the main means to preserve the health of oneself and others. There are three consecutive types of protection for people working in the risk zone:
- Pre-treatment of hands, places of injuries and items used for taking tests.
- The main disinfection measures aimed at the complete destruction of dangerous microorganisms.
- Ultimate sterilization in reliable ways kills all microorganisms on objects and things.
Disinfection measures include treating surfaces and things in the following ways:
- Flushing the contact area with a possible infection with boiling water. Hot water kills microorganisms, washes away pollution. More often metal, glass and rubber objects are processed.
- Steam disinfection is carried out at temperatures above 110 degrees Celsius.
- The use of chemicals does not require special installations. With such a disinfection, additional washing with water from residual substances is necessary.
Checking the results of cleansing medical devices
Before the main disinfection, preliminary cleaning is carried out using chloramine or hydrogen peroxide. The composition of the solution is selected depending on the processing method and the field of application of medical devices. The most concentrated mixture is created for objects in contact with the contents of the intestine.
The quality of the washed surface is determined by the results of a chemical reaction. Items painted pink, purple or green indicate insufficient processing. Particles of blood, detergent, dirt residues enter the reaction. The color of the reagent is read no later than 60 seconds after its application. Sanitary requirements oblige to use only completely sterile products. At any manifestation of color, repeated cleaning is carried out.
Anti-epidemic measures include all types of treatment using disposable protective equipment. Rubber gloves are used to isolate the hands; respiratory tracts protect masks. Biomaterials are taken in a specially designated room without drafts, where it is possible to destroy microorganisms by radiation.
Finishing items
Sterilization should be performed before reuse of medical devices. It includes measures to destroy microorganisms, fungi and viruses. As with disinfection, the methods used are steaming, solutions and radiation.
Ultraviolet emitters are used to clean the rooms, and smaller objects are exposed to gamma rays. Pathogens die quickly under the influence of chemicals. Specially equipped cabinets can create an air flow with a temperature of more than 140 degrees, ensuring absolute sterilization of objects. Infection with ultrasound waves is also used.
To ensure infection control, apply three types of diagnostics of the purity of the procedures. The first is carried out using a substance that is sensitive to temperature, it is converted into a liquid state under the influence of steam. The second control method is based on a chemical reaction: starch and lugol lose their properties under the influence of temperature, the mixture becomes transparent.
The third type of infection control provides for a long period of testing - about two days. The nutrient medium promotes the growth of microorganisms; a sample from an object that has been processed is placed in it.
What are the risks?
Infectious safety is not only measures to clean the space around the personnel of medical institutions, but also the accounting of accident statistics. As a result of the collection of information, a common approach to working in laboratories is developed, which ensures a guarantee of maintaining health.
Ensuring infectious safety is entrusted both to the heads of institutions and to the employees themselves. Personnel are given methods of continuous monitoring of the cleanliness of objects and premises, they become the main means of struggle in protection against dangerous microorganisms, viruses and fungi.
Personnel can become infected with incurable diseases like HIV infection, hepatitis, herpes, and the risk of chlamydial complications is also high.
The main focus is on medical supplies used to collect biomaterials. Sharp and sharp objects require the most careful handling and subsequent disposal from the workplace. Hand treatment is carried out both before the start of contact with the patient, and after the end of all procedures.
The needles of syringes, droppers have internal cavities invisible to the eye, they contain particles of infected blood. Careless handling of the instrument leads to unforeseen injuries and infection. Scalpels, scissors, blades for puncture fingers are in the danger group.
General rules for protection against infection
Infectious safety is an activity of various types in the work of medical personnel. The most important points are:
- rational use of the workspace in compliance with fire safety rules;
- operating standards for equipment, rules for the placement of installations for disinfection and sterilization;
- hand hygiene, workplace, cleanliness of medical supplies;
- compliance with standards for cleaning items, waste management, storage of materials;
- sanitary rules for the work of medical staff.
Infectious safety of the patient should be carried out by the clinic staff, in a timely manner before the start of the procedures, all necessary information is communicated to him:
- rules for blood sampling;
- measures for the disposal of waste containing residues of biomaterial;
- methods of using protective equipment during the procedure;
- according to the results of the examination, if positive tests are found, infectious safety requires immediately informing the patient about the infection so that he does not have time to transmit the virus to others.
What is included in the cleaning area?
Infectious safety of medical personnel involves the use of disposable drugs used for blood sampling. If this is not possible, all methods of cleaning sharp objects are involved. Reusable are surgical needles, scalpels, scissors.
Residues of infection can be in the air of the room after taking the biomaterial. For protection, cleaning methods using infrared, ultraviolet exposure are used. The personal belongings of the clinic staff fall under sterilization: a bathrobe, an apron, shoes, a hat. It is not allowed to use telephones, reusable scarves in the laboratory, etc.
After receiving the patient, the workplace, equipment for treatment or blood sampling, dressings are cleaned. Clinics try to use the latest scientific developments in the field of disinfection of piercing objects. These include ultrasonic cleaning or sealed utilizers. Special autoclaves have been purchased for sterilization.
The cleaned items are stored in an airtight cabinet with forced ventilation, equipped with disinfecting emitters. Indoor air is continuously cleaned by recirculation through reliable filters.
Principles of conduct during the performance of duties
Infectious safety in the work of a nurse provides for the rational use of laboratory facilities. Suspicion should cause every object in the room, which can get microorganisms even by accident. The basis of the work are the following requirements for the performance of duties by staff:
- every clinic employee who has had contact with a person infected with hepatitis B virus should receive an appropriate vaccine;
- all patients are recognized as potential carriers of infection, therefore, when working with them, extreme precautions must be observed;
- all pricking and cutting tools should be replaced with safe analogues;
- employees are given a full set of personal protective equipment, the wearing of which is strictly necessary;
- a container for disposing of disposable products is located in close proximity to the place of biomaterial intake;
- it is forbidden to remove needles with your hands; there is a special tool for this;
- it is forbidden to cover the tip of piercing objects with any materials before disposal in an appropriate container;
- each container should not be filled more than 2/3 of its volume;
- containers should be marked with standard labels;
- the trauma received during the work belongs to the category of production; accordingly, the immediate supervisor should be dedicated to the course of what is happening;
- it is impossible to hide information about an unintentional injury; after the incident, preventive measures are taken, even if infection has not occurred;
- Having discovered the risks of infection for patients or colleagues, it is necessary to report to the clinic management and take the necessary measures to localize the source of danger.
What should every employee of a health care institution know and be able to do?
Infectious safety in health facilities includes staff training before starting work. Clinic employees are required to take a minimum course, which includes acquaintance:
- With infections, the ways of their spread, methods of combating them, methods of analysis.
- With the concepts of medical requirements, rules and standards of maintenance.
- With the latest versions of regulatory documentation in the field of infection protection.
- With existing levels of hand processing. Allocate social, hygienic and surgical. Each method is used for various types of work of medical personnel. The exception is cases when there has been contact with the patient’s biomaterial. A complete disinfection of the place of contact with the use of solutions: alcohol, chemical.
For the layman, the procedure for putting on gloves does not seem complicated. However, the usual methods of removing protective equipment are not suitable for use in the clinic. A whole instruction for handling protective equipment has been developed.
Consequences of neglect
Infectious safety - these are rules based on the results of numerous observations of long-term injuries and infection of medical personnel. The sad consequences come even after a long time. An infected worker may be affected by loved ones.
Strictly follow the principles of the developed methods - it is the responsibility of each health worker to protect both his health and patients of medical institutions. When an infected person is transported to a medical facility, all things inside the cabin and stretcher are disinfected in a designated area.
Clothing for examination of patients should be saturated with a disinfectant. If a patient is detected, an examination is carried out on all members of his family and relatives who had the opportunity to become infected. The clinic staff at the first suspicion is also required to pass tests and undergo examination.