Slide 9 of 68
Notes:
Sources of Infection: Patient, volunteer, visitor, or employee may have an infection or be colonized with an infectious organism.
Environment -- Bacteria and viruses are all around us.
Equipment -- If not cleaned, disinfected, or sterilized properly,
equipment can be a source of contamination which leads to colonization and/or infection.
Method of Transmission: Infections are spread from the source to the susceptible host in very specific ways. Standard Universal Precautions and isolation can help break the chain of infection.
Host Factors: Many things can lower a person’s resistance to infection.
Age: The very young and the very old have lowered immune
Disease: Certain diseases can alter the patient’s immune system
and lower resistance to infection. (e.g., diabetes, cancer, HIV)
Treatment: May affect immune system. For example,
chemotherapy, radiation therapy, certain medications.
Skin injury: Intact skin is the best barrier against infection. If that
barrier is broken, bacteria and viruses can enter the
bloodstream more easily. Burns, trauma and surgery
