Basic steps in Prevention of Infection

There are possible treatment and prevention to stop the infection cycle. This is through adequate hygiene, sanitary environment maintenance, and health education. 

Antimicrobial agents In Infection

• Anti-infective drugs such as antibiotics, antiviral, antifungal, and antitubercular drugs suppress infection.
• It can be administered by mouth, topically, or intravenously depending on the infection extent and severity.
• Sometimes, if drug resistance is known, multiple drugs are used to stop drug resistance and increase drug effectiveness. 
• Antibiotics only work for bacterial infection and have no effect on viral ones. 

History of infection control

1843 Oliver Wendell Holmes: contagious disease or communicable disease can be spread directly or indirectly from one person to another through contaminated hands. Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis observed a high mortality rate from MDs going from morgue to patients’ bedside without washing hands 1864 Joseph Lister: developed a surgical aseptic technique to prevent wound contamination.

Infection can be:

• Generalized or systemic (throughout the body)
• Localized (affecting one part of the body)

Signs and symptoms of infection:

• Systemic: headaches, fever, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea, increased pulse and respiration
• Localized: redness, swelling, painful, warm to the touch

Chain of infection or Model of infectious disease transmission

Six elements must be present for an infection to develop

1.     The infectious agent 

2. Reservoir host

3. Portal of exit from the host

4.  Route of transmission

5.  Port of entry

6.  Susceptible host

1. Infectious agent: a pathogen must be present
2. Reservoir host: the pathogen must have a place to live and grow – the human body, contaminated water or food, animals, insects, birds, dead or decaying organic material. Humans who can transmit infection but how no signs of the disease are called carriers. A person may be unaware they are a carrier. 
3. Portal of exit: the pathogen must be able to escape from the reservoir host where it has been growing. Examples of portals of exit are blood, urine, feces, breaks in the skin, wound drainage, and body secretions like saliva, mucus, and reproductive fluids.
4. Route of transmission: When the pathogen leaves the reservoir host through the portal of exit, it must have a way of being transmitted to a new host. Examples of routes of transmission are air, food, insects, and direct contact with an infected person
5. Portal of entry: The pathogen must have a way of entering the new host. Common ports of entry are the mouth, nostrils, and breaks in the skin
6. Susceptible host: An individual who has a large number of pathogens invading the body or does not have adequate resistance to the invading pathogen will get the infectious disease

Breaking the chain of infection

Breaking at least one link stops the spread of infectious disease

1. The infectious agent - early recognition of signs of infection, Rapid, accurate identification of organisms 
2. Reservoir host - Medical asepsis, Standard precautions, Good employee health, Environmental sanitation, Disinfectant/sterilization
3. Portal of exit from the host, Medical asepsis, Personal protective equipment, handwashing, Control of excretions and secretions, Trash and waste disposal, Standard precautions 
4. Route of transmission - Standard precautions, Handwashing, Sterilization, Medical asepsis, Airflow control, Food handling, Transmission-based precautions
5. Portal of entry - Wound care, Catheter care, Medical asepsis, Standard precautions
6. Susceptible Host - Treating underlying diseases, Recognizing high-risk patients