Infection Control and Methods of Transmission

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Table of Contents

Direct Contact Methods of Infection Transmission
Indirect Methods of Contracting Infections
Accidents
Workplace
Safety in the Healthcare Environment
Reference List

Infectious diseases are widely spread from one person to another through either direct or indirect contact. The causative agents of such contagious infirmities include viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi. The common types of illness associated with such ailments are malaria, measles, and respiratory diseases. Reports indicate that 9344 people have contracted HIV since the 1980s in Ireland (“HIV in Ireland”, 2018). Therefore, reviewing reports of Ireland’s infection rate helps the country prepare to observe safety and universal health care to patients and medical workers. This essay demonstrates the importance of various aspects linked to work safety and health.

Direct Contact Methods of Infection Transmission

Person to person direct contact is the primary form of infection transmission. These infectious diseases are spread when an individual comes into direct contact with another person’s bodily fluids. These infections can be contracted, especially when one is not aware of the ailment. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are spread by this mode of transfer – direct contact. Furthermore, pregnant women are potential agents of infectious illness to unborn children through the placenta. STDs such as gonorrhea are transferred from the mother to the child during childbirth. Besides, the disease can be spread directly by means of mouth droplets.

The infection is scattered when one is either coughing or sneezing. It can be transmitted when one speaks with somebody. In this case, researchers have claimed that mouth droplets usually fall to the ground within a few feet and increase the chances of catching infections (Horowitz, 2017). Healthy people must keep a distance from infected people even if they are not coughing or sneezing.

Indirect Methods of Contracting Infections

Indirect methods of transmission can either be through air or by other mechanisms such as insect bites. An example of indirect methods is through airborne transmission, where the infectious agents can travel over long distances and be trapped in the air for an extended period. For instance, one has a high risk of contracting the measles infection if they enter a room with infected people. Diseases associated with food or drinking water are usually spread when one eats or swallows contaminated food or water. For instance, E. coli is commonly transmitted in case of improperly prepared food or undercooked meat. Therefore, it is advisable to consume well-cooked food or drink well-treated water.

Since infection can be spread through direct or indirect contact, nobody is safe from infectious illnesses. People are at risk of contracting an illness when they come closer to individuals suffering from infections. Contagious diseases can be prevented, for example, by washing hands thoroughly with soap and by using an alcohol-based sanitizer. Other means of prevention include avoiding sick people, refrigerating perishable food and leftovers, and thoroughly cooking raw meat and vegetables. Avoiding contaminated food and taking proper precautions while choosing food can help reduce the spread of infectious diseases.

In addition, most people working at healthcare facilities are at higher risks of getting contagious diseases than those in their homes. Individuals at the hospital can touch surfaces with droplets of coughs and sneezes from patients. Some deferment of causative agents of airborne diseases could be suspended in the air if patients are in proximity with healthy people.

Accidents

A medical accident can be described as the patients’ injuries emanating from a physician or nurse error. They commonly occur during the delivery of health care with defects latent in the hospital system. However, medical accidents are not random events but are proceedings resulting between human error and the system’s fault. It is worth noting that accidents are the primary causes of death and disability. In general, approximately 14,000 people lose their lives in the United Kingdom, and the majority of them are reported to be in England, and about 700,000 were severely injured in England alone (“Common sources of accidents in health and social care settings”, 2020). The four common types of accidents include falling, poisoning, cuts, and bumps. Therefore, to prevent poisoning, chemicals, and medicines should be kept out of sight and reach.

In my view, in case of a fall, the following measures will be observed. Firstly, I will ensure proper use of the stair gates and supervising patients having the hardship to use the stairs. Secondly, I will not allow children under the age of 5 years old to sleep on top of the bunk bed. I will also ensure that the floor is not damaged or worn-out of floor tiles. Finally, I will pay close attention to anything that can fall or harm the patients.

Workplace

In Ireland, the Health and Safety Authority (HAS) is mandated to perform administration, Medicare enforcement, and safety at work. HAS is responsible for monitoring compliance with legislation at the workplace and has a responsibility to enforce action. In Ireland, HAS is a national center that is a source of health safety information and advice to employers, employees, and self-employed individuals about health and safety matters (Higuera, 2017). Finally, the HSA also participates in training and research in health and safety.

The safety health’s role is devoted to continually advancing the institutions’ safety measures to prevent harm from infection. The safety office forms vital programs to ensure personal safety, prevent accidents and avoid injury. Finally, it also spearheads the promotion of wellness and ensures compliance with environmental, health, and safety laws and regulation.

Safety in the Healthcare Environment

Healthcare stakeholders should ensure safety in a facility. Scholars have claimed that diverse workplaces that offer employment practices that are non-discriminatory lead to an improvement in performance (Jolly et al., 2018). The following are the strategies that promote a safe and healthy environment: ensuring support and encouragement of professional development, identification and removal of barriers to optimum health, and finally ensuring staff turnover is low.

The primary goal of practical housekeeping is to eliminate the hazards from the workplace. Lack of housekeeping techniques commonly can result in accidents. For instance, risks occur due to negligence of littering papers, debris, clutter, and spills. Thus, it is vital to observe water housekeeping because it may reduce patient accidents at clinics.

Housekeeping is not only about cleaning, but it also entails maintain the office neat and tidy and ensuring that the halls and floors do not slip. Housekeeping also provides the removal of waste material and other fire hazards from the workplace. As per my healthcare experience, if my colleagues attempt to move patients incorrectly under my watch and seek my help, I will reprimand them and shift the patients properly. In facilitating the patients’ transfer, I will ensure that the established health and safety guidelines are followed to avoid any unintentional accidents happening to them.

Reference List

Common sources of accidents in health and social care settings (2020). Web.

Higuera, V. (2017) How are diseases transmitted? Web.

HIV in Ireland (2018) Web.

Horowitz, H. (2017) ‘Infection control III: infection prevention and control as mediators’, American Journal of Infection Control, 45(5), pp. 519-520. Web.

Jolly, J. et al. (2018) ‘Qualitative evaluation of an educational intervention to reduce medicolegal risks for medical doctors experiencing significantly more cases than their peers in the UK and Ireland’, BMJ Open, 8(4), pp. 1-11. Web.

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