Harmless Microorganisms Case Study
Colonisation is when microorganisms become a part of the normal internal flora. These mircoorganisms are not harmful to the human, but when they reproduce and multiply they join the natural flora of the body and they all live together. Infection is when a pathogen (infection causing microorganism) invades the body and start to reproduce in any tissue of the human. Examples of infection include the common cold, skin infections (warts) and gastroenteritis. Disease refers to a disruption in the sturture or funtions of anything, anywhere in the body. Some diseases include; Alzheimer’s disease, tuberculosis (TB) and sexually transmitted disease (STDs) (Koutoukidis, G, Stainton, K & Hughson, J 2017).
9. Discuss the difference between harmless microorganisms …show more content…
Bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites are all microorgansims, some kinds of bacteria and fungi can be healthy in the human body. There can also be unhealthy bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites which cause infection, called pathogens. Pathogens are microorganisms which have the capability to cause an infection. The difference between harmless microorgamisms and pathogens is that pathogens can cause infection and harmless microorganisms cannot, as they are harmless (Koutoukidis, G, Stainton, K & Hughson, J 2017).
10. You are caring for a patient who has gastroenteritis and is in isolation with contact precautions
a) Where would documentation such as medication charts be kept?
Their documentation would be kept outside their room. If it were to be kept in their room it would get contaminated and become a fomite. The documentation does not need to be in the room as it can be written on once leaving the room, so keeping it outside the room makes sure it cannot be contaminated (Koutoukidis, G, Stainton, K & Hughson, J …show more content…
- A surgical hand wash takes longer to preform as there are many more stages.
- A nail cleaner must be used in a surgical hand wash, but not required in a routine hand wash (The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne 2012).
16. A nurse is preparing to administer a subcutaneous injection to a patient. Once prepared, the nurse carries the injection in her hands to the patient’s room and administers the medication following the 6 R’s correctly. They then recap the needle using their hands and carry it back to the treatment room for disposal.
Identify three (3) risk management strategies that should have been used to decrease the infection risk to the nurse.
- The nurse should have carried the infection in a kidney dish instead of her hands, she could have accidently stabbed herself or someone else and cause a needle stick injury.
- Needles should never be recapped. It makes it much easier to cause a needle stick injury when recapping a needle.
- The needle needs to be disposed immediately after use, there should be sharps containers to dispose of sharps in or right outside the room so it doesn’t need to be taken far. It should have been put in a kidney dish as well if there isn’t a sharps container right need the patient’s area (Syringes and needles: use, disposal and incident follow-up
9. Discuss the difference between harmless microorganisms …show more content…
Bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites are all microorgansims, some kinds of bacteria and fungi can be healthy in the human body. There can also be unhealthy bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites which cause infection, called pathogens. Pathogens are microorganisms which have the capability to cause an infection. The difference between harmless microorgamisms and pathogens is that pathogens can cause infection and harmless microorganisms cannot, as they are harmless (Koutoukidis, G, Stainton, K & Hughson, J 2017).
10. You are caring for a patient who has gastroenteritis and is in isolation with contact precautions
a) Where would documentation such as medication charts be kept?
Their documentation would be kept outside their room. If it were to be kept in their room it would get contaminated and become a fomite. The documentation does not need to be in the room as it can be written on once leaving the room, so keeping it outside the room makes sure it cannot be contaminated (Koutoukidis, G, Stainton, K & Hughson, J …show more content…
- A surgical hand wash takes longer to preform as there are many more stages.
- A nail cleaner must be used in a surgical hand wash, but not required in a routine hand wash (The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne 2012).
16. A nurse is preparing to administer a subcutaneous injection to a patient. Once prepared, the nurse carries the injection in her hands to the patient’s room and administers the medication following the 6 R’s correctly. They then recap the needle using their hands and carry it back to the treatment room for disposal.
Identify three (3) risk management strategies that should have been used to decrease the infection risk to the nurse.
- The nurse should have carried the infection in a kidney dish instead of her hands, she could have accidently stabbed herself or someone else and cause a needle stick injury.
- Needles should never be recapped. It makes it much easier to cause a needle stick injury when recapping a needle.
- The needle needs to be disposed immediately after use, there should be sharps containers to dispose of sharps in or right outside the room so it doesn’t need to be taken far. It should have been put in a kidney dish as well if there isn’t a sharps container right need the patient’s area (Syringes and needles: use, disposal and incident follow-up