NURSING 1211C Ch 71 Management of Patients With Study guide

Basic-Chapter 71 Chain of Infection (pg. 2125) A complete chain of events is necessary for infection t occur. Six elements are necessary 1/Causative Organism= types of microorganisms that cause infections are bacteria, rickettsiae, viruses, protozoa, fungi, and helminths. 2/ Reservoir= is the term used for any person, plant, animal, substance, or location that provides nourishment for microorganisms and enable further dispersal of the organism. (Infections may be prevented by eliminating the causative organisms from the reservoir) 3/ Mode of Exit= the organism must have a mode of exit from a reservoir. An infected host must shed organisms to another or to the environment for transmission to occur. (Organisms exit through the respiratory tract, the gastrointestinal tract, the genitourinary tract, or the blood). 4/Route of transmission= A route of transmission is necessary to connect the infectious source with its new hots. (Organisms may be transmitted through sexual contact, skin-to-skin contact, percutaneous injection, or infectious particles carried in the air.) A person who carries or transmits an organism but does not have apparent signs or symptoms is called a carrier. Specific organisms require specific routes ie: mycobacterium tuberculosis = transmitted by the airborne route, staphylococcus aureus = transmitted from patient to patient on the hands of health care providers. 5/ Susceptible Host = for infection to occur, the host must be susceptible (not possessing immunity to a particular pathogen). Previous infection or vaccine administration may render the host IMMUNE (not susceptible) to further infection. People have elaborate immune systems that generally prevent infection. A person who is immunosuppressed has much greater susceptibility to infection than a healthy person. 6/ Portal of Entry= a portal of entry in needed for the organism to gain access to the host. Again, specific organisms may require specific portals of entry for infection to occur. Ie: airborne M. tuberculosis doesn’t not cause disease when it settles on the skin of an exposed ho