Infection Prevention and Control

What is the chain of infection?

• AThe order for putting on PPE: apron, then mask, then eye protection, then gloves
• BPathogen → reservoir → portal of exit → means of transmission → portal of entry → susceptible host✓
• CThe cleaning order, working from the cleanest areas of a room to the dirtiest
• DA sequence that applies to airborne infections in hospitals, not care homes

Answer: UKHSA's infection prevention and control resource for adult social care describes six links: pathogen, reservoir, portal of exit, means of transmission, portal of entry and susceptible host. Breaking any link stops the spread: hand hygiene breaks the means of transmission, covering coughs and sneezes blocks the portal of exit, and vaccination protects the susceptible host.

What is the most important infection control measure in a care setting?

• AWearing a face mask throughout the shift, whatever task you are doing
• BHand hygiene—washing hands at key times✓
• CIsolating service users in their rooms
• DUsing excessive antibiotics

Answer: Hand hygiene is the single most effective way to prevent infections.

When should you wash your hands in a care setting?

• AAt fixed times, once an hour on the hour, whatever you happen to be doing at the time
• BAt the end of your shift, once the day's care tasks and the handover are finished
• CBefore and after service user contact, after bathroom use, and before eating✓
• DOnly at times when your hands are visibly dirty or have something obvious on them

Answer: Regular hand washing at key times prevents transmission of pathogens.

What is the correct way to wash your hands?

• AWith soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds, covering all surfaces✓
• BWashing the palms of your hands only, since that is where most germs collect
• CA quick rinse under cold running water for a few seconds, without using any soap
• DUsing alcohol gel instead of soap on every occasion

Answer: Thorough technique removes pathogens from all hand surfaces.

What is personal protective equipment (PPE) and when should it be used?

• AClothing supplied so that staff look uniform while on duty
• BGloves, aprons and masks, worn continuously from the start to the end of a shift
• CGloves, aprons, masks—used when contact with body fluids or infection risk is likely✓
• DEquipment worn to keep staff uniforms clean, rather than to control infection

Answer: Appropriate PPE protects both you and service users from infection.

A service user vomits on the floor. What should you do?

• APut on PPE, clean with disinfectant, dispose of materials safely, and wash hands✓
• BUse paper towels only
• CAsk someone else to do it
• DCover it with paper towels, then report it to housekeeping to deal with

Answer: Proper cleanup with disinfection prevents infection spread.

How should medical waste be disposed of in a care setting?

• AIn the regular household waste, provided it has first been sealed inside a tied plastic bag
• BLeft in the sluice for the cleaning staff to sort out at the end of the working shift
• CIn designated clinical waste containers, incinerated according to regulations✓
• DReturned to the pharmacy that supplied the original items

Answer: Proper waste disposal prevents infection and environmental contamination.

What should you do if a service user has a notifiable infection?

• ATell the person's family about the infection, but nobody at all outside the care setting
• BSay nothing about it, so that the service user is not singled out by the other residents
• CReport it to your supervisor and public health authorities as required by law✓
• DIsolate the person and take no further administrative action

Answer: Reporting notifiable diseases protects public health and allows disease tracking.

What is the importance of immunisation for care workers?

• AProtecting yourself and vulnerable service users from preventable diseases✓
• BA precaution care workers can skip
• CA requirement for service users, rather than for the staff caring for them
• DA way to replace hand hygiene and PPE during outbreaks

Answer: Immunisation protects both workers and service users from serious diseases.

A colleague with cold symptoms is scheduled to work. What should you suggest?

• AThey should take antibiotics before the shift so that they are no longer infectious to others
• BThey should come in and work as normal, since a common cold is a very minor sort of illness
• CThey should stay home if possible or use extra PPE and hand hygiene to reduce transmission✓
• DTheir symptoms do not really matter, as colds cannot be passed on to older service users anyway

Answer: Staying home when ill prevents spread to vulnerable service users.