Infection Prevention & Control (IPC)

1. Infection Prevention & Control (IPC)

2. Standard Precautions • Personal Hygiene • Personal Protective Equipment • Cleaning & Disinfection

3. Modes of Spreading Infection • Inhalation: Microbes released from a host, inhaled by another person thereby infecting that person. E.G: TB, Diphtheria • Ingestion: Organisms that infect the gastro-intestinal tract are ingested. Easily spread as a result of poor hand hygiene • Inoculation: Needle stick injuries allow contaminated blood to enter another persons blood stream • Fomite: an object becomes contaminated and proceeds to contaminated any persons who continue to touch/use that object. E.G: pens

4. Microbiology • Micro-organism: too small to see by the naked eye. Pathogens are micro-organisms capable of causing disease • Bacteria: organisms causing infection, susceptible to antibiotics • Virus: can survive outside the body but can only reproduce inside the body. They are not susceptible to antibiotics

5. Hand Hygiene Hand hygiene is widely recommended as the single most important activity for reducing the spread of infection Reasons for poor compliance: • Skin problems/irritation • Lack of understanding of importance • Laziness • Hands don’t look dirty???

6. Commonly Missed Area’s

7. Alcohol Rub • Medicare EMS Ltd strive to provide bottles of Alcohol rub at every even and on every vehicle. These are obviously for your use when ever you see fit • You are asked to remember that the use of alcohol rub does NOT clean your hands its is to be used to decontaminate your hands before and after contact with a patient

8. Uniform • Uniform is to be clean for every event • If possible please bring spare with you if required • There is no conclusive evidence to suggest that uniforms pose a significant hazard in the spread of infection, the majority of bacteria and viruses cannot survive away from the host • There is also no evidence that commercial laundering is any more effective than domestic laundering. Most organisms removed with a 60° wash

9. Ambulances • All vehicles are to be washed inside and out after each event • Cleaning materials and appropriate detergents are available on site at the office • Please refer to the guidance of cleaning materials provided to ensure no cross contamination • All equipment i.e. Ortho stretchers, trolley beds, spinal boards, and monitors can be cleaned with the universal cleaning wipes provided • Should a vehicle require a deep clean please inform a member of the management team immediately