Break the Chain of Infection! is this year's theme for Infection Prevention Week. It is important to spread the word about how the public and healthcare professionals can contribute to the goal of infection prevention.
There is the possibility of many different germs inside and outside of the healthcare setting. Germs can spread between persons, therefore breaking the chain of infection is vital. No matter what the germ is, there are six points at which the chain can be broken and the germ can be stopped from infecting another person.
- Infectious Agent - the germ that caused the disease
- Reservoir - places the pathogen lives (people, animals, insects, equipment, soil and water)
- Portal of Exit - the way the infectious agent leaves the reservoir (open wounds, aerosols, and body fluids - coughing, sneezing and saliva)
- Means of Transmission - the ways infectious agents can be passed on (direct contact, ingestion, inhalation)
- Portal of Entry - the way an infectious agent can enter a new host (broken skin, respiratory tract, and mucous membranes)
- Susceptible Host - any person, the most vulnerable being those receiving healthcare or those that are immune compromised.
The way to stop germs from spreading is interrupting this chain at any link. These practices can effectively break the chain...
- Hand Hygiene
- Personal Protective Equipment
- First Aide
- Food Safety
- Cleaning, Disinfection, Liberalization
- Waste Disposal
- Respiratory Etiquette
- Isolation
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