Safety Considerations Standard Precautions

Disease Transmission

Disease transmission is defined as the passage of a disease from one person to another. This can occur either through direct contact or indirect contact.

In order for disease to occur and spread from one individual to another, certain conditions must be present.

These conditions are commonly called the "chain of infection'.

The parts of the chain include:

Causative agent: a pathogen...such as a bacterium or virus that can cause disease.
Reservoir: an area where the causative agent can live. Some common reservoirs include the human body, animals, the environment, and formites (or contaminated objects).
Portal of exit: a way for the causative agent to escape from the reservoir.

Mode of Transportation

image of person sneezing A way for the causative agent to travel from one reservoir to another host...pathogens may have more than one of these.

For example-person to person...first by a sneeze, then by a handshake when a person covers their mouth (yuck).

Portal of Entry

A way for the for the causative agent to enter a new host.....mucous membranes, breaks in the skin, respiratory tract, digestive system, genitourinary tract, and the circulatory tract. If the immune system is not strong enough to repel the pathogen the body will contract the disease.

Susceptible Host

A person likely to get an infection or disease usually because of weak body defenses.

Preventing Disease Transmission

There are a set of standard precautions that can be used to prevent exposure to blood, body fluids and infectious agents while giving care.

These include:

Giving care to minimize risk.
Use standard precautions to prevent exposure.
Use good personal hygiene (hand washing).
Use personal protective equipment to avoid direct contact. (This includes the use of disposable gloves, breathing barriers, and masks, especially if you are likely to come in contact with blood or other body fluids).

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