Personal Protective Equipment
Hello, future nurses! I wanted to share with you a project/presentation I created with my awesome group members for Health Assessment. PPE is VITAL and as future care takers, we need to be well educated on how to properly use it; Not only for our patients health and safety, but for ourselves and everyone around us. I hope you learn something new today!
***Thank you to Sara, Sarah and Drew for collaborating in an amazing group effort for this project. You guys did great!***
Brought to you by the CDC (some NCLEX prep books may slightly vary)...
https://www.cdc.gov/HAI/pdfs/ppe/ppeposter1322.pdf
1. GOWN - Fully cover torso from neck to knees, arms to end
of wrists, and wrap around the back. Fasten in back of neck and waist
2. MASK OR RESPIRATOR - Secure ties or elastic bands at middle of head
and neck. Fit flexible band to nose bridge. Fit snug to face and below chin. Fit-check respirator
3. GOGGLES OR FACE SHIELD - Place over face and eyes and adjust to fit
4. GLOVES - Extend to cover wrist of isolation gown
“The primary role of personal protective equipment (PPE) is to reduce the risk of transmission of microorganisms between patients, healthcare workers and the environment.” (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Fluid Protection
PPE protects the health care provider from illness or infection but also can be used to protect patients with weakened immune systems.
Parts of this protection
o Gloves o Mask o Gown
Gloves should be used all the time. o Primarily used whenever the health care provider expects to touch someone else’s bodily fluids. o Hands should be washed before putting gloves on and after taking them off. o Gloves should fit properly and never be reused.
Face masks protect against large particle droplets, splashes, sprays, or splatter.
There are four levels of protective gowns. o Level 1: Minimal Risk: to be used during basic care, standard isolation, or standard medical unit. o Level 2: Low Risk: to be used during blood draw, suturing, in the ICU, and in a pathology lab. o Level 3: Moderate Risk: to be used during arterial blood draw, inserting an IV line, in the ED, or for trauma cases. o Level 4: High Risk: to be used during long, fluid intensive procedures, surgery, or when infectious diseases are suspected.
Sterile Environment
What is a sterile environment?
-Sterile Environments services help healthcare facilities control microbial pathogenic bacteria.
http://sterile-environments.com/hospital-and-medical-treatment-areas/
-Sterilization refers to any process that effectively renders any surface, equipment or article free from viable microorganisms.
http://www.sterilebarrier.org/general-public/what-is-sterility-and-why-is-it-so-important/
Gloves: Sterile/surgical gloves. Sterile gloves should be used for aseptic and invasive procedures. – manipulation of central lines, catheterization, etc. Gloves must be worn for invasive procedures, contact with sterile sites and broken skin or mucous membranes. Gloves are a single use item. Gloves must be put on immediately before touching patient and immediately after that patient is taken care of. Gloves changed in between different patients.
Gown: Gown must be single use and disposable.
Masks: Respiratory guards should be used with airborne illnesses and TB. Masks are not an effective way of reducing fluid transfer from patient to HCP.
Eyewear: HCP should use eyewear when dealing with splashing fluids or splashing infected substances.
Procedure: Gown and then Glove to prevent contamination through the sleeves. Glove will be on top of gown sleeve openings and therefore fluids will not touch the patient. If using a mask, put mask on before gloves to reduce contamination of the gloves to germs and fluids.
ISOLATION/Transmission-Based Precautions
Isolation is defined as the voluntary or compulsory separation and confinement of those known or suspected to be infected with a contagious disease agent (whether ill or not) to prevent further infections. (In this form of isolation, transmission-based precautions are imposed.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isolation_(health_care)
Three types: Droplet, Airborne, Contact
Droplet: Diseased included with droplet precautions: Pharyngeal diphtheria, Epiglottitis, Flu, Meningococcal disease, sepsis, pneumonia, meningitis, Mumps, Parvovirus B19, Pneumonic Plague, Adenovirus, Streptococcal pharyngitis, Pertussis, Rhinovirus, Scarlet fever, Rubella.
Droplet precautions differ from airborne because they are larger, travel less (about 3 feet), and can enter mucus membranes (germs need to come in contact with mucus membranes in order to infect someone). Precautions above standard include: surgical mask along with PPE based on patient care (gloves, gown, face shield). *Patient must also wear face mask if being transported*
Airborne: Diseases included with airborne precautions: Chicken pox (varicella), Herpes Zoster/Shingles (Varicella Zoster), Rubeola, Tuberculosis. Transmitted through various forms of respiratory expiration (cough, sneeze, etc). Airborne diseases survive drying out and turn into droplet nuclei. Unlike droplet precautions they are very small and can travel farther. To be infected one must inhale the disease, they will not just enter through the mucus membranes.
Precautions above standard include: N-95 mask (no beards or it won’t seal correctly). There are special helmets for people who can not wear N-95 masks. *Limit transport and always have patient wear surgical mask outside of room. Keep patient door closed AT ALL TIMES*
Contact: Diseases included in contact precautions: MRSA, VRE, KPC (Klebsiella pneumonia carbapenemase), ESBLs (extended spectrum beta lactase producers), C.diff, Noravirus, Rotavirus, Hep. A if patient is incontinent, lice, scabies, herpes simplex, chicken pox, shingles, diphtheria, wounds with drainage, RSV, parainfluenza, conjunctivitis (pink eye).
Contact precaution diseases transmit via direct or indirect touching. Even if the patient has touched something you touch later, you can still become infected. Precautions above standard include: gown and gloves. *Patients can share a room with same infection but solo rooms are preferred*
Works Cited https://www.cdc.gov/HAI/pdfs/ppe/ppeposter1322.pdf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isolation_(health_care) http://www3.hants.gov.uk/trainer_notes_for_ppe_presentation.pdf https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK115274/ http://classes.kvcc.edu/students/~dsharp3665/assn04/index.html https://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/GeneralHospitalDevicesandSupplies/PersonalProtectiveEquipment/ucm055977.htm#s2
