Infections that one contract while in the hospital or a healthcare facility are known as nosocomial infections (Rodgers, 2016). The infections are transmitted from one person to the other, and it might also be from staff in the health centres, not necessarily the patients. However, individuals who have been infected and with weak immune system are the ones who highly transfer the infections to the others (Rodgers, 2016). Hence, the infections are brought about by pathogens which can transfer from one person to the other.
The infections are easily acquired as some staff can get them from the equipment they use in the healthcare. An example during surgery operation a medic can accidentally harm themselves with the equipment, hence become infected by the nosocomial infections (Rodgers, 2016). Such incidence is a precarious one because through that they can transfer the infections to other patients whom will handle without the knowledge of it. Consequently, this has made nosocomial infections to become a threat to the society since medical care has grown to be more complex than before.
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However, there are methods which can help in preventing the transmissions of infection like the use of gloves (Amy, 2008). Gloves are used as a barrier when a medic is working with patients who have communicable diseases. The gloves used by the physicians should always be sterile (Sydnor & Perl, 2011). Further, all the medics should have the full knowledge of injection practice since the transmission of blood borne pathogens is mostly through injections (Amy, 2008). Alternatively, the hospital environment should always be clean as other infections are transmitted through environmental aspects and equipment’s (Amy, 2008). This can be enhanced by isolation and quarantine method where the infected patients are put into their own rooms to prevent the spread of diseases (Sydnor & Perl, 2011).
Isolation and quarantine methods prevent or limit the direct or indirect transmission of the infectious agent. However, the disease mitigation processes should be accomplished in accordance with current beliefs of individual rights and civil liberties. Quarantine and social distancing have proved effective in reducing the transmission of nosocomial infections.
So as to establish a nosocomial infection-free environment, there should be emphasis on educational and community-based programs as the way to educate the general public in preventing the disease transmission. Such strategies are effective since they would help reach many people in the interior places. The general public should observe personal hygiene such as cleaning of hands before and after visiting a patient in hospital. It is also recommended that they wear protective gears such as gloves, face masks and gowns while visiting such patients in hospital. Since the nosocomial infections are contagious, the public have to ensure that their rooms are well ventilated clean and scrubbed with the required frequency.
References
Amy, S. C. (2008). Chapter 41: Preventing health care-associated infections. In Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses . Atlanta, Georgia: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved on 5 May 2017 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2683/.
Rodgers, G. (2016). What are Nosocomial Infections? Health line . Retrieved on 5 May 2017 from http://www.healthline.com/health/hospital-acquired-nosocomial-infections.
Sydnor, M. R. E. & Perl, M. T. (2011). Hospital Epidemiology and Infection Control in Acute-Care Settings. Clinical Microbiology Reviews, 24 (1). 141-173.
