This module will discuss the most common illnesses that carers encounter and provide you the skills necessary to recognize symptoms and prevent their spread.
Preventing the spread of disease depends on how the disease is transmitted and its source of the infection. Carers need to constantly keep this in mind. Germs, also called microorganisms, are tiny living particles. They can be found anywhere: in the air, on the ground and even in our bodies.
Pathogens - the germs that cause diseases are often live in a specific environment. Some diseases are spread by touching objects that an infected person has touched. Other diseases are spread when you come into contact with the body fluids of an infected person, for example blood or saliva
The majority of infections are transmitted through the following sources:
Healthy people, with healthy immune systems, stay healthy because their immune system fights off germs. To help the body fight off microorganisms, you can follow the steps below.
INFECTION RISK:
In general, people are at greater risk of getting infections if they:
Bloodborne pathogens are disease-causing microorganisms present in human blood or other potentially infectious material, such as saliva or other bodily fluids. These pathogens include, but are not limited to:
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which diminishes the body’s ability to fight disease. If you are going to be caring for someone with HIV infection, you need to understand the basic facts about HIV and AIDS. The only way to tell if someone is infected with HIV is with a blood test. There is no vaccine to prevent HIV infection and no cure for AIDS. There are treatments that can keep infected people healthy and prevent diseases that people with AIDS get. HIV slowly makes an infected person sicker and sicker.
Symptoms of HIV include: flue-like fever; rapid weight loss; unexplained rashes; diarrhea and night sweats; swollen lymph nodes. Someone with AIDS can feel fine in the morning and sick in the afternoon.
Early in the AIDS epidemic, people became infected through blood transfusions. Since then, all donated blood and donors of organs or tissue are tested for HIV.
HIV is commonly spread by:
How HIV is NOT spread:
There are many other diseases that are not caused by bloodborne pathogens. These diseases may spread through the air, perhaps when someone sneezes. Other pathogens live on the skin or other surfaces. Care workers need to be familiar with these conditions for the benefit of their health and their clients' health. This course will cover a range of other conditions that care workers may encounter throughout their work. It will discuss how to identify the conditions and the best way to treat them and prevent their spread.
Tuberculosis (TB) is a population problem. Eight million new cases occur each year in the world. Since 1985, the number of U.S. cases reported each year has remained above 22,000.
Millions of people have TB infection and have no symptoms of the disease, but they can transmit the disease to others. An estimated 10-15 million persons in the U.S. are infected with TB bacteria. That is why TB screening is needed, especially for those who work in a health care setting.
Anyone can contract TB. Those at high risk of contracting TB include:
TB is transmitted via the airborne route. The TB pathogens are in the air and can be inhaled. Repeated, prolonged exposure is necessary to contract TB.The disease is not spread through sharing belongings or touching something that a sick person has touched.
Symptoms of the disease include:
Screening for TB is done with a skin test. If the result of the skin test is positive, it means you have been exposed to TB bacteria. This does not mean you have an active case of TB.
You will need to seek medical advice to see if you have active TB. Once you have a positive skin test, you will need a chest x-ray to screen for the presence of TB, even if you are healthy. A chest x-ray is done to determine if TB disease is present and what kind of treatment is indicated. In many cases, a positive TB test must be reported to local authorities, as the disease can be spread by air.
A close visual examination for live lice or their eggs, called nits, in the hair is usually all that is needed to diagnose an infestation of head lice. A health professional may confirm the diagnosis with microscopic examination.
Pubic lice and body lice can also be diagnosed with a close visual examination of the affected areas or the person's clothing.
Both lice and nits must be destroyed to get rid of an infestation. The most common treatment is a topical nonprescription or prescription cream, lotion, or shampoo to kill the lice and eggs. Sometimes a second treatment is needed to make sure that all the eggs are destroyed.
Scabies are tiny, eight-legged mites that are hard to see without a magnifying glass. They dig underneath the skin and cause itching so severe it may make it difficult for the person to sleep at night. An early scabies rash will show up as little red bumps, (looks like hives), tiny bites, or pimples. Later the bumps may become crusty or scaly. Scabies usually starts between fingers, on elbows or wrists, buttocks, or waist. Sometimes the person will have long red marks from where the mite has been crawling under the skin. People in group settings such as nursing homes or group homes are more likely to get scabies. Always have a magnifying glass to examine your client for scabies. Scabies are easily transmitted.
Usually, a dermatologist will be able to tell if a person has scabies, just from looking at the skin. If not, a simple diagnostic test can be done. Scabies is easy to treat with special creams and lotions. However, if you are providing care to a client with scabies, be sure to follow these tips:
(a) Wash all of the person’s clothes, sheets and towels in hot water.
(b) Dry the clothing and linens completely in the dryer.
(c) Vacuum the whole house and throw out the vacuum cleaner bag.
(d) Treat all family members for scabies at the same time, whether they itch or not. That will keep scabies from spreading.
Care workers, like all health care professionals, must take precautions to help prevent the spread of diseases and infestations in their workplaces. Universal precautions are designed to prevent health care workers from transferring infections to patients, and from infecting themselves. Disease-causing agents may be present in body substances, even when a person does not look or act sick. Therefore, universal precautions should be used whenever you come into contact with body fluids from any other person.