Covidnineteen.html Infection Control and Procedure Policy Contents 1. Introduction 2. Standard Precautions 3. Protective Clothing 4. Spillage 5. Waste 6. Contaminated Linen 7. Treatment Tables/Medical Devices/Linen Introduction Infection control is an essential part of maintaining good practice for any health care provider. Despite physiotherapy not commonly being associated with the spread of infection, there are a number of health and safety standards which should always be adhered to. Here at Cherrytree Physiotherapy, we take infection control very seriously, and have never had a case of cross-infection reported by a patient under our care. We follow Infection control/prevention and Equipment maintenance standard as per College of Physiotherapists of Ontario. Standard Precaution All body fluids (Sweat , Urine, Vomit, Sputum, Tears and Feces) are handled with same precaution as blood. Hand hygiene is widely recognized as the single most important (infection prevention control( IPC) practice and helps to break the chain of transmission by acting on one of the primary modes by which infectious agents are spread–health-care workers. Hand hygiene using alcohol-based cleaner (with an alcohol concentration between 60-90%), or hand washing using soap and water is an essential element of all IPC efforts. If hands are visibly clean, we use an alcohol hand rub between patients and around procedures. Hands are decontaminated before and after contact with the patient and/or their immediate environment. Cuts and abrasions are covered with water proof dressing on areas of the body likely to come into contact with a patient. Sharps handling and disposal involves disposing all biohazard objects in the proper biohazard receptacle and then subjected to steam sterilization before they can be reused. Protective Clothing Protective clothing is worn to reduce the potential risk of cross infection. This includes gloves, plastic apron, face, eye and respiratory protection (Latex or vinyl) are worn where direct contact with blood, body fluids, mucous membranes or contaminated equipment is anticipated. Gloves are discarded after each procedure and hands washed with soap and water. Plastic aprons are worn when there is a risk of exposure to blood or body fluids, contaminated equipment, non-intact skin or an infectious patient and their linen. Aprons are changed between each patient contact or care procedure. All aprons are removed by breaking the neck strap, disposed of as clinical waste followed by hand hygiene. Face masks and eye protection (e.g. goggles or visors) are worn where there is a risk of blood, body fluids, secretions, foreign bodies and excretions splashing into the face and eyes. All protective equipment is washed at the end of each session using hot water and detergent, rinsed and stored dry. Spillage All blood and body fluids: Single use disposable gloves and an apron are always worn when dealing with a spillage Blood / blood stained body fluids: 1. Wear protective clothing (gloves and apron) 2. Cover spillage with paper towels and then saturate with a sodium hypochlorite solution 1% 3. Leave for 2 minutes then wearing gloves and apron wipe up the spillage disposing of waste produced into the clinical waste bin. 4. Clean area using a solution of hot water and detergent, using disposable cloths, rinse and dry. 5. Remove protective clothing and wash hands. Spillages of urine/vomit/faeces: 1. Wear protective clothing (gloves and apron) 2. Soak up spillage with paper towels and dispose of as clinical waste. 3. Clean area thoroughly with a solution of hot water and detergent using disposable cloths, rinse and dry. 4. Wipe over the area with a fresh solution of Chlor-clean 5. Remove protective clothing and wash hands 6. When the spill occurs on a carpeted area/ soft furnishing, which may be damaged by the use of chlorine, based product mop up the spillage using paper towels and then clean area with a solution of hot water and detergent. Waste 1. All waste bins are rigid and be able to withstand cleaning 2. Waste sacks are only to be handled by the neck and replaced daily. Contaminated Linen 1. Clean linen is stored in a clean area and protected from contamination. 2. All linen is disposed of appropriately 3. An apron and gloves is worn when handling used linen. 4. Towels are washed above 60 degrees. Treatment Tables/Medical Devices/Linen 1. Treatment tables is covered with paper roll for every patient. 2. After each treatment session per patient treatment table is disinfected with Lysol wipes and at the end of day with soap and water. 3. All medical devices; laser and electrical muscle simulators, traction unit and gym equipment are disinfected and cleaned after every use. 4. Electrodes are to be wiped with water and soap and dry thoroughly. 5. For sponges , we use control III to disinfect. Used sponges are rinsed with water to remove electrolyte then soaked in control II for 10 min, rinsed in water again to remove control II and then air-dried. Summary Goal of infection control is to protect the patient and health care personnel from infection. Infection control starts with standard precautions recommended by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention( CDC) which in summary are: hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette, PPE, cleaning and disinfection, management of care equipment, environment control and safe management of linen. Message from College COVID-19: Information and Updates for Physiotherapists 1. Authority and Responsibility Physiotherapists must identify and minimize any risks caused by infections or the use of equipment in their practice. 2. Infection Prevention and Control Physiotherapists must use current and generally-accepted infection prevention and control measures that are relevant to their practice setting. This requires physiotherapists to: maintain current knowledge of infection prevention and control measures, consider the risks of transmission among patients, self, other health professionals, and staff before each patient interaction, incorporate the appropriate infection prevention and control measures based on the risks of transmission, ensure that there are appropriate written infection prevention and control protocols in their practice setting. Current and generally-accepted infection prevention and control measures include, but are not limited to: hand hygiene, use of personal protective equipment (e.g. gloves, gowns, masks, respirators), cleaning, disinfecting and/or sterilizing equipment appropriately, not re-using single-use equipment (e.g. single-use electrodes), safe management and disposal of waste and sharps. Any other additional measures that may be necessary, such as single room treatment areas or safe handling of soiled linen. 3. Equipment Maintenance Physiotherapists must ensure that the equipment they use to provide patient care is properly maintained and safe. This means ensuring that the equipment is inspected, maintained, and serviced according to the health facility’s policies, manufacturers’ guidelines, and legislative requirements. Physiotherapists must have a written process for routinely reviewing the maintenance and safety of the equipment they use, and be able to demonstrate that they did the review. |