Some bacteria including strains of Enterococcus and Staphylococcus, and fungi su

Question

Some bacteria including strains of Enterococcus and Staphylococcus, and fungi such as Candida, can survive for one to three months on a variety of materials found in hospitals, including scrub suits, lab coats, plastic aprons, and computer keyboards. They are the major causes of opportunistic infections in human.

1. Describe the meaning of opportunistic infections.

2. Indicate one body site in healthy human body where each of the above microbes may be found as normal flora.

3. Indicate example of a disease that each of the above microbes may cause in hospital patients.

4. Describe one physical and one chemical method of disinfecting objects contaminated with these microbes.

5. List 2 important practices hospital personnel can do to reduce the spread of these pathogens.

Explanation / Answer

1. Opportunistic infections are infections which occur when the immune system is compromised, namely when the host immune is weak or due to altered microbiota.

2. Enterococcus - Gastrointestinal tract,

Staphylococcus - Skin,

Candida - Mouth.

3. Enterococcus - Enterococcal Infections [Wound infections]

Staphylococcus - Staphylococcal pneumonia [hospital-acquired pneumonia]

Candida - Vaginal Candidiasis.

4. Physical method - Ionizing radiation, Moist heat sterlization.

Chemical method - Alcohol, Halogen.

5. Hand hygiene, Cleaning surfaces properly, Follow the aseptic insertion technique.

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