Infection prevention and control (IPC) is a practical, evidence-based approach which prevents health workers and patients from being harmed by avoidable infection and as a result of antimicrobial resistance.

1. Infection Prevention
SBA - Presentation 1 (b)
Maternal Health Division
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
Government of India

2. Infection Prevention 2
Session Objectives
To know
– Sources of infection
– Importance of infection prevention
– Principles of infection prevention
– Standard precautions
– Preparation of 0.5% chlorine solution
– Preparation of clean and disinfected
instruments/gloves
– Disposal of biomedical waste
– Proper handling of contaminated waste

3. Infection Prevention 3
Sources of Infection
What are the common sources of infection?
• Environment :Blood, body fluids,secretions,
excretions, placenta, contaminated sharps and
other equipments.
• Other clients & Attendants
• People in the community
• Health care delivery personnel

4. Infection Prevention 4
Why is infection prevention important?
To prevent the occurrence of
infections and to minimize the risk of
transmitting any infections including
hepatitis B,C and HIV to clients,
health care staff and community.

5. Infection Prevention 5
Principles of Infection Prevention
• All objects in contact with the client:
Potentially contaminated
• Every person: Potentially infectious
• If an object is disposable: Discard as waste.
• If reusable: Prevent infection by
decontamination cleaning,disinfecting or
sterilizing

6. Infection Prevention 6
Standard Precautions
1. Hand washing
2. Use of protective attire
3. Processing of used items
4. Proper handling and disposal of sharps
5. Maintaining a clean environment
6. Biomedical waste disposal

7. Infection Prevention 7
1.Standard Precautions: Hand Washing
Long
Antibacterial soap ,
Alcoholic solutions
Pre-operative disinfection
Surgical hand
disinfection
Disinfection
Alcohol
Disinfection after
contamination
Hygienic hand rub
Short
Non medicated soap
Cleansing after client
contact
Careful hand washing
Short
Non medicated soap
Cleansing
Routine hand washing
Residual effect
Agents
Main Purpose
Technique

8. Infection Prevention 8
Steps of hand washing
Step 1
Wet the hands and wrists.
Apply soap.
Step 2
Right palm over left,
left over right.
Step 3
Palm to palm,
Fingers interlaced.
Step 4
Back fingers to opposing
Fingers interlocked.
Step 5
Rotational rubbing of right
Thumb clasped in left palm
and vice versa.
Step 6
Rotational rubbing backwards
and forwards with top of
fingers and thumb of right
Hand in left and vice versa.

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2.Standard Precautions: Protective attire
• Gloves
• Masks
• Eye-covers
• Gowns
• Caps
• Footwear

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3.Standard Precautions:Processing of used items
A.Decontamination
B. Cleaning
C. Sterilization or high level disinfection (HLD)
D.Storage

11. Infection Prevention 11
Processing of used items
A.Decontamination:
Preparation of Bleaching solution (0.5%)
• Wear utility gloves and plastic apron.
• Take 1 litre of water in plastic bucket.
• Make thick paste with 3 levelled tea spoons of
bleaching powder and water in a plastic mug.
• Mix paste in the bucket of water to make 0.5 %
chlorine solution.

12. Infection Prevention 12
Processing of used items
B.Cleaning:
• Involves - scrubbing with a brush,
detergent and water.
• Detergent is important for effective
cleaning because water alone does not
remove proteins,oils and grease.

13. Infection Prevention 13
Processing of used items
C.Sterilization:
Sterilization ensures that items are free of all
microorganisms (bacteria, viruses,fungi and
parasite) including endospores.
Three methods of sterilisation:
• Steam sterilisation / Autoclaving / Pressure cooker
autoclaving
• Dry heat sterilisation
• Chemical / cold sterilisation

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Processing of used items
Pressure cooker type autoclave
C.Sterilization:
Geared steam gauge Excess pressure relief valve
Control Valve
Air exhaust tube
Top Handle

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Processing of used items
High level Disinfection
• HLD eliminates bacteria, viruses,fungi and
parasites,but does not kill all endospores which
cause diseases such as tetanus and gas gangrene.
• HLD only acceptable alternative to sterilisation.
• There are 3 methods of HLD:
– Boiling
– Chemical HLD
– Steaming
C.Sterilization:

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D.Storage:
• To prevent contamination after processing
• Do not store instruments or other items
such as scalpel blades and suture needles
in solution, always store them dry
Processing of used items

17. Infection Prevention 17
4.Standard Precautions:
Proper Handling and Disposal of sharps
Needles and syringes
• Use disposable needle and syringe ONLY ONCE.
• Always wear utility gloves while handling sharps
• Do not disassemble the needle and syringe after use.
• Do not recap,bend or break needles before disposal.
• Make needles unusable after single use by burning them
in a needle destroyer
• Never burn syringes

18. Infection Prevention 18
• Dispose off needles and syringes in a puncture-proof
container such as metal box,cardboard box or an empty
plastic box.
• Finally dispose as follows:
(i) Dispose the needles and broken vials in pit / tank,
(ii) Send the syringes and unbroken vials for
recycling or landfill
4.Standard Precautions:
Proper Handling and Disposal of sharps
Needles and syringes

19. Infection Prevention 19
5.Standard Precautions:
Maintaining clean environment
For cleaning areas – operation theatres,
procedure rooms ,latrines
Disinfectant cleaning solution
To clean up spills of blood or other
body fluids
Disinfectant
0.5 % chlorine solution
To remove dirt & organic material such
as grease,oil
Plain detergent and water
Uses
Type of cleaning solution

20. Infection Prevention 20
6.Standard Precautions:
Biomedical Waste Disposal
It is the waste that is generated during diagnosis,treatment
or immunization of human beings
Purpose of waste disposal
• Minimize/Prevent the spread of infection to hospital
personnel who handle waste
• Prevent the spread of infection to the local community

21. Infection Prevention 21
6.Standard Precautions:
Biomedical Waste Disposal
Steps of waste disposal
A.Segregation
B.Collection and Storage
C.Transportation
D.Treatment and disposal

22. Infection Prevention 22
Biomedical Waste Disposal:
A.Segregation
Yellow Bag
Human tissue
Placenta and PoCs
Waste swabs /
bandage
Other items
(surgical waste)
contaminated
with blood
Black Bag
Kitchen waste
Paper bags
Waste paper /
thermocol
Disposable
glasses & plates
Left over food
Red Bag
Disinfected catheters
I.V.bottles and tubes
Disinfected plastic gloves
Other plastic material
All Needles and Sharps
I.V.Cannulas
Broken Ampoules
All Blades
Colour coded bins Puncture Proof
Container

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Biomedical Waste Disposal:
B.Collection and Storage
Wrong Correct

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Biomedical Waste Disposal:
C.Transportation
Wrong Correct

25. Infection Prevention 25
Biomedical Waste Disposal:
D.Treatment and Disposal
Do’s
• Disinfect and destroy the waste before its final disposal.
• Remember
– Biological waste to be buried deep at the sub- centre
– Syringes to be cut with hub cutters and chemically
disinfected at source of generation before final disposal
into sharps pit located at the PHC

26. Infection Prevention 26
Key Messages
• Hand-washing is essential for preventing
infections
• Always wear gloves especially where there is a risk
of touching blood, body fluids,secretions,
excretions or contaminated items
• Decontamination :0.5% bleach solution is the
least expensive and the most rapid acting and
effective agent to use for decontamination
• Proper handling of contaminated waste
minimizes the spread of infection to healthcare
personnel and to the local community

27. Infection Prevention 27
Key Messages
Proper handling means:
• Wearing utility gloves
• Transporting solid contaminated waste to the
disposal site in covered containers
• Disposing of all sharp items in puncture-resistant
containers
• Carefully pouring liquid waste down a drain or
flushable toilet
• Burning or burying contaminated solid waste
• Washing containers, gloves and hands after
disposal of infectious waste

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Thank you