Unit 5, Task 1 Resub
P1- Describe common terms in relation to infection control and their meanings.
Infection control is practical management in order to try and red uce t he spread of a di sea se and
eliminate the disease if possible.
The term hygiene means “conditions or practices that help to maintain health and pre vent di sea se ,
especially through cleanliness to reduce the spread of germs.” (Ferreiro Peteiro et al., 2016) For
example, this could be getting the children to wash their hands before lunch in an early-years settin g.
“Infection means the process of bacteria or viruses invading the body and making someone ill or
diseased.” (Ferreiro Peteiro et al., 2016) An infection can be caused by any infecting agent. These
infecting agents include bacteria, virus, fungi and yeasts.
“Disease is a disorder or incorrectly functioning organ, part or body systems in a human.” (Ferreiro
Peteiro et al., 2016) Kidney or lung disease is the organ not working effectively.
Carriers means a person who might not show any symptoms of the infection but may still be carryin g t he
infection. For example, someone with coronavirus might not have a cough, loss of taste or smell or a
high temperature but the virus may still be living inside their cells.
Food- borne illness are illnesses that come from eating an infected food , such a s mad co w di sea se fro m
eating infected meat from the cow.
Pathogens are anything that can cause disease. Pathogenic bacteria are bacteria t hat cause s infe ction a s
it is carrying pathogens within it. For example, salmonella causes food poisoning due to bacteria .
“Contamination means to have made something dirty, polluted or poisonous by adding a chemical,
waste or infection.” (Ferreiro Peteiro et al., 2016) Contamination can occur on surface s, t hro ugh the air
or by consuming something through food or drink.
Hazard analysis is a process of identifying, then minimising and controlling the risks of t he ha zard . A
manager would need to carry out a risk assessment relating to infe ction control , for e xa mple , a n ur se
not washing their hands between patients would be an infection control ha zard t hat would need to be
identified and corrected.
Environmental controls are a way of limiting the chance of infection, such as increa sing the amount of
times cleaning procedures are carried out.
Viruses are tiny organisms that cause infectious illnesses, such as cold, flu, HIV or AIDS. They can only
multiply and grow within a cell, such as bacteria or human. Unlike bacteria, they cause infections by
multiplying in small numbers. Most cannot be destroyed with antibiotics, instead anti-viral drugs are
used.
People are more at risk if they are in a hospital as they have visitors and wor ker s goin g in and o ut of t he
hospital at different times, this could lead to a chance of infe ction. But the y are al so at ri sk if t he y
receive domiciliary care, however there are also some differences a s well.
, Risk Setting- Setting- Differences
hospital domiciliary
care
The spread of The disease There is a risk The spread of
disease may be spread with the disease will be
in a hospital, spread of different
in some cases disease in between a
this may lead domiciliary hospital and
to the hospital care, as the someone
having to close carers are receiving care
to visitors. The having to go to within their
workers within multiple own home,
the hospital different this is because
may also catch houses, in if a breakout
the illness and which some of of a highly
spread it to the houses are infectious
people within not clean, so disease such
their this may be as norovirus
household. where the (winter
The beds are disease has vomiting bug),
also close to originated usually wards
each other so from. affected are
this could closed down,
increase the but in some
chance of cases the
patients whole hospital
catching each is closed down
other’s to visitors but
illnesses. patients’ visits
are usually
unaffected.
Within
hospitals, they
are able to
carry out a
deep clean,
whereas
within
someone’s
own home, a
deep clean is
less likely.
Ill health Ill health could Depending on There is an
result in a the type of increased risk
