Preventing Infections

What is an infection?

An infection is a disease caused by germs that get inside your body and make you sick.

How do germs get inside your body?

Some germs are passed from one person to another by sneezing, coughing, or touching. Germs get on your hands while you are doing normal things every day. You may pick up germs when you handle money, use the toilet, touch door handles, or your pet. Some germs are in the air. This means that they enter your body through the air you breathe. Some germs are only passed through blood and other body fluids.

How do you keep from getting an infection?

There are many simple things that you can do to prevent infection. The list below can also help you keep from spreading an infection to others.

Handwashing:

Hand washing is the most important thing you can do to prevent infection. You should wash your hands several times every day. Soap and water cannot kill germs but they loosen the normal skin oil where germs live. Always wash your hands after you have been to the bathroom. You should also wash your hands every time you cough, sneeze, or blow your nose. Wash your hands before and after giving patient care to a family member. Always wash your hands before you prepare or eat food.

• Take off your hand and arm jewelry before washing your hands. Scrub your hands for at least 15 seconds, using warm water and soap. This is about as long as it takes to sing the happy birthday song twice. Wash between your fingers, and under your nails. Wash both the front and the back of each hand. After washing your hands, gently rub them dry using a clean towel or paper towel. Hold a paper towel in your hand while turning off the water tap.
  
  
• When leaving the bathroom, grab the door handle while holding a paper towel in your hand. Everyone should wash their hands before eating, after using the bathroom, and after petting animals.
  
  
• Use alcohol-based hand rubs for cleaning your hands if there is no water. Carry germ-killing hand lotion or gel (hand rub) with you when you leave the house. Before using a hand rub, wipe dirt off of your hands as much as you can. Your hands should be dry before hand rub is used. Take enough of the hand rub to cover your hands and fingers. Rub your hands together until all of the hand rub liquid has dried up.

Bathing:

• Shower often. Make sure to wash between folds of your skin. You may need to bathe every 1 to 2 days to keep your body from smelling or getting an infection. If you work in a public place, outside, or with food or animals, you should bathe often.
  
  
• Wash your hair regularly.
  
  
• Clean your perineum (the area between your legs) every day to keep it from having a bad smell. This is an area with a lot of germs. Clean your armpits every 1 to 2 days and wear deodorant to keep from having a bad smell.
  
  
• Trim your finger and toenails once a week. Doing this after a bath or shower is often easier because the nail is softer. Tell your caregiver if you cannot see or reach your nails to trim them.

Dental Care:

• Each family member should use his own toothbrush and drinking glass.
  
  
• Infections in your mouth can be caused by food left on or between your teeth. Brush your teeth at least 2 times each day. It is best to do this in the morning and before bed. Gargle with mouthwash if you cannot brush after a meal.
  
  
• Floss your teeth each time you brush. This helps to remove food from between your teeth.
  
  
• Change the water in your denture cup every day if you have dentures.
  
  
• It is very important to see your dentist at least once a year. Dental caregivers can give your teeth a deeper cleaning than you can. This prevents cavities and infections in your mouth.

Housecleaning:

• Dust and vacuum your house every week.
  
  
• Mop the kitchen and bathroom floor each week and when something is spilled.
  
  
• Wash trash containers with soap and water. Then spray the container with a disinfectant.
  
  
• Keep the inside of the refrigerator clean. Use soap and water to clean it about every month. Keep foods that can spoil in the refrigerator. Throw away food that is spoiled.
  
  
• When using a cutting board, wash it with soap or put it in the dishwasher often. Always wash the cutting board carefully after you have put raw meats on it.
  
  
• Use a cleaning product to clean the kitchen counter. Many germs can live on a kitchen counter if it is not kept clean.

How can you prevent spreading infection to yourself and others?

• Wear latex gloves, an apron, and protective glasses when you have to touch blood, sputum (spit), BMs, or urine. This is especially important if you are using a bedpan instead of the toilet. Wash your hands before putting on the gloves, apron, and glasses. Wash your hands after taking off gloves, apron, and glasses.
  
  
• Clean up spills of blood or urine as soon as possible after they are spilled. Put on latex gloves and an apron before you start.
  
  
  • The best thing to use are chlorine granules (crumbs). Cover the spill with chlorine granules and wait 2 minutes while the granules soak up the spill. Then wipe the granules up with paper towels and throw the towels in the trash.
    
    
  • If you do not have chlorine granules, use a 10% liquid bleach solution. Make the solution by mixing 1 part bleach to 10 parts water. For example, mix 1/4 cup bleach with 2 and 1/2 cups water. Pour some solution on the spill and wait 2 minutes before wiping it up with paper towels. Throw away any bleach solution you do not use.
    
    
  • Chlorine can damage fabric and other materials, such as material, carpet, and furniture. Use soap and water to clean these instead. Wipe up large spills of urine first, then clean the area with chlorine.
  
  
• Put trash with blood or other body fluids such as BMs, urine, or sputum in a plastic leak-proof bag. Double bag this trash to prevent leaking. Keep animals and pets out of your trash.
  
  
• Use reusable rubber work gloves when you are cleaning the house. Clean these gloves with hot soap and water. Then disinfect the gloves with the 10% bleach solution. Throw away and replace cracked or torn gloves.
  
  
• Wear gloves when you take the sheets off the beds to wash them. This keeps any BMs, urine, blood, sputum, or other body fluids that got onto the sheets from touching you.
  
  
• Put a towel under the part of the body where you will be changing a bandage. This towel should soak up any spills.
  
  
• Do not eat or drink while working with contaminated (dirty) things or while cleaning up. This is important so that you do not get any germs in your food or drink.
  
  
• Do not put your hands to your face or eyes while working with contaminated things.
  
  
• Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. Then, wash and dry your hands after each cough or sneeze.
  
  
• Change the water every day in any respiratory (RES-per-uh-tor-e) equipment, such as a humidifier.
  
  
• Wash your hands before cooking or eating, and after using the toilet.
  
  
• Stay away from people who have colds or the flu. Get shots to keep from getting the flu and pneumonia (new-MOAN-yuh). Try to stay away from large groups of people. This decreases your chance of getting sick.

Care Agreement

You have the right to help plan your care. To help with this plan, you must learn about your illness, injury, surgery, or procedure. You can then discuss your treatment options with your caregiver. Work with caregivers to decide what care will be used to treat you. You always have the right to refuse treatment.

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The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.