Communicable Disease
Temple College EMS Professions
Infectious Disease
Produced
Bacteria Viruses Fungi Other
by invasion of body by
organisms
Communicable Disease
Infectious
disease Transmissible from one infected organism to another
Transmitted by:
Direct
contact Indirect contact Airborne transmission Vehicle transmission (food, water, needles) Vector transmission (organisms)
Prevention
Maintain
good personal health
status Regular physical exams
Prevention
Immunizations
Hepatitis
for:
Tetanus/diphtheria
B Measles, mumps, rubella
TB
skin test at least annually
Prevention
Consider
immunizations for: Influenza Hepatitis A Chicken pox
Prevention
Wash
hands following patient contacts Wear gloves when contact with human body fluids is anticipated Wear face mask if patient has productive cough (or put mask on patient)
Prevention
Avoid
needle stick (Do NOT recap needles) Clean up blood spills quickly using bleach solution Use disposable equipment
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Bacterial
infection (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) Transmitted by droplets Pulmonary TB - cough, infected sputum, hemoptysis, pleuritic pain)
Tuberculosis
Pulmonary
Cough Infected
TB Signs/Symptoms
sputum Hemoptysis Pleuritic pain
Tuberculosis
Very
low communicability, requires repeated exposure Mask patients with active TB Routine skin tests; follow-up on positive reactors
Viral Hepatitis
Hepatitis A
Fecal-oral
contact Children, young adults Most infections subclinical or very mild Does not cause chronic liver disease or carrier state
Hepatitis B
Parenteral
transmission (blood, dirty needles) Sexual transmission Can cause liver failure, necrotic cirrhosis Can cause carrier state
Viral Hepatitis
Signs/Symptoms
Anorexia Malaise Nausea, vomiting Fever Joint pain Dark urine, jaundice
Viral Hepatitis
Vaccine,
immune serum globulin available for both A and B
Meningitis
Meningitis
Inflammation
of membranes covering brain, spinal cord Bacteria, viruses, fungi Bacterial forms most serious
Bacterial Meningitis
Signs/Symptoms
Headache Nausea Fever Stiff neck
Rapid
progression to delirium, coma, seizures
Bacterial Meningitis
Neissera
meningitidis Petechiae Ecchymosis Septic shock
Bacterial Meningitis
Avoid
contact with oral secretions Not transmissible by breathing same air as patient If close contact occurs, Rifampin 600mg bid 2d
HIV/AIDS
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) infection Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) Damage to helper T cells suppresses immune system
Viral
AIDS
Recurring
opportunistic infections
Pneumocystis carini pneumonia Kaposi’s sarcoma Candida albicans
HIV/AIDS
Transmitted by
blood, semen, vaginal
secretions Contact with tears, saliva, sweat will not cause infection Cannot be transmitted by casual contact Wash hands, wear gloves, needle precautions