Case Study

Healthcare staff working in a particular ward area have all received training about infection control and understand the importance of preventing the chain of infection from being complete. However, within this ward there are frequent outbreaks of gastroenteritis and patients have symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting. As you look around the ward area, you notice a number of empty hand towel and soap dispensers. You see that a member of staff does not clean the commode she has just taken away from a patients bedside and another member of staff is carrying a bedpan through the ward without it being covered. Which parts of the chain of infection are likely to be a problem in this scenario? Write them in the box on the next slide, giving reasons for your answers. Then click on Submit for some feedback.