ISOLATION SOURCE AND PROTECTION

 1.      ISOLATION  SOURCE AND PROTECTION  :

                      The isolation , a protective procedure that limits the spread of infections  diseases among hospitalized patients, hospital personal and visitor has been used. Isolation should  be carried out to prevent transmission of infection .the term ‘protective isolation’ refers to those patients who are highly susceptible to infection through the nature of their disease condition.

Source :

·         An infection agent (e.g. bacteria virus, protozoa and fungi)

·         A  host (e.g. the patient, visitor or staff at risk of acquiring an infection ).

·         A reservoir(e.g. person, food ,equipment ).

·         Portal of exit (e.g. droplet, excreta, secretions, body fluid).

·         Portal of entry (e.g. broken skin respiratory tract ,genitourinary tract).

·         Mode of transmission (e.g. air –borne, contact, injection, ingestion ).

 

    Infection disease result from the interaction of agent , a host and an environment. Most of these diseases follow a typical chain of infection starting with a reservoir that contains a pathogen and ending with an infected host. Understanding the chain of infection can help with both the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. 

 

Protection from source of infection :

    Each link has a unique role in the chain  and each can be interrupted, or ‘broken’,  through various means.

·         Link -1pathogen :  this is the disease-causing organism. For many illness and diseases this a virus or bacterium. In order to break this link, various methods can be used, including the pasteurization of milk, the chlorination of drinking after , or the use of disinfectants.

·         Link-2 : The Reservoir:   this is the natural environment that the pathogen requires for  survival .reservoirs can be a person, an animal, or an environment component ,such as soil or water. this link can be broken through medical treatment and testing, insect and rodent eradication, or quarantine.

·         Link-3 The portal of Exit : This link is needed for the pathogen to leave the reservoir. If the reservoir is a human than the portal of exit may be saliva, mucous membranes, faeces, blood, or nose or through discharge  . by using barrier method ,such a condoms or masks, or covering the mouth while coughing this link can be broken. 

·         Link-4 The means of transmission : The pathogen can be transmitted either directly or indirectly. Direct transmission requires close association with the infected host, but not necessarily physical contract indirect transmission requires a vector, such as animal or insect . the link can be broken through hand washing , safe sex practices, or voiding contact with infected individuals.

·         Link-5 : The portal of entry : Entry of the pathogen can take place in one of the three ways : penetration inhalation, or ingestion. The level and severity of an infection. Similar to the portal of exit, barrier methods, can be used to break the link, along with other methods such as insect repellents. 

Link-6: the : The New Host :  once in the new host, various factors influence the severity of infection ,including the strength of the immune system and the reproductive rate of the pathogen. Immunization health promotion, and medical treatment can be used break this link in the chain .