infectious agent

infectious agent

Instructions

Choose an infectious agent that may pose a significant risk in your organisation or one that is of importance based on where you work (working in aged care nursing home) and consider the following: 

• How might you identify this organism in a patient/client? (e.g. wound infection, pre-existing condition, signs and symptoms, etc) 

• What education would you provide to staff to manage this patient/client? 

• Name the infection control strategies you would put in place? 

• What information would you give to the patient/client and their family/visitors? 

Post your answer. Don’t forget to correctly cite and reference all facts, anything to which you refer.

 

Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Older Adults

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Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Older Adults

Compared to people of various ages, the immune systems of the elderly are always the weakest; hence care must be taken at all times when working in an aged care facility to prevent the spread of potentially fatal pathogenic organisms (Jurado-Martn et al., 2021). Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the focus of this paper since it is the bacterium responsible for serious infections in the elderly, including those of the blood, lungs (pneumonia), and other body regions (such as the urinary tract) after surgery.

The symptoms the patient is experiencing may help in identifying Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It is important to consider the location of the infection since symptoms might vary widely. Lung infections, for instance, may cause symptoms like coughing, which may be accompanied by yellow, green, or crimson mucus. However, the outer ear may become red or swollen if the patient has an ear infection. Patients with urinary tract infections may also exhibit hazy or bloody urine symptoms.

To treat a patient infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, I would have my staff use standard and droplet precautions. One of the common safety measures is washing one's hands (Jurado-Martn et al., 2021). The healthcare provider must take precautions to avoid the transmission of the infection by using personal protective equipment (such as a gown, gloves, and goggles) while interacting with the patient and by sterilizing any tools touched by the patient.

To stop the spread of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, I would use infection control measures such as isolating the patient. To implement this strategy, the ill person would have to be kept in an isolated room away from the rest of society so they would not be able to transmit the disease via casual contact. Other countermeasures include sanitizing the patient's mobile phone, doorknobs, and light switches, as well as those in the immediate area, to stop the spread of the germs (Jurado-Martn et al., 2021).

I recommend that the patient or their family members not share towels, toothbrushes, or other such products, since this might spread the bacterium. Also, I would tell the patient to take all the antibiotics they have been given to avoid the spread of antibiotic-resistant germs, which may be particularly dangerous for older adults with weakened immune systems.

References

Jurado-Martín, I., Sainz-Mejías, M., & McClean, S. (2021). Pseudomonas aeruginosa: An audacious pathogen with an adaptable arsenal of virulence factors. International journal of molecular sciences, 22(6), 3128. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22063128

 

 

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