CHENNAI: As the state reports an increase in infectious disease cases recently, the Directorate of Public health and preventive medicine (DPH) on Wednesday issued guidelines to the district health officers on standard protocols for healthcare workers and advised to follow strictly.
As per the instructions of DPH informed that the surge in the number of infectious diseases in the recent times like Nipah virus, Chandipura virus, Primary amoebic encephalitis, the Health Care Workers (HCW) are at risk of acquiring infection through exposure to infectious diseases associated with patient contact or handling clinical specimens.
To prevent the HCWs and patients a detailed guidelines regarding Infection Control Measures is communicated to all district health officers.
Follow the 5 moments of Hand hygiene (WHO) wash or decontaminate hands before touching a patient, before doing an antiseptic procedure, after body fluid exposure, after touching a patient, after touching patients' surroundings.
Use appropriate product and technique. Use alcohol based rub or an antiseptic solution and follow all the 7 steps of handwashing. An alcohol-based hand rub product is preferable, if hands are not visibly soiled. Rub hands for 20-30 seconds.
Appropriate and proper use of Personal protective equipment like gloves, protective eye wear (goggles), mask, apron, gown, boots/shoe covers and cap/hair cover is essential to protect the HCWs from infections.
Protective clothing provided for staff in areas where there is high risk of contamination (e.g. operating room) must be removed before leaving the area. Even where there is a lower risk of contamination, clothing that has been.
It is essential to segregate and dispose the bio-medical waste in the appropriate red, yellow, blue bins and white translucent containers to avoid risk of infection handling the bio-medical waste.
Always protect yourself with PPE before handling BMW.
The health care workers are at constant risk of acquiring infection.
Some of these can be prevented by prior vaccination.