INTRODUCTION TO BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS

When working in the field of medical aesthetics, there are certain precautions you will need to take to protect yourself and your client from harm. Many procedures puncture the skin barrier and can lead to bleeding. This bloodborne pathogen course will provide you with the information you need to provide aesthetic services as safely as possible. 
Bloodborne Pathogens: A type of infectious microscopic organism that can be transmitted through the blood or other bodily fluids


chain of infection

The first step to protecting yourself and clients from bloodborne pathogens is understanding how any type of infection spreads. There is a specific chain of events that must happen for a microscopic pathogen to infect someone.
 

• Infectious Agent: This is the microscopic pathogen that can cause an infection.

• Reservoir: Reservoirs are places in the environment where the infectious agent lives such as on or within an animal or human host.

• Portal of Exit: This is the specific way the infectious agent leaves the reservoir. For example many viruses exit a host by the respiratory tract. Bloodborne pathogens exist in the blood, so their portal of exit could be a cut or scratch.

• Mode of Transmission: There are many ways infections can be spread. The three most common ways an infectious agent can be transmitted to another host are by droplets (coughing, sneezing, talking), direct and indirect contact and airborne particles. 
• Portal of Entry: A portal of entry is the way the infectious agent enters its new host. This could be through the nose, mouth nose or other tissues.
• Susceptible Host: The susceptible host is the person the pathogen enters and infects.
For infectious agents to spread there must be enough of the bacteria, virus or other type of pathogen present to infect a tissue. A small amount of infectious material may be fought off by your own immune system's defenses. It is impossible for us to completely eradicate all traces of infectious microorganisms. With pathogens, there is strength in numbers, so anything that you can do to reduce the amount of germs or contact with these infectious microorganisms will help reduce the spread of infection.

Pathogens must also find a suitable place to live and multiply. This reservoir would depend on the type of pathogens. Some viruses attach themselves to tissues in the respiratory tract. Others may only be able to survive in the blood, such as bloodborne pathogens. For bloodborne pathogens, protecting portals of entry and exit, places where blood is exposed to the outside world would be the best way to guard against transmission. Any cuts, abrasions or punctured skin is a potential way for a bloodborne pathogen to enter or exit the body. To prevent infection, at least one sequence in the chain of infection must be interrupted.
When working in the field of medical aesthetics, there are certain precautions you will need to take to protect yourself and your client from harm. Many procedures puncture the skin barrier and can lead to bleeding. This bloodborne pathogen course will provide you with the information you need to provide aesthetic services as safely as possible. 

modes of transmission

Transmission of pathogens can easily be prevented by understanding the various modes of transmission. Simple precautions including good hygiene and a clean environment can do much to stem the spread of a host of diseases.


how infection spreads

• Direct and Indirect Contact

We can come in contact with germs by touching a surface that has been contaminated by someone coughing or sneezing on it, or by infectious particles being transferred to the object in another manner. This is transmission via indirect contact. Direct contact involves directly touching another person. 

• Droplet Transmission

Droplets from sneezing, coughing or talking can briefly travel in the air and infect another person though the mouth, nose or eyes. Wearing a face mask greatly helps reduce the chance of droplet-borne transmission.

• Airborne Transmission

When infectious particles are small enough to float in the air for an extended period of time they can cause airborne transmission of disease. 

Direct contact transmission of bloodborne pathogens occurs when two living things come in contact via a cut or open wound for example. Indirect contact of bloodborne pathogens can occur when an individual comes in contact with a contaminated object such as a needle tip or bandages. Hands that are not properly washed can also spread bacteria and bloodborne pathogens. Airborne transmission of bloodborne pathogens is not something that typically occurs. 

Bloodborne pathogen reservoirs

Bloodborne pathogens can be spread through different types of bodily fluid including the following:


• Cerebrospinal (brain) fluid

• Amniotic (uterus) fluid

• Synovial (joints) fluid

• Pleural (lungs) fluid

• Blood

• Pericardial (heart) fluid

• Peritoneal (abdomen)fluid

• Vaginal secretions

• Semen

• Any bodily fluid contaminated with blood

The mucous membranes of the eyes, mouth, nose and ears are very susceptible to infection transmission. If fluid contaminated with bloodborne pathogens comes in contact with these sensitive tissues, infection will occur. Healthy, intact skin is the best defense against bloodborne infections. Even acne and inflamed skin can be portals of entry for pathogens, not just open cuts and wounds. Of course, sexual contact will lead to bloodborne pathogen transmission due to the exchange of bodily fluids.


Bloodborne pathogens do not spread from superficial contact like shaking hands or hugging. As long as the skin is intact, there is no concern about becoming infected by a bloodborne pathogen from simply touching another person. 

LESSON 1 RECAP

Let's go over everything we have learned in this lesson. It's valuable to review the highlights of the recently absorbed information to help the new knowledge stick. We hope you're enjoying the course so far and we'll see you in the next lesson.



INTRODUCTION TO BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS

• Bloodborne pathogens are type of infectious microscopic organism that can be transmitted through the blood or other bodily fluids

CHAIN OF INFECTION

• Infectious Agent: A microscopic pathogen 


• Reservoir: where the infectious agent lives 


• Portal of Exit: the way an infectious agent leaves its reservoir


• Mode of Transmission: the way infection can be spread


• Portal of Entry: the way the infectious agent enters its new host


• Susceptible Host: the living thing the pathogen infects


HOW INFECTION SPREADS

• Direct and Indirect Contact

• Droplet Transmission

• Airborne Transmission


BLOODBORNE PATHOGEN RESERVOIRS

• Blood

• Cerebrospinal (brain) fluid

• Amniotic (uterus) fluid

• Synovial (joints) fluid

• Pleural (lungs) fluid

• Pericardial (heart) fluid

• Peritoneal (abdomen)fluid 

• Vaginal secretions

• Semen

• Any bodily fluid contaminated with blood


any Questions?

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TIPS FROM OUR CUSTOMERS

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