M1: Explain how to manage an outbreak of infection in a health or social care setting
This report would be summarizing how my organization would deal with an outbreak of infection. In the hospital, an elderly patient has been vomiting due to the food he was served. The housekeeper did not follow a proper food hygiene when preparing the food and has led to food poisoning. This elderly patient has developed diarrhoea due to the contaminated food he ate. Diarrhoea is a bacterial infection which occurs after consuming contaminated food or water and causes severe symptoms such as vomiting, fever. The hospital needs to prevent this outbreak by isolating the individual because diarrhoea is a communicable disease. Medication is however needed for the patient’s body to recover. In addition to that, the use of appropriate PPE (gloves, gowns) must be used when cleaning the patient’s bodily fluids such as urine, faeces or washing the toilet. Correct handwashing must be followed before and after visiting the patient or tiny microbes can still be left on the hands which could make it spread through faecal-oral transmission or feeding other patients after meeting the infected person without proper hand washing. The doctors, nurses or other health professional working in the hospital must ensure that they do everything within their capacity to make sure this bacterial infection does not spread to non-health care professionals such as visitors. Preventing an outbreak in a hospital is very important because we do not want others getting sick. This outbreak would, therefore, be reported to Food Safety Agency as they may come up with policies and practice to prevent and control infectious disease and help managers and staff by giving advice on what should be reported and what to do in response. There are different ways, managers can stop diarrhoea from spreading firstly, training must be made to staff, housekeepers, cleaners to make sure they are aware policy and procedures implemented in the hospital to stop infection. E.g. food hygiene training. When dealing with outbreak it is important that the environment is clean and all equipment used is disinfected. The toilet must be washed daily and contaminated linen with bodily fluids such as vomits must be washed separately from others, this is to ensure that infection does not spread. Food poisoning can also be prevented by making sure cooks washes their hands before and after handling raw meats or foods. Making sure a thermometer is provided to make sure foods are thoroughly cooked, utensils must be washed and surfaces must be disinfected before and after use.