Dapulag, John Ezequile G.

BSN3-B
Application:
Part I.

Elements Discussion

Causative Agents Basically, causative agents are simply the microorganisms that causes
infections. It includes bacteria, viruses, and parasites.
Reservoir It is the location outside our human body that gives the pathogens the ability
to survive, multiply, and transmission to the carriers. Reservoirs include
humans, animals, and the environment. The reservoir may or may not be the
source from which an agent is transferred to a host. For example, the
reservoir of Clostridium botulinum is soil, but the source of most botulism
infections is improperly canned food containing C. botulinum spores.
Portal of Exit Portal of exit is the path by which a pathogen leaves its host. The portal of
exit usually corresponds to the site where the pathogen is localized. For
example, influenza viruses and Mycobacterium tuberculosis exit the
respiratory tract, schistosomes through urine, cholera vibrios in feces,
Sarcoptes scabiei in scabies skin lesions, and enterovirus 70, a cause of
hemorrhagic conjunctivitis, in conjunctival secretions.
Mode of Transmission It pertains as to how the diseases are transmitted from one person to
another or from environment to a healthy individual. There are various ways
on how a disease is transmitted.
a.) Contact
Direct contact takes place through skin-to-skin contact, as well as kissing and
sexual intercourse. However, direct contact does not only refer to contact
between humans.
Indirect contact allows a pathogen to spread to a host through suspended
air particles, fomites, or vectors (insects such as mosquitoes and fleas).
Airborne transmission is possible when droplet nuclei are suspended in the
air.
Droplet transmission can occur when a person comes within 1 meter of an
infected person. Infectious diseases can be spread through respiratory
droplets released into the air when a person coughs or sneezes at this close
proximity.
b.) Airborne transmission occurs when infectious agents are carried by dust
suspended in the air. With airborne transmission, direct contact is not
needed to spread disease (as compared with respiratory droplet
transmission). Infection may be transmitted over short distances by large
droplets, and at longer distances by droplet nuclei generated by
coughing and sneezing.
c.) Vehicle transmission refers to the transmission of pathogens through
vehicles such as water, food, and air. Water contamination through poor
sanitation methods leads to waterborne transmission of disease.
Waterborne disease remains a serious problem in many regions
throughout the world.
 d.) Vector-borne diseases are illnesses that are transmitted by vectors,
which include mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas. These vectors can carry
infective pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, and protozoa, which can
be transferred from one host (carrier) to another.

Portal of Entry The portal of entry refers to the manner in which a pathogen enters a
susceptible host. The portal of entry must provide access to tissues in which
the pathogen can multiply or a toxin can act. Often, infectious agents use the
same portal to enter a new host that they used to exit the source host. For
example, influenza virus exits the respiratory tract of the source host and
enters the respiratory tract of the new host. In contrast, many pathogens
that cause gastroenteritis follow a so-called “fecal-oral” route because they
exit the source host in feces, are carried on inadequately washed hands to a
vehicle such as food, water, or utensil, and enter a new host through the
mouth.
Susceptible Host It is the final link in the chain of infection is a susceptible host. Susceptibility
of a host depends on genetic or constitutional factors, specific immunity, and
nonspecific factors that affect an individual’s ability to resist infection or to
limit pathogenicity. An individual’s genetic makeup may either increase or
decrease susceptibility. For example, persons with sickle cell trait seem to be
at least partially protected from a particular type of malaria. Specific
immunity refers to protective antibodies that are directed against a specific
agent.

Part II.

Contact Direct contact takes place through skin-to-skin contact, as well as kissing and
sexual intercourse. However, direct contact does not only refer to contact
between humans.
Indirect contact allows a pathogen to spread to a host through suspended
air particles, fomites, or vectors (insects such as mosquitoes and fleas).
Airborne transmission is possible when droplet nuclei are suspended in the
air.
Droplet transmission can occur when a person comes within 1 meter of an
infected person. Infectious diseases can be spread through respiratory
droplets released into the air when a person coughs or sneezes at this close
proximity.
Airborne Occurs when infectious agents are carried by dust suspended in the air. With
Transmission airborne transmission, direct contact is not needed to spread disease (as
compared with respiratory droplet transmission). Infection may be
transmitted over short distances by large droplets, and at longer distances
by droplet nuclei generated by coughing and sneezing.
Vehicle Refers to the transmission of pathogens through vehicles such as
transmission water, food, and air. Water contamination through poor sanitation
methods leads to waterborne transmission of disease. Waterborne
disease remains a serious problem in many regions throughout the
 world.
Vector-borne Illnesses that are transmitted by vectors, which include mosquitoes,
ticks, and fleas. These vectors can carry infective pathogens such as
viruses, bacteria, and protozoa, which can be transferred from one
host (carrier) to another

Part III.

Categories Comprehensive Discussion and Examples

Strict Isolation Strict isolation is used for diseases spread through the air and in some
cases by contact. Patients must be placed in isolation to prevent the
spread of infectious diseases. Those who are kept in strict isolation are
often kept in a special room at the facility designed for that purpose.
For example, a highly contagious patient is placed in a room with
negative pressure room so that the air in the room will not spread along
with the people who entered the room when they go outside the area
because that air might carry virus and cause illness to others.
Contact Isolation Standard precautions that decrease the likelihood of infection by
microorganisms transmitted through direct or indirect contact with the
patient or patient care items. Patients placed on contact isolation
should preferably have a private room, but patients may be placed with
others infected with the same. For example, a covid patient is placed in
a room with other patients who have covid too.
Respiratory Respiratory isolation is used to prevent transmission of organisms by
Isolation means of droplets that are sneezed or breathed into the environment.
Examples of such diseases are influenza and tuberculosis.
TB Isolation Isolation is the separation of ill persons who have a communicable
disease from those who are healthy and restriction of their movement
to stop the spread of that disease or illness. Public health officials
generally may isolate individuals with TB disease if they pose a threat to
the public’s health. For example, isolation rooms were found to have
positive rather than negative pressure, air was being recirculated from
isolation rooms to other high risk areas, doors to isolation rooms were
left open, isolation precautions were discontinued too soon, and
healthcare workers did not wear adequate respiratory protection.
Enteric Isolation Sequestration used for patients with infections of the intestinal tract.
The transmission in this category is through feces. For example, a
healthy individual accidentally touched or had a direct contact with the
feces of an infected person, then the virus might transmit and to reduce
this risk, enteric isolation is done.
Drainage/Secretion Drainage/secretion precautions are used when patients are discharging
Precaution purulent material, such as that from an abscess or other infected body
site.
Universal Universal precautions are a standard set of guidelines to prevent the
Precautions transmission of bloodborne pathogens from exposure to blood and
other potentially infectious materials. It also includes human body
fluids such as semen, vaginal secretions, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial
fluid, pleural fluid, pericardial fluid, peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid,
saliva in dental procedures. For example, nurses might just wear gloves
during standard outpatient care. In other situations, gowns, masks, and
eye shields may be indicated. In general, the higher risk of spraying
fluids, the more precautions are needed.