You have many opportunities to break the cycle of infectious
disease transmission while carrying out your duties
as a medical assistant. Your own safety and the safety of
both patients and colleagues depend on your knowledge
and skills as you handle instruments and equipment, recognize
symptoms of infectious diseases, and teach patients
about the importance of immunization. Sanitization, disinfection, and sterilization break the
pathogen growth cycle by eliminating microorganisms on
the surface of instruments and equipment. The steam autoclave
is the most effective method for controlling infections
transmitted by unsterile instruments. Familiarity
with all aspects of the autoclave operation is essential, including
preparing instruments for sterilization, running
the load through the autoclave, removing and inspecting
sterilized items, and storing supplies to ensure sterility.
In addition to recognizing the symptoms of infectious
diseases, you can teach patients about symptoms of infectious
diseases that are likely to affect them. Informed patients
are more likely than the uninformed to seek medical
aid quickly and less likely to spread illness to others. You
can play a vital role in reducing patient vulnerability by
encouraging patients to maintain a correct immunization
status and by remaining aware of special immunization
concerns for certain patients. |