Final answer:
Prevent healthcare-associated infections, a Patient Care Technician should practice strict hand hygiene, maintain a sterile field with proper aseptic technique, and disinfect equipment and surfaces. Additionally, protocols for screening and decolonization can be important for controlling infections like MRSA.
Step-by-step explanation:
Preventing Healthcare-Associated Infections
A Patient Care Technician (PCT) can take several actions to help prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). First and foremost, strict hand hygiene is essential. This includes washing hands thoroughly between every patient contact, after removing gloves, and after contact with bodily fluids or potential infectious materials. Using soap and warm running water, following the five steps recommended by the CDC, is critical. Secondly, PCTs should practice proper aseptic technique when establishing a sterile field during medical procedures, which helps prevent contamination and sepsis. Lastly, for specific pathogens like HBV, measures include proper cleaning and sterilization of equipment, use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and potentially, implementing protocols like screening and decolonization to control the spread of organisms such as MRSA.
Other actions include careful disinfection of equipment and surfaces that come into contact with patients, isolation of infected individuals to prevent spread, and ensuring regular maintenance and cleaning of environmental systems such as air conditioning to prevent the growth of biofilms. In situations where antibiotics are necessary, the PCT should assist in ensuring the correct drug is used for the infection being treated, which can help reduce the development of resistance.