CLINICAL LAB SCIENEC

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ESSENTIALS OF CLINICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE
Patients undergoing invasive procedures may be at risk for contracting infections
both by pathogens and by the transfer of “normal flora. ” Normal flora
include a large variety of bacteria that naturally occur in certain parts of the
human body. Normal flora are in large part found in the mouth and the intestine
but may be transplanted to another anatomical site, producing an infection.
Any organism from the body that may be normal in one area may not be normal
in another area. Normal flora are helpful bacteria that aid in preventing other
bacteria, yeasts, and various microorganisms from growing in certain tissues,
such as the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, eyes, anus, and urogenital
tract. But when they are introduced to another part of the body, the organisms
become a problem that may lead to serious consequences. These types of infections
often occur through careless practices and failure to disinfect work areas
and equipment. Inordinate numbers of these types of incidents in a department
of the health care facility would warrant an investigation by the Infection Control
Committee to determine the cause and prevention of the incidents, possibly
leading to procedural changes to prevent future occurrences.
Major Organisms Requiring Precautions
Prevention is the best way for the medical worker to avoid contracting an infection,
and certain requirements contained in policies and procedures for the medical
worker are discussed in this section. The medical laboratory, by the nature
of the work that is performed there, will pose more risks than, for instance, the
medical billing office. Many of the diseases that require hospitalization are a
result of infections by a considerable range of species of microorganisms. This
places the patient at risk for acquiring these diseases from other patients and
workers who have been in contact with ill patients.
Examples of diseases that have caused much suffering abound in medical history.
The world has a history of widespread infectious diseases since the beginning
of recorded history, with a number of notable examples. Bubonic plague in
Europe several centuries ago and, more recently, smallpox in this country, which
devastated the Native American population, exacted a heavy toll and could have
been prevented by simple processes. However, during these two periods, the general
population and even the health care professionals of that day knew little
about microorganisms and their roles in infection.
Today, much medical progress has been made in identifying organisms,
which has led to prevention or treatment of diseases. This success has virtually
eliminated large-scale epidemics or pandemics to date. But the progress
we have made could quickly be undone if precautions are not understood
and practiced by everyone to prevent the spread of infectious agents. A number
of surveillance organizations, from state health departments to the federal
CDC, are constantly making efforts through research and regulations to
prevent much of this unnecessary suffering from infectious diseases. In addition,
the World Health Organization (WHO) uses workers from every country
to track, immunize against, and treat outbreaks of infectious diseases in the
underdeveloped parts of the world. Were it not for these agencies, the world
would undoubtedly have experienced an outbreak of biblical proportions that
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