Health Care Associated Infections Essay Example for Free

Health Care Associated Infections Essay Did you know that healthcare associated infections are in the top ten leading causes of death in the United States? According to Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2010), â€Å"Healthcare-associated infections, also known as HAI’s are the most common complication of hospital care, resulting in 1.7 million infections and ninety-nine thousand deaths each year.† It is unfortunate that so many people suffer each year from infections that could be easily prevented. Slide2 Today my goal is to share some information with you about Healthcare associated infections and hopefully together we can all make a difference by reducing these alarming statistics. To start off I’m going to explain what Healthcare Associated Infections are and then I will go over the different types. Next I am going to go over a couple of the more common pathogens in healthcare associated infections. Following that I would like to talk about the preventive measure that all health care workers should be following to prevent future Healthcare associated infections. (Slide 3) According to Wilkinson and Treas (2011), A Healthcare Associated Infection is an infection related to healthcare given in any setting such as a hospital, during home-care, long-term care, and ambulatory settings. Infections may be spread from one patient to another simply because the healthcare provider failed to wash their hands or wear the proper personal protective equipment. Infections are also commonly spread by devises used during a medical procedure and anything else the patient may come in contact with that has not been properly cleaned such as a call bell or side rail. For instance say you have a patient with MRSA and one of their family members leave the room failing to wash their hands, goes to the front desk to ask for a glass of water for the patient in the mean time she placed her contaminated hands on the desk. Following that a nurse stops by the front desk also placing her hands on the desk then goes in to see a patient and fails to wash her hands prior to patient contact. Now we have just spread the infection and sadly another patient has acquired a healthcare associated infections. Patients whom acquire healthcare associated infections typically have longer duration of recovery time and medical cost are increased drastically. There are many different types of Healthcare Associated Infections, there is Surgical Site Infection (SSI), Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSI), catheter associated infection (UTI), and ventilator associated phenomena (VAP). (Slide 4) Surgical Site Infection A surgical site infection, also known as SSI, is an infection that occurs after surgery in whatever part of a person’s body that the surgery took place. There are three main types of SSI’s. There is superficial incision SSI, which transpires between the integument and subcutaneous tissue. Next is deep incision SSI, taking place at deep tissues such as muscles. The third type is called organ/space SSI, which occurs inside the body at an organ or the open space inside the body around the surgical site. All Surgical infections typically occur within thirty days of the surgical procedure expect in cases of implants, which then surgical site infections can take place with in one year. According to the Center of Disease Control (2012), infections develop in about 1 to 3 out of every 100 patients who have surgery. These infections are not only lengthening hospital stays, but adding unnecessary medical expenses, and are also responsible for unnecessary deaths and long-term disa bilities. (Slide 5) CLABSI Another type of Healthcare associated infection occurs at a central line also known as a catheter line, which is a tube used to draw blood, give medication or fluids through a large vein such as the jugular vein or subcalavian vein. A central line associated blood stream infection is caused when bacteria, or any type of germ enters the blood from the central line, which then causes an infection in the blood stream. –Slide 6- According to The American Surgeon (2011) Nosocomial blood stream infections are one of the leading causes of death in United States hospitals. As stated in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2012), In 2011 there were thirty-seven central line associated blood stream infections reported at Halifax Health Medical Center. (Slide 7) CA-UTI A different type of Healthcare related infection is a catheter associated urinary track infection. This type of infection occurs when the patient has a urinary catheter in place and bacteria or fungus travel up the tubing. The infection can take place any where in the urinary system from the urethra to the kidneys. The longer the patient has the catheter in place the more they are at risk for getting a UTI. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that one in ever two thousand patients who were cared for at Bert Fish Memorial in New Smyrna Beach acquired a catheter associated infection. (Slide 8) VAP Then there are the ventilator-associated phenomena’s, which is an infection that occurs in the lungs due to contaminated ventilation equipment. Patients who are on ventilators are already weakened due to another form of illness and their immune systems are typically compromised making it difficult for their bodies to cope with trying to fight yet another issue. According to Wilkinson and Treas (2011), ventilator associated infection are associated with high mortality rate. Last year alone there were approximately thirty-six thousand reported cases of ventilator-associated infections. (Slide 9) Pathogens Two of the more common types of pathogens in nosocomial infections are Coagulase-negative staphylococci also known as CoNS and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus also known at MRSA. CoNS typically causes catheter related ifections since catheters are not easly removed and cleaned it often makes it complicated to treat. CoNS are also known to be resistant to most forms of antibiotics. According to the European Journal Of Clinical Microbiology Infectious Diseases (2011), CoNS infection prolongs treatment with antibiotics and hospital stay by approximately twelve days or up to two and a half weeks. MRSA is a staph germ that is difficult to cure. If MRSA enters the blood stream it can spread any where through out the body, including bones, and organs. According to Clinical Infectious Disease (2012) MRSA infections kill nineteen thousand hospitalized American patients annually. Out of all the MRSA cases, 86% of them are healthcare aquired. (Slide 10) Preventive measures All of these infections could be prevented if we take initiative to follow the proper protocol. One the simplest and most important preventive measures is washing your hands before and after entering a client’s room. Sadly many health providers fail to do this. These infections could be prevented as long as the healthcare team uses proper aseptic techniques. In 2010 Florida’s Department of Health started up a program called the HAI prevention program. One of their main goals is to prevent and decrease the healthcare related infection rates in Florida’s hospitals and long-term care facilities. With in a five-year period the US Department of Health and Human Services plans on reducing Blood stream infections in Florida by 50-70%. That’s a good start, but I believe we should all strive to eliminate all healthcare related infections. A few preventive measures are, if a medical supply accidentally becomes contaminated through it out and start fresh, as soon as our patients are well enough to have catheters removed notify the doctor so that they can be removed promptly, and always wash your hands before and after patient contact and remind others to wash their hands as well. (Slide 11) Conclusion In closing I am sad to say it, but many healthcare providers are in violation of the first rule of health care, Do No Harm. Our patients are coming to us to be relieved of their illnesses not to acquire new ones. So if we could all just follow the simple preventive measures such as washing our hands before and after assisting our patients we all can make a difference. Just think that fifteen seconds it took you to wash your hands may have just saved a life. References Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2010) Ending healthcare-associated infections. Retrieved from http://www.ahrq.gov/qual/haicusp.htm Boucher, H. Corey, R. (2008). Epidemiology of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Oxford Journals. 46(5), 344-349. Retrieved from http://cid.oxfordjournals.org Florida state plan to address healthcare-associated infections. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/HAI/pdfs/stateplans/fl.pdf Kordek, A. (2011). Concentrations of procalcitonin and C-reactive protein, white blood cell count, and the immature-to-total neutrophil ratio in the blood of neonates with nosocomial infections: Gram-negative bacilli vs coagulase-negative staphylococci. European Journal Of Clinical Microbiology Infectious Diseases: Official Publication Of The European Society Of Clinical Microbiology, 30(3), 455-457. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/ Smith, J., Egger, M., Franklin, G., Harbrecht, B., Richardson, J. (2011). Central line- associated blood stream infection in the critically ill trauma patient. The American Surgeon, 77(8), 1038-1042. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost Wilkinson. Treas. (2011). Fundamentals Of Nursing. Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis.

The Power of the Internet Essay -- Essays Papers

The Power of the Internet The area of technology in today's society that is expanding without bound is the Internet. Millions of people belong to the online world full of articles, shops, the latest news, virtual communities, etc. If a person needs information or directions the fastest and most successful place to turn is online. For example the quote, "You can get anything you want with a click of a mouse," has become the motto for modern day America. Inside the virtual world are millions of groups and organizations built to interest people who share common ideas, values, and goals. The Internet groups, commonly refereed to as communities, appeal to a certain aspect of everyone's lives. Finding a community that someone feels comfortable in can be a complicated process as explained in the article "Finding One's Own in Cyberspace," by Amy Bruckman. One of the major communities that has been in the news recently is the company Napster. Napsters' focus is music and attracts an audience of music lovers. The artic le "The Muddy Waters of Pirate Music," by Giancarlo Varanini, discusses the details of MP3's and the influence of the music industry. By examining the two articles mentioned and evaluating the idea of "communities" many opinions arise about the effect the Internet has on music and visa versa. The music industry of America is one of extraordinary power and influence. The art of music has been around for centuries from Beethoven, to Elvis Presley, to The Rolling Stones, and in more recent times, Metallica. Music has conformed to adapt to the ever-changing societies and interests of its listeners. Today there exists a wide variety of music, whose focus attracts numerous audiences. The industry has continued to expand to ... ...importance. The popularity of the Internet is spilling into all other major factions of America, such as advertising, music, art, film, business, etc. Online groups, such as Napster, have worked their way into mainstream America and are making more money than ever before. As people adjust to regular companies having dot COM addresses at the end of every commercial, the Internet will become a normal aspect of life. The advantages of the Internet outweigh the disadvantages and soon people with not be able to remember what life was like without it. It is time to face the facts; the Internet is here to stay. Works Cited Bruckman, Amy. "Finding One's Own in Cyberspace." Editor Richard Holeton.Sngapore: Mcgraw Hill, 1998. 171-178 Varanini, Giancarlo. "The Napster controversy." ZDNetUK News. 2000. http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/2000/14ns-14711.html (10 Apr. 2000)

F&N Swot

Strategy – Multi Industry and Multi expansion strategy Over 130 years, F&N has become a household name in Singapore and Malaysia. Recognising the constraints of growth in these markets, it started to embark on regional expansion for long-term sustainable growth. It is precisely this multi-industry, multi-location strategy that has helped F&N survive the economic downturn and scale new heights in profitability. Source: http://www. raserandneave. com/FN_investor_r_faqs. asp Capabilities F&N remains steadfast in its multiple-business model. Its mission is to be a leading Asian-based company focused on a balanced portfolio comprising Food & Beverage, Properties and Publishing & Printing, with significant business presence in overseas markets and renowned for its product quality, brands, sound management and reputation of delivering value to all its stakeholders.Whilst our three  businesses may appear seemingly unrelated, we have built up market leadership positions in each of ou r business as well as strategic capabilities over the years in brand management, extensive marketing expertise, distribution networks, and financial strength and discipline, which are applicable to all our businesses. F&N is one of the few companies with brands that transcend borders. Our priority is to drive earnings, placing emphasis on being asset-light, growing in newer geographical markets, product extensions,   sound capital management and maintaining a balanced business portfolio.F&N is looking at monetising its investment properties progressively and redeploying the proceeds to higher-yielding ventures within the three businesses. With sustained earnings growth, F&N can continue to pay generous dividends to shareholders. http://www. just-drinks. com/comment/comment-fraser-neave-ready-to-spread-its-wings_id105191. aspx Strengths | Weaknesses | 1. Diversified business operations coupled with widespread geographic presence 2. Leading market position garnered on strongbrand na me 3.Ability to sustain proftable businessexpansion contributing to strong financial performance 4. innovative sales and marketing initiatives| 1. Decreased revenues due to dependence on soft drink cola product offering. 2. Structural changes due to recent takeover could bring a change in management. Key shareholders are still deciding to stay or leave. These moves have shaken confidence in the company’s leadership and destroyed a ton of shareholder value. Read more:  http://www. businessinsider. com/10-companies-with-huge-management-red-flags-2012-2? p=1#ixzz2OWcgkIZ3| Opportunities | Threats | Unlocking value by divesting interest inunprofitable businessGrowing demand for alternative lifestyle beverages driven by increasing healthconsciousness| Increasing food and raw material prices especially sugar in Malaysia. Intense competition in soft drinks industry| Revenue for the year ended September 30, 2012, was expectedly lower at RM3. 24 billion, a 17 per cent drop, while op erating profit slipped 50 per cent to RM231 million from RM458 million in the corresponding period last year.Given the absence of RM544 million in revenue from the Coca-Cola business, a 200-day cessation of production at our flood-hit Dairies Thailand facility along with the recovery process of insurance claims, absence of property income and relocation of Dairies Malaysia’s manufacturing operations, the dip in revenue was only 4 per cent while operating profit was 19 per cent lower relative to the same period in the previous year. In FY2011, the company’s total revenues decreased 4. 9%, largely impacted by revenue decreases in Europe and the US and Canada.During the year, revenues from Europe decreased 5. 6% compared to the previous years, while revenues from the US and Canada decreased 10. 4% over the past year. Nestle, which has its principal operations concentrated in Europe, is highly prone to risks arising out of the ongoing economic crisis. Mr Charoen – w ho controls the Thai Charoen Group – took up the role with immediate effect, replacing Mr Lee Hsien Yang, who resigned as chairman on Tuesday, F&N said in a statement F&N Swot Strategy – Multi Industry and Multi expansion strategy Over 130 years, F&N has become a household name in Singapore and Malaysia. Recognising the constraints of growth in these markets, it started to embark on regional expansion for long-term sustainable growth. It is precisely this multi-industry, multi-location strategy that has helped F&N survive the economic downturn and scale new heights in profitability. Source: http://www. raserandneave. com/FN_investor_r_faqs. asp Capabilities F&N remains steadfast in its multiple-business model. Its mission is to be a leading Asian-based company focused on a balanced portfolio comprising Food & Beverage, Properties and Publishing & Printing, with significant business presence in overseas markets and renowned for its product quality, brands, sound management and reputation of delivering value to all its stakeholders.Whilst our three  businesses may appear seemingly unrelated, we have built up market leadership positions in each of ou r business as well as strategic capabilities over the years in brand management, extensive marketing expertise, distribution networks, and financial strength and discipline, which are applicable to all our businesses. F&N is one of the few companies with brands that transcend borders. Our priority is to drive earnings, placing emphasis on being asset-light, growing in newer geographical markets, product extensions,   sound capital management and maintaining a balanced business portfolio.F&N is looking at monetising its investment properties progressively and redeploying the proceeds to higher-yielding ventures within the three businesses. With sustained earnings growth, F&N can continue to pay generous dividends to shareholders. http://www. just-drinks. com/comment/comment-fraser-neave-ready-to-spread-its-wings_id105191. aspx Strengths | Weaknesses | 1. Diversified business operations coupled with widespread geographic presence 2. Leading market position garnered on strongbrand na me 3.Ability to sustain proftable businessexpansion contributing to strong financial performance 4. innovative sales and marketing initiatives| 1. Decreased revenues due to dependence on soft drink cola product offering. 2. Structural changes due to recent takeover could bring a change in management. Key shareholders are still deciding to stay or leave. These moves have shaken confidence in the company’s leadership and destroyed a ton of shareholder value. Read more:  http://www. businessinsider. com/10-companies-with-huge-management-red-flags-2012-2? p=1#ixzz2OWcgkIZ3| Opportunities | Threats | Unlocking value by divesting interest inunprofitable businessGrowing demand for alternative lifestyle beverages driven by increasing healthconsciousness| Increasing food and raw material prices especially sugar in Malaysia. Intense competition in soft drinks industry| Revenue for the year ended September 30, 2012, was expectedly lower at RM3. 24 billion, a 17 per cent drop, while op erating profit slipped 50 per cent to RM231 million from RM458 million in the corresponding period last year.Given the absence of RM544 million in revenue from the Coca-Cola business, a 200-day cessation of production at our flood-hit Dairies Thailand facility along with the recovery process of insurance claims, absence of property income and relocation of Dairies Malaysia’s manufacturing operations, the dip in revenue was only 4 per cent while operating profit was 19 per cent lower relative to the same period in the previous year. In FY2011, the company’s total revenues decreased 4. 9%, largely impacted by revenue decreases in Europe and the US and Canada.During the year, revenues from Europe decreased 5. 6% compared to the previous years, while revenues from the US and Canada decreased 10. 4% over the past year. Nestle, which has its principal operations concentrated in Europe, is highly prone to risks arising out of the ongoing economic crisis. Mr Charoen – w ho controls the Thai Charoen Group – took up the role with immediate effect, replacing Mr Lee Hsien Yang, who resigned as chairman on Tuesday, F&N said in a statement

Morality in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 787 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2019/05/15 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Huckleberry Finn Essay Mark Twain Essay Did you like this example? The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was written by Mark Twain in 1884. Twains book tackles many societal issues including slavery, racism, and morality. Throughout the book, Twain shows Huck in positions where he has to make moral choices between what he believes in and what society thinks is right. His stance on these topics is fairly clear, however his subtle nudges towards morality with Huck is what makes the moral of this novel so pure. Twains portrayal of the characters myriad of moral issues demonstrates the theme of morality in the novel. During the first chapters of the novel Twain shows Huck making many poor judgment calls and poor moral choices. There was a myriad of instances when Huck had to face inner moral battles. Twain show that Huck has to choose between what he believes in and what is fit for society, however as the book goes on to about chapter 4, Huck makes a stand to stop an instance where he may have to lie. Huck talks to the judge and asks: Please take it, says I, and dont ask me nothing- then I wont have to lie (Hawthorne 18). Here Huck tells the judge to take his money. He asks him not to ask questions about why and to just take it so that when asked about it he would not have to lie. This shows the moral change Huck starts to possess as this story progresses. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Morality in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" essay for you Create order Twain also shows an exponential growth with Huck when he and Jim run off together. Twain shows the connection that the two grow toward each other. When they find a dead man on a boat than Jim covers the body in order to hide the horrifying sight from Huck. Huck, in turn, starts to feel compassion for Jim and slaves near the end of the book. Huck tries to protect and hide Jim as much as possible, but still has the feeling that he should turn him in. When thinking about Miss Watson, Huck thinks that he did the wrong, even evil, thing by not turning Jim in. Conscience says to me, What had poor Miss Watson done to you that you could see her nigger go off right under your eyes and never say one single word? What did that poor old woman do to you that you could treat her so mean. (Twain 91). Here Twain shows that Huck asks himself why he took Jim from Miss Watson. He wonders what she ever did to him. He begins to think that taking Jim was hurting Miss Watson in a very bad way. With this he still decides to keep helping Jim and decides not to turn him in. This shows that turning Jim in is what society would have wanted but not I how twain shows Hucks moral growth in the story. We see another example of moral choices when Huck and Tom help Jim escape. While they could have just let Jim out and helped him escape, they decided that they needed to make him work for his escape. They wanted to make the escape adventurous like in Toms books. In the book Tom says: It dont make no difference how foolish it is, its the right way and its the regular way. And there aint no other way, that ever I heard of, and Ive read all the books that gives any information about these things. (Twain 245). Huck was very hesitant about this idea but decided to go along with it because Tom said it would be fun and that it was the only thing to do. They make Jim do many crazy and even cruel things. They want Jim to write a journal on an old tee-shirt using blood as ink. They even think of ways to smuggle in nails, so he could cut himself to write with the blood. They even want Jim to carve inscriptions into the walls of the shed with a nail, which is worse for two reasons: Jim cannot read or write, and it would take him years to finish. To make matters worse Tom Sawyer knew the whole time that Jim was thactually free. Huckleberry Finn was a very fun and adventurous book filled with many instances of moral questioning. Huck showed growth in this area and also in his personal connections with people around him. His adventures with Jim were at times fun, sad, and scary all the same time. Even though society wanted Huck to think a certain way. Huck stuck to what he thought was right and what he felt was the best thing to do. Twains writing and telling of the story is like nothing Ive ever read before and I would definitely read this again.