Question

CRITICAL THINKING:

1) Patricia knows that if her 3-year-old, Emma, comes down with the flu this winter, it’s likely that the entire household will get sick. Last year, Emma got sick and sneezed and wiped her nose on whatever was near her, including her baby brother, and wanted to be held when she felt feverish. What’s the reason for the spread of the flu in Patricia’s house?

2) Why is it necessary for an allied health professional to be extremely careful when handling and transporting microbiologic specimens?

Answer 1

Flu is a viral infection which mainly affects the respiratrory system such as nose,throat and lungs that can be deadly especially in high risk groups.Flu is otherwise called as influenza and is caused by influenza virus.The major symptoms are fever,cough,sneezing ,headache,fatigue and tiredness.

1) The reason for the spread of flu in Patricia house is that Emma got sicked and sneezed these viruses spread mainly through coughing,sneezing or sending droplets with virus into the air and potentially into the mouth or noses of people who are nearby. And these viruse causing gastrointestinal and respiratory disease spread rapidly and produce mild or self limiting syndromes.The major risk groups not only the immunocompromised but also elderly,neonates,hospital patient discharge in to the community.The healthy family members with asthma or allergies have increased susceptibility for infection.Infants mainly occurs because they frequently place objects in to their mouths.

2 ) Health professionals having growing awareness that improved standard of hand,surface and air hygiene in community setting should do to much prevent the spread of viral infection within these environment.Assessment of impact of hygiene is made difficult by general lack of quanitative epedimiological data and even where the evidence for cross contamination as a causative factor in outbreaks exists. A further problem in assessing and handling whether the contamination found on hands or other surface might represent hazards is that infectious dose can vary significantly according to the pathogenecity of the organism and the immune status of host. Thus the case for practising good hygiene in these settings rest largely showing that cross contamination can occur in these environment coupled with the laboratory data demonstrating the efficacy of hygeine procedures in minimising microbiological contamination. Sputum specimen most accurately predicted the influenza virus infection with 90% of infected patient being identified.