nester05 - Chapter 5 Control of Microbial Growth Important...

Chapter 5:
Control of
Microbial Growth

Important Point:

Control of Microbial Growth

Methods are employed to destroy, remove,
and/or inhibit the growth of microorganisms.

This is either on inanimate objects or on body
surfaces.

Most of these approaches are non-selective
meaning that they can negatively impact a
diversity of microbial (and non-microbial) life
forms.

We can distinguish these microbial control
methods into Physical and Chemical methods.

“…simple hand washing with plain soap and
water is considered the simple most important
step in preventing the spread of many infectious
diseases. Plain soap itself generally does not
destroy many organisms; it simply aids in the
mechanical removal of transient microbes,
including most pathogens...”

Important Terms

Important Terms
I’m not sure why
these Ss are
missing!

Nosocomial Infections
“Minimizing the numbers of microorganisms in a
hospital is particularly important because of the danger
of hospital-acquired, or nosocomial , infections.
Hospitalized patients are often more susceptible to
infectious agents because of their weakened condition.
In addition, patients may be subject to invasive
procedures such as surgery, which breaches the intact
skin that would otherwise help prevent infection.
Finally, pathogens are more likely to be found in
hospitals because of the high concentration of patients
with infectious disease. These patients may shed
pathogens in their feces, urine, respiratory droplets, or
other body secretions. Thus, hospitals must be
scrupulous in their control of microorganisms .
Nowhere
is this more important than in the operating room,
where instruments used in invasive procedures must
be sterile to avoid introducing even normally benign
microbes into deep body tissue where they could
easily establish infection.”