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Level 2 Certificate in the Prevention and Control of Infection
Introduction
NCFE Level 2
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Certificate in the Principles of the
Prevention and Control of Infection in
Health Care Settings
Part A
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These learning resources and assessment questions
have been approved and endorsed by NCFE as
meeting the requirements of the Level 2 Certificate
in The Principles of the Prevention and Control of
Infection in Health Care Settings.
Disclaimer:
This resource uses real life case studies where specifically stated and referenced. All
other references to individuals, groups and companies contained within these resources
are fictitious.
Level 2 Certificate in the Prevention and Control of Infection
Introduction
The Principles of the Prevention and Control of
Infection in Health Care Settings
Welcome to this Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of the
Prevention and Control of Infection in Health Care Settings.
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We hope you find all of the information contained in this resource pack interesting and
informative. This learning resource and the assessment questions have been approved
by NCFE as a great way to meet the learning outcomes for this qualification. (A complete
list of the learning outcomes can be found on the last page of this resource.)
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The course is made up of two parts (A and B). This is Part A which contains two units:
UNIT 1: Principles of the causes and spread of infection in health care
settings
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UNIT 2: Principles of the importance of personal hygiene and health in
the prevention and control of infection in health care settings
As you start to read through each page you will be able to make notes and comments on
things you have learnt or may want to revisit at a later stage. At the end of each section,
you will be asked to go to your assessment booklet and answer the relevant questions.
Once you have answered the questions go to the next section and continue studying until
all of the assessments have been completed.
Please make sure that you set aside enough time to read each section carefully,
making notes and completing all of the activities. This will allow you to gain a better
understanding of the subject content and will help you to answer all of the assessment
questions accurately.
Good luck with your study. Now let’s begin!
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Level 2 Certificate in the Prevention and Control of Infection
Unit 1
Unit 1: Principles of the causes and spread of
infection in health care settings
Welcome to unit one.
This unit is split into four sections. These are:
Section 1: How infection is caused
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Section 2: How infection can spread
Section 3: Understanding the ‘chain of infection’
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Section 4: Healthcare Associated Infections (HCAI)
Section 1: How infection is caused
Within this section you will learn about:
•The meaning of ‘infection’ and ‘colonisation’
•The meaning of ‘pathogenic’ and ‘non-pathogenic’
•Systemic and local infections
•Characteristics of different infectors and the illnesses they cause.
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Level 2 Certificate in the Prevention and Control of Infection
Unit 1
The meaning of ‘infection’ and ‘colonisation’
Infection
Q. What does it mean when a person says they have an infection?
A. An infection can be described as an invasion and multiplication of harmful
microorganisms within any organ or system of a host.
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The host can be a person or an animal. If an infection can be passed from person to
person then it is known to be infectious. In addition, infection can also:
•Cause diseases to be untreated
•Cause an individual to experience symptoms and feel unwell
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•Vary from mild to severe and can even lead to death.
Colonisation
Colonisation means to establish a place on the body where microorganisms can live and
reproduce.
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This happens when potentially harmful microorganisms grow and multiply on a person
without causing them any harm. Colonising microorganisms establish themselves in
a particular environment, for example on the body, but do not necessarily produce an
infection. For example, the bacteria that cause methicillin-resistant staphylococcus
aureus (MRSA) can live harmlessly on the surface of the skin of many people without
causing a problem to the person at all.
So, we can see, there are important differences between colonisation and infection. A
person can be colonised with large numbers of microorganisms, but unless they cause
symptoms of illness, the person is not said to be infected. It is when these harmful
microorganisms are transferred to other people that they cause harm.
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Key Fact
Although microorganisms can cause harm to people, they can be
removed from the surface of the skin through effective and regular
hand washing before they can do any harm.
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Level 2 Certificate in the Prevention and Control of Infection
Unit 1
The meaning of ‘pathogenic’ and ‘non-pathogenic’
If a microorganism is described as ‘pathogenic’, this means that it has the capacity to
cause disease and illness.
‘Non-pathogenic’ microorganisms do not have this harmful quality.
Systemic and local infections
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When a person experiences an infection, the body’s immune system will be activated.
The way in which the immune system responds will depend on the type of infectious
response required. There are two types of infectious responses and these are dependent
on whether the infection is systemic or whether it is localised.
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A systemic infection is one which affects the entire body and multiple organs.
A localised infection is one which is limited to a specific area or single organ.
Types of systemic infections
One example of a systemic infection is tonsillitis. As well as making the individual feel
unwell, tonsillitis will also cause pain in the tonsil area. The individual will develop a
temperature and the whole body will also ache and the individual will most probably feel
lethargic. Some systemic infections can be life threatening if left untreated – for example:
•Sepsis
•Septicemia
•Blood infection or blood poisoning.
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Types of localised infections
A localised infection will remain in, and affect only one part, of the body with symptoms
that usually resemble inflammation – for example, redness, tenderness, pain and
swelling.
A common example of a localised infection is an infected wound. The infection is
localised to the wound and the symptoms may include the production of pus, pain,
redness, swelling and skin that is warm or hot to the touch. This type of localised
infection does not generally make a person feel unwell, but without appropriate
treatment could cause more serious problems eventually leading to a systemic infection.
Localised infections can be serious if they are internal – for example:
•Pneumonia
•Urinary tract or bladder infections
•Appendicitis
•Infections of cuts leading to blood poisoning.
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Level 2 Certificate in the Prevention and Control of Infection
Unit 1
Characteristics of different infectors and the illnesses they cause
Infection is caused by certain types of microorganisms.
Q. What are microorganisms?
A. These are tiny living cells that cannot be seen by the naked eye but yet they are all
around us. Microorganisms live in water, food, soil, and the air. They live in our homes
and on our pets and they even live on and within our body.
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Microorganisms exist everywhere and can survive extremes of temperature. Because
they are so small we are unaware of them and often go about our business without
giving them a second thought.
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Many microorganisms are helpful and are essential to our well-being, however some
microorganisms are harmful and can cause disease and infections. The four most
common types that you will come across within a health care setting are:
•Bacteria
•Viruses
•Funghi
•Parasites.
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Look at each of these in a little more depth on the next page to understand their
characteristics.
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Level 2 Certificate in the Prevention and Control of Infection
Characteristics
Bacteria are microorganisms that are made up of
just one cell.
Common illnesses
caused by different
microorganisms
•Cellulitis
•Cholera
They have the ability to divide and are capable of
multiplying by themselves.
•Diphtheria
They can reproduce very quickly given the right
conditions and can double in number in minutes.
•Gangrene
•Tetanus
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•Impetigo
Bacteria need time, food, moisture and the correct
•Tuberculosis
temperature to get established and multiply.
•MRSA
Bacteria must multiply in large numbers to cause
•E-Coli
infection and illness.
•Salmonella
Most bacteria can be eliminated with antibiotics.
Overuse of antibiotics has led to some bacteria
becoming resistant to some antibiotics.
•Legionella
Viruses are much smaller than bacteria. Unlike
bacteria, they are unable to reproduce on their
own. Instead they must invade a host cell which
then does all the work to reproduce the virus.
•Mumps
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Bacteria
Unit 1
Viruses
Only one or two viral cells are needed in order to
cause illness. Viruses do not survive for very long
outside the body.
•Syphilis
•Measles
•Infectious hepatitis
•Chicken pox
•Influenza
•Glandular fever
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•HIV
Viruses cannot be treated with antibiotics,
however there are some very effective antiviral
•Herpes
medications available. The main means of control
for viruses is through immunisation.
•Malaria caused by
Parasites are organisms that live within or on
mosquitoes
another person, animal or plant (host).
They feed off the host, often causing harm in the •Typhus caused by lice
Parasites
•Skin infection
process.
caused by scabies or
Examples of parasites include scabies, lice, fleas,
head lice
threadworms, tapeworms, ticks and mosquitoes.
Funghi appear in the form of yeasts and moulds.
Funghi
Some funghi affect the skin only – for example,
athletes’ foot, and some affect the whole body –
for example, thrush.
•Athlete’s foot
•Ring worm
•Thrush
CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE NOW COMPLETED SECTION 1.
PLEASE NOW GO TO YOUR ASSESSMENT BOOKLET AND ANSWER
Q1 to Q6.
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Level 2 Certificate in the Prevention and Control of Infection
Unit 1
Section 2: How infection can spread
Within this section you will learn about:
•Conditions required for the growth of infecting microorganisms
•How microorganisms can enter and exit the body
•Common sources of infection
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•The meaning of ‘direct’ and ‘indirect contact’
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•The meaning of ‘cross infection’
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Conditions required for the growth of infecting microorganisms
Infecting microorganisms need the right conditions in order to grow. In a health care
setting these conditions can be provided by bad practices including:
•Poor hygiene
•Inadequate ventilation
•Overcrowding
•Poor environmental cleaning.
Given the right conditions microorganisms can multiply very rapidly. In fact, in an
environment that is ideal for growth, a single bacterial cell can become billions in a very
short space of time. Imagine if the bacteria are growing inside your body, you will soon
begin to feel very ill.
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Level 2 Certificate in the Prevention and Control of Infection
Unit 1
In order for microorganisms to grow and multiply, the following conditions are required:
Food
Microorganisms feed on protein and carbohydrates. These nutrients
can be found on and in the body, animals, plants and soil.
Most bacteria grow best in alkaline or neutral environments. They
thrive less well in acidic environments.
Time
Given time and a warm environment, microorganisms multiply
rapidly. They grow slowly at first, and then move into a very rapid
growth period. For example, if allowed to thrive, one bacterium can
become more than one million bacteria in just four hours.
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Acidity
Oxygen
Various microorganisms have different oxygen requirements for
growth. For example, aerobic microorganisms require oxygen to grow.
Anaerobic microorganisms can grow only when oxygen is not present.
Moisture
Microorganisms need water for growth. Because they cannot take in
solids, they get their nutrients from water solutions. In other words,
they can only use food when it is moist so they thrive in moist, damp
conditions.
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Temperature
Some microorganisms grow at very low temperatures, and others at
very high temperatures, most grow best in a more moderate range.
Extreme cold often causes dormancy, while extreme heat slows growth.
Microorganisms tend to grow best in temperatures between 5°C and
60°C. The ideal temperature for growth is 37°C (body temperature).
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Key Fact
In order to grow, microorganisms need a host, appropriate
temperature, moisture and nutrients.
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