Barriers to bugs

Lesson 3 – 15 minutes

Learning outcomes

• Identify how to minimise the risk of cross infection when delivering first aid and resuscitation.
  

Preparation

• Training manikin
• Manikin masks.
• Cleaning supplies (cloth, hot soapy water).
  

IMPORTANT

For their own safety people training or administering first aid or resuscitation need to be aware of the dangers associated with cross-infection during this time.

Discuss

1. Ask the participants the following questions (write answers on a whiteboard/butchers paper):
2. What is an infectious disease? (a disease that can be passed on from one person to another).
3. What are some infectious diseases you know of? (eg COVID-19; Influenza; Hepatitis A/B/C; Meningococcal; Meningitis).

Ask the participants to brainstorm ways in which infectious diseases can spread:

• Poor hand washing after using the bathroom.
• Treating a person with a bloody cut without wearing gloves.
• Sharing drinking water bottles.
• Sharing resuscitation manikins.
• Administering CPR.
  

Ask the participants to list ways in which they can keep first aid and resuscitation ‘infection-free’ (write answers on a whiteboard/butchers paper). Discussion should cover:

• Mouth-to-mask resuscitation is recommended.
• Always wear gloves.
• Wash your hands after being involved in a first aid or resuscitation.
• Dispose of contaminated items such as ambulance personnel’s syringes into designated syringe containers.
• Be especially wary of coming into contact with patient’s blood.
  

• Scrub in hot soapy water for two minutes.
• Rinse in water to remove soap residue.
• Dry carefully.
• Ensure you have your own manikin mask.
• Wash face masks in-between sessions.
• Wash your hands before, during and after training sessions.
  

Discuss with participants how to minimise the risks of infection while using a manikin for resuscitation training.

Demonstrate

• Finish the lesson by demonstrating the correct cleaning of a manikin mask.