NATIONAL SERVICE

TRAINING
PROGRAM 1
Module 8: Health Program, Common Illnesses and their Prevention
OBJECTIVE
To discuss the common illness and how to prevent them.
Overview

This session focuses on common

illness, their effects on the body and
how we can prevent them.
 

Terminologies Related to Disease

Carrier is any person who

Infection is the invasion of
harbors the organism and is
the body by harmful
capable of transmitting it to
organisms such as bacteria,
another individual showing
fungi, protozoa, rickets or
no signs or manifestation of
viruses.
the disease.
Terminologies Related to
Disease
Communicable disease is an illness cause by an
infectious agent that is transmitted directly or
indirectly to a well person through an agency and
a vector or an inanimate object.

Contact is any person or animal that is in closely

association with an infected person, animal, or
freshly soiled materials.
Terminologies Related to Disease

Contagious disease is a disease that is easily Disinfection is the process of eliminating infective
transmitted from one person to another directly or microorganisms from the contaminated instruments,
indirectly. clothing, or surroundings by physical means or
chemical.
Terminologies Related to Disease

Infectious disease is
transmitted not only by
Host is an animal or
ordinary contact but
plant or which a parasite
requires direct contact of
leaves.
the organism through an
opening in the skin.
General Infection Control Measure

1 2 3
Apply good basic Cover existing Avoid invasive
hygiene practices wounds or skin procedures if
with regular hand lesions with suffering from
washing. waterproof chronic skin lesions
dressings on hands
General Infection Control
Measure
Avoid contamination of person by
appropriate use of protective clothing.

Protect mucous membrane of eyes mouth and

nose from blood splashes

Prevent puncture wounds, cuts and abrasions

in the presence of blood
General Infection Control
Measure

Avoid Avoid sharps usage where possible

Institute Institute safe procedures for handling and disposal

of needles and other sharps

Institute Institute approved procedures for sterilization and

disinfect surfaces
 CLEAR UP
SPILLAGES OF
BLOOD AND OTHER
BODY FLUIDS
General PROMPTLY AND
DISINFECT
Infection SURFACES
Control INSTITUTE A
Measure PROCEDURE FOR
THE SAFE DISPOSAL
OF CONTAMINATED
WASTE
Hand Hygiene

Why is Hand Hygiene important?

■ Hand Hygiene refers to removing or killing
microorganisms (germs) on the hands. When
performed correctly, hand hygiene is the single most
effective way to prevent the spread of communicable
diseases and infections. In health care, hand hygiene
is used to eliminate transient microorganisms that
have been picked up via contact with patients,
contaminated equipment or the environment. Hand
hygiene may be performed either by using soap and
running water, or with alcohol-based hand rubs.
 In health care, hand hygiene
is required:

When Before and after contact with

should Hand any patient/resident, their
body substances or items
Hygiene be contaminated by them

performed?
Between different
procedures on the same
patient/ resident
 Before and after performing
invasive procedures

When should
Hand Hygiene
be performed? Before preparing, handling,
serving or eating food or
feeding a patient/resident

After assisting
patients/residents with
personal care (e.g. assisting
patient to blow nose, toileting
or doing wound care)
 Before putting on and after
taking off gloves

When
should Hand After performing personal
functions (e.g. using the toilet,
Hygiene be blowing your nose)

performed?
When hands come into contact
with secretions, excretions,
blood and body fluids (use soap
and running water whenever
hands are visibly soiled)
Standard Precautions
■ Assume that every person is potentially infected or
colonized with an organism that could be
transmitted in the healthcare setting and apply the
following control practices during the delivery of
health care.
 Hand Hygiene
■ During the delivery of healthcare,
avoid unnecessary touching of
surfaces in close proximity to the
patient both contamination of clean
hands from environmental surfaces

Standard and transmission of pathogens from

contaminated hands surfaces.

Precautions ■ When hands are visibly dirty,

contaminated with proteinaceous
material, or visibly soiled with blood
or body fluids, wash hands with
either a non-antimicrobial soap and
water or an antimicrobial soap and
water.
 Standard
■ Gloves Precautions
■ Wear gloves when it could be
reasonably anticipated that contact
with blood or other potentially
infectious materials, mucous
membranes, non-intact skin, or
potentially contaminated intact skin
(e.g., of a patient incontinent of stool
or urine) could occur.
■ Wear gloves with fit and durability
appropriate to the task.
■ Wear disposable medical examination
gloves for providing direct patient
care.
■ Wear disposable medical examination
gloves or reusable utility gloves for
cleaning the environment or medical
equipment.
Standard Precautions

Gowns
■ Wear a gown, that is appropriate to the task, to
protect the skin and prevent soiling or contamination
of clothing during procedures and patient-care
activities when contact with blood, body fluids,
secretions, or excretions is anticipated.
■ Wear gown for direct patient contact if the patient has
uncontained secretions or excretions.
■ Remove gown and perform hand hygiene before
leaving the patient’s environment.
Standard Precautions

Mouth, Nose, Eye Protection

■ Use PPE to protect the mucous membranes of the
eyes, nose and mouth during procedures and
patient-care activities that are likely to generate
splashes or sprays of blood, body fluids, secretions
and excretions. Select masks, goggles, face
shields, and combinations of each according to the
need anticipated by the task performed.
 ■ In addition to Standard
Procedures, use Contact
Precautions, or equivalent, for
specified patients known or
suspected to be infected or
colonized with
epidemiologically important
microorganism that can be

Contact transmitted by direct contact

with the patient (hand or skin-

Precautions to-skin contact that occurs

when performing patient-care
activities that require
touching the patient’s dry
skin) or indirect contact with
environmental surfaces or
patient-care items in the
patient’s environment.
Contact Precaution

Patient Placement
■ Place the patient in a private room. When the private
room is not available, place the patient in a room with
a patient who has active infection with the same
microorganism but with no other infection. When a
private room is not available and chorting is not
achievable, consider the epidemiology of the
microorganisms and the patient population when
determining patient placement. Consultation with
infection control professionals is advised before
patient placement.
Gloves and Hand Washing
■ In addition to wearing a gown as outlined under Standard Precautions, wear
gloves (a clean, non-sterile gown is adequate) when entering the room.
During the course of proving care for the patient, change gloves after having
contact with infective material that may contain high concentrations of
microorganisms (fecal material and wound drainage). Remove gloves before
leaving the patients room and wash hands immediately with an anti
microbial agent or a waterless antiseptic agent. After glove removal and
hand washing, ensure that hands do not touch potentially contaminated
surfaces or items in the patient’s room to avoid transfer of microorganisms
to other patients or environments.

Contact Precaution
Contact Precaution

Gown
■ In addition to wearing a gown as outlined under Standard
Precautions, wear a gown ( a clean, non-sterile gown is adequate)
when entering the room if you anticipate that your clothing will
be substantial contact with the patient, environmental surfaces, or
if the patient is incontinent or has diarrhea, an ileostomy, a
colostomy, or wound drainage not contained by dressing.
Remove the gown before leaving the patient’s environment. After
gown removal, ensure that clothing does not contact potentially
contaminated environmental surfaces to avoid transfer of
microorganisms to other patients or environments.
Contact Precaution

Patient Transport
■ Limit the movement and transport of the patient from
the room essential purposes only. If the patient is
transported out of the room, ensure that precautions
are maintained to minimize the risk of transmission of
microorganisms to other patients and contamination
of environmental surfaces or equipment.
Contact Precaution

Patient-Care Equipment
■ When, possible, dedicate the use of non-critical
patient-care equipment to a single patient (or cohort
of patients infected or colonized with the pathogen
requiring precautions) to avoid sharing between
patients. If use of common equipment or items is
unavoidable, then adequately clean and disinfect them
before use for another patient.
Contact Precaution

■ Additional Precautions for Preventing the

Spread of Vancomycin Resistance
■ Consult the HICPAC report on preventing the
spread of Vancomycin resistance for additional
prevention strategies.
 

Common Communicable Disease

Amoebiasis
■ Amoebiasis is an infection in the bowel, particularly the colon,
characterized by diarrhea. This infection can be fatal in infant
and to older people with low resistance. The main risk is due to
dehydration from loss of fluid.
Common Communicable Disease

Method of Prevention
■ Thoroughly cook all raw foods.
■ Thoroughly wash raw vegetables and fruits before eating.
■ Reheat food until the internal temperature of the food reaches at
least 167° Fahrenheit.
■ And do not forget that part of the microwave cooking process,
includes careful instructions of the standing times to ensure the
food is completely cooked before it is served.
Common
Communicable Disease
Chicken Pox
■ Chicken Pox is highly infectious disease caused by
virus that is transmitted by airborne droplets from
infected patients. Common symptoms are mild
fever, body malaise, and itchy rash of dark red
pimples from the trunk to the face, scalp and
limbs. The pimples develop into blister then scabs
which drop off after 12 days.
 Method of
Prevention

Common Active immunization

Communicable with vaccine as
Disease necessary.

Avoid exposure as
much as possible to
infected person.
Common
Communicable Disease
Cholera
■ Cholera is an acute infection of the small intestine
by bacteria which cause vomiting and diarrhea
(rice water stools leading dehydration). The
disease is contracted from the food and drinking
water contaminated by the feces of patient
infected.
 Method of Prevention

Food and water supply must be

protected by fecal contamination.

Water should be boiled or chlorinated.

Common
Communicable
Disease Milk should be pasteurized.

Sanitary disposal of human feces is a

must.

Sanitary supervision is necessary.

 Dengue Fever

Common
Communicable
Disease Dengue or break bone fever is a
viral disease transmitted to man
principally by mosquito. Symptoms
include severe pain in the joints and
muscles, headache, sore throat,
fever, and an irritating rash.
Common Communicable
Disease
Method of Prevention
■ Prevention and control muscles must be
geared towards the elimination of mosquito.
■ Breeding places destruction of larvae.
■ Screening of homes and use of repellants.
■ A broad public education program for all the
preventive measures.
 Influenza
Common
Communicable
Disease

Influenza is a highly
contagious viral infection that
affects the respiratory system.
The viruses are transmitted
through coughing and
sneezing. Headache, fever,
loss of appetite and
generalized body weakness
are the common symptoms.
Common
Communicable Disease
Method of Prevention
■ Avoidance of crowded places
■ Immunization
■ Educate the public about basic personal hygiene
 Malaria

Common
Communicable
Disease Malaria is an infectious disease
caused by the presence of parasites
in the red blood cells. The disease
is transmitted by a mosquito bites.
It result to fever, shaking chills,
sweating and even convulsions.
 Method of Prevention

Malaria cases should be reported.

Screening for infected patients for the

Common carrier mosquitoes
Communicable
Disease Destruction of mosquito breeding
grounds.

Use of insecticides, mosquito nets and

insect repellants at home

Blood donors should be properly

screened.
Common Communicable Disease

Measles
■ Measles are highly infectious viral disease that
mainly affects children. It can be easily transmitted
through body secretions. This may be considered on
of the most common and most serious of all children
diseases.
Common
Communicable Disease
Method of Prevention
■ Since the disease is infectious all throughout the
period, individuals should avoid association with
infected patients.
■ Immunization is highly important.
Common Communicable
Disease
Pneumonia
■ Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs
caused by bacteria in which air sacs are filled
with pus and turns the lungs into solid state.
Bacteria, viruses, fungi, and even chemicals
may cause pneumonia.
 Method of
Prevention
• Prevent common cold,
Common influenza and other
Communicable respiratory infections.
Disease
• Immunization
• Avoid exposure to cold,
pollution and
conditions of fatigue or
alcoholism.
Common
Communicable Disease
Tuberculosis
■ Tuberculosis is a chronic sub-acute and acute
infectious disease that affects the lungs and
characterized by the formation of tubercles to the
nearest nodules. Many people become infected
with no signs of symptoms. Infected people tend
to transmit this through coughing and sneezing.
 Method of Prevention

Submit all babies for BCG immunization.

Common
Communicable Avoid crowded places.
Disease
Improve nutritional and health status.

Fro infected persons, advise them to

prophylactic measures such as x-rays and
tuberculin test.
Bibliography

Dela Cruz, Sonia G. (2005). National Development via National

Service Training Program. Mandaluyong City: Books Atbp.
Publishing Corp

Del Rosario, Ed. D. (2012). Resurreccion et. al. National Service

Training Program 1. Bulacan: St. Andrew Publishing House.

Lee, Sergio J. (2007). National Service Training Program: 2nd

Edition. Quezon City: C & E Publishing, Inc.