57138 - General and Applied Hygiene

Academic Year 2007/2008

  • Docente: Giovanna De Luca
  • Credits: 2
  • SSD: MED/42
  • Language: Italian
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Nursing (for certified professional nurses) (cod. 0167)

Learning outcomes

The purpose of the matter is to provide the students with knowledge about the importance of information as regards health and disease and about the general principles of epidemiology and prophylaxis of infectious diseases and non infectious pathologies, so that they are able to apply the basic concepts of Hygiene in the occupational field, in order to protect their own health and that one of patients.

Course contents


Objectives and methods of prevention
Health promotion and diseases and disability prevention. Disease factors (causes, factors of risk and causal factors) and protective factors. Monocausal and multifactorial diseases. Primary prevention (modification of the behaviors, environmental operations, eugenetics, increment of the organic defenses), secondary prevention (screening of population) and tertiary prevention. Strategic objectives of prevention: individual protection, control, elimination and extirpation of diseases.
Frequency measures of sanitary events: unrefined and specific rates; incidence and prevalence. Main social-sanitary indicators: natality and fecundity rates, general mortality, infant, neonative and perinative mortality, morbidity rate, lethality rate and survival rate. Guard events.
General epidemiology of infectious diseases
Relationships among host, parasite and environment ( parasite properties, host properties and environment features). The infection chain: reservoirs and sources of infection; routes of entry and elimination of infective agents;, modality and ways of transmission of infectious diseases; inanimate vehicles and vectors. Natural disinfectants: dehydration, sun light, temperature, vital competition, bacteriophagia). Frequency of infectious diseases in population: sporadic, endemic, epidemic and pandemic disease.
General epidemiology of non infectious diseases
Non infectious monocausal diseases and multifactorial pathologies. Epidemiological model of the chronic-degenerative diseases: cardiovascular diseases and main cancer pathologies.
General prophylaxis of infectious diseases.
Principal rules of indirect prophylaxis. Direct prophylaxis measures: notification, diagnostic verification, epidemiological investigation, contumacy measures, disinfection.
Disinfection and sterilization by phisical methods: UV rays, gamma rays, filtration, hot air, flowing and under pressure saturated steam. Disinfection by chemical agents: halogenes, peroxides (oxigen peroxide and peracetic acid), ozone, alcohols, aldehydes, phenols, synthetic detergents, ethylene oxide. Cold sterilization by gas plasma. Some applications of disinfectant and antiseptic agents.
Specific prophylaxis. Active immune-prophylaxis: different kind of vaccines, associate and combined vaccines, ways of administration, risks and contraindications. Calendar of vaccinations in infancy. Reccomended vaccinations for health operators. Passive immune-prophylaxis: heterologous serums , normal and specific human immune-globulins, ways of administration, serum reactions. Chemical-antibiotic prophylaxis.
Specific professional risks and prevention measures. Emergency prophylaxis anti tetanus, HIV infection, hepatitis B and C.
Hospital infections: aetiology, sources and reservoirs, modality and ways of transmission, favoring factors, dimension of the problem, control and prevention.

Readings/Bibliography

Signorelli C. "Igiene, Epidemiologia e Sanità Pubblica", 2003, SEU  Ed.

Teaching methods

Teaching method is based on frontal lessons.

Assessment methods

The check of learning is made by a written final test. The written test will contain a series of questions with multiple answer about the arguments broached in the matter.

Teaching tools

Video and overhead projectors. Transparencies and lesson slides.

Office hours

See the website of Giovanna De Luca