ED437368 1999-12-00 Educating

Children and Youth To Prevent

Contagious Disease. ERIC Digest.

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Educating Children and Youth To Prevent Contagious Disease. ERIC

Digest...........................................................................1

WHAT ARE THE KEY CONCEPTS IN CONTAGION EDUCATION?. 2

WHAT ARE UNIVERSAL PRECAUTIONS?............................... 3

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR MY CLASSROOM?.................... 4

CONCLUSION.................................................................. 6

REFERENCES.................................................................. 6

ERIC Identifier: ED437368

Publication Date: 1999-12-00

Author: Grosse, Susan J.

Source: ERIC Clearinghouse on Teaching and Teacher Education Washington DC.

Educating Children and Youth To Prevent

Contagious Disease. ERIC Digest.

THIS DIGEST WAS CREATED BY ERIC, THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

INFORMATION CENTER. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ERIC, CONTACT

ACCESS ERIC 1-800-LET-ERIC

Chronic disease has bypassed contagious disease as a leading cause of death in the

ED437368 1999-12-00 Educating Children and Youth To Prevent Contagious Disease.

ERIC Digest.

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U.S. Still, infectious diseases continue to contribute to illness and death. For example,

pneumonia and influenza are the fifth leading cause of death among all Americans;

AIDS is the leading cause of death for African American 25- to 44-year-olds; and almost

400,000 people in the U.S. are known to be living with AIDS (Martin, Smith, Mathews, &

Ventura, 1998; CDC, 1999a). Approximately 3.9 million people are infected with the

hepatitis C virus, between 125,000 and 200,000 with hepatitis A, and there are

140,000-320,000 new hepatitis B infections each year in the U.S. (CDC, 1999b; 1999c).

Mainstreaming institutionalized special needs children into regular public schools has

increased the risk of hepatitis B infection, as hepatitis B has been described as endemic

in institutions for the mentally disabled (American Academy of Pediatrics, 1993). Less

serious but still a cause of many missed school and work days each year, pediculosis

(head lice) afflicts 6-12 million people worldwide annually (CDC, 1998).

We teach children to throw their used tissues into the trash and to cover their mouths

when they sneeze. We stress hand washing after using the bathroom. As children grow,

we encourage personal cleanliness and vaccinations. But the contagious diseases of

the twenty-first century require more than these basic health lessons. This digest looks

at ways to prevent the transmission of disease in school settings.

WHAT ARE THE KEY CONCEPTS IN

CONTAGION EDUCATION?

There are several key concepts about contagious disease prevention (sometimes called

contagion education) that students in all grades should learn. The first and most

important is that any person is potentially contagious. Age, sex, race, ethnic

background, economic status, and even the appearance of health are not viable

protectors.

Other basic concepts to learn include the following:

1. The germs that cause contagious diseases (bacteria, viruses, protozoans, fungi, and

parasites) are present on skin surfaces, in the mouth, nose, and eyes, on the scalp, and

in body fluids.

2. Body fluids are particularly effective carriers of germs, and blood is the body fluid of

greatest concern in the non-sexual transmission of disease.

3. While barriers such as gloves can reduce the spread of germs, hand washing is

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ERIC Digest.
essential, whether or not gloves are used.

4. Correct use of biohazard labels and containers can reduce the spread of disease.

5. Needles and other sharp objects should be handled appropriately.

WHAT ARE UNIVERSAL PRECAUTIONS?

Many of the key concepts of contagion education fall into a category of behaviors known

as universal precautions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

defines universal precautions as a set of precautions intended to prevent the

transmission of hepatitis, HIV infection, and other blood borne pathogens when

providing first aid or health care (National Safety Council, 1997). Universal precautions

should be used when handling blood or body fluids of all individuals, not only those

known to be HIV- or hepatitis-infected. Such precautions include, but are not limited to:

1. Using personal protective gear as a barrier when exposure to body fluids is possible.

In school settings, personal protective gear includes water-impervious vinyl or latex

gloves, disposable cloth towels, and wads of gauze or paper towels.

2. Removing personal protective gear correctly by not touching the contaminated side of

the item, and disposing of used personal protective gear and any contaminated

materials in biohazard containers or biohazard labeled bags. Gloves should never be

re-used.

3. Washing hands and any contaminated body areas immediately with soap and water.

4. Seeking medical attention for any significant exposure to blood of another person.

5. Cleaning surfaces and/or solid objects that may be contaminated. The hepatitis virus

can survive at least a week in dried blood (National Safety Council, 1997). Surfaces and

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ED437368 1999-12-00 Educating Children and Youth To Prevent Contagious Disease.

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objects contaminated with saliva or blood should be cleaned thoroughly with soap and

water and disinfected with household bleach diluted with water at a strength of 1:10

(National Safety Council, 1997). This solution has a 24-hour shelf life and must be

mixed fresh for use each day. Keep contaminated objects or surfaces in contact with the

bleach solution for at least 30 seconds and either allow to air dry or wipe with a

disposable cloth.

6. Using pick-ups, a broom and dust pan, tweezers, or some other object to pick up

sharp objects ("sharps"), such as broken glass. Dispose of sharps in a solid container

marked with a biohazard label. Do not dispose of sharps in a soft, plastic garbage bag

type of container.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR MY

CLASSROOM?

Each classroom is a place to model, teach, and practice safe contagion prevention

habits.

Students should not share items which could transmit disease. This includes any item

that has been in someone's mouth, such as toys that have been mouthed, drinking

glasses, juice/soda cans, straws, eating utensils, pencils, pens, towels, lipstick,

chapstick, or toothbrushes. Objects that are mouthed should be cleaned with a 10%

bleach solution. Pediculosis transmission can be limited by keeping coats and personal

belongings in individual cubicles, not mixing clothing in common piles, not sharing hats

and combs, and removing hats and masks from dress-up areas (American Academy of

Pediatrics, 1993).

Students should learn how to dispose of their own hazardous waste. Throwing their own

used facial tissues into the trash, rather than leaving them for someone else to pick up,

is a start. Doing the same with used band aids is even more important. Taking care of

one's own eating utensils in the lunch room and picking up one's dirty towels in the

locker room also contribute to a contagion-free lifestyle. Students should be encouraged

to dispose of used tampons and sanitary napkins correctly (wrapped in several layers of

paper towels) and to immediately report blood-contaminated surfaces in restrooms.

Students can learn to attend to their own first aid needs. For minor cuts students can

use an article of clothing or gauze pad and stop their own bleeding. Even younger

children can, with supervision, wash and apply dressings and bandages to their

playground scrapes. A common problem in school-aged children is nosebleeds, and

students can be taught to help a peer with a nosebleed by tipping the head forward,

pinching the nose, and holding tissues under the nostrils. Students should also know

that individuals who administer first aid need to wear gloves and handle medical

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ERIC Digest.
supplies carefully.

Students should learn how to dispose of sharps and use sharps containers. Broken

glass or other sharp objects should not be handled with bare hands. Sharp objects

should be disposed of in a solid container specifically marked for that purpose. Putting

sharps into soft bags or regular waste baskets could cause someone else a

blood-related emergency.

Students should learn how to safely handle litter of other people. It is not wise to pick up

body waste litter with bare hands. Used napkins, tissues, toilet paper, sanitary napkins,

tampons, and band aids could carry contagious disease. Wearing gloves insures

against needless contagion risk. When gloves are not available, placing a barrier

between the litter and one's hands (a wad of paper towels or two plastic bags, for

example) can reduce the spread of germs.

Students should know if they have a bleeding accident during play (playground,

gymnasium, athletic venue), they must stop playing. The bleeding injury should be

cleaned and bandaged and any bloody clothing removed and disposed of before the

student returns to the play situation. Although the risk of HIV infection during sports

participation is low, at least two cases of hepatitis B infection have been reportedly

transmitted through sports contact (American Academy of Pediatrics, 1999). Many

athletic conferences have specific rules regarding competition following a bleeding

incident. The American Academy of Pediatrics provides excellent guidelines for

preventing infection transmission in athletic settings (American Academy of Pediatrics,

1999; Garl, 1993; McGrew, 1995).

Teachers, coaches, and other educational personnel must model correct contagion

prevention behavior at all times. Students will learn from what they see and experience

daily. Educational personnel should--

1. receive training in first aid and emergency care;

2. use universal precautions for all first aid emergencies;

3. keep a first aid kit and a spill kit (including gloves, gauze, bandages/band aids, small

jar of bleach, biohazard disposal bag/stickers) in the classroom or gymnasium at all

times;

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4. have a fanny pack with gloves and bandages for playground duty or on field trips;

5. use safety precautions when handling sharps;

6. follow all precautions of the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OHSA)

and the specific Contagion Exposure Control Plan of their school (administrators should

have copies of both).

CONCLUSION

Specific lessons in contagious disease prevention (sometimes called contagion

education) can be taught at all ages in a developmentally appropriate manner. Essential

contagion prevention habits should be taught, modeled, and practiced in the classroom,

gymnasium, and school setting.

REFERENCES

References identified with an EJ or ED number have been abstracted and are in the

ERIC database. Journal articles (EJ) should be available at most research libraries;

most documents (ED) are available in microfiche collections at more than 900 locations.

Documents can also be ordered through the ERIC Document Reproduction Service:

(800) 443-ERIC.

American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Sports Medicine and Fitness. (1999).

Human immunodeficiency virus and other blood-borne viral pathogens. Policy

statement. Pediatrics, 104(6), 1400-1403. Also available online at

http://www.aap.org/policy/re9821. html.

American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on School Health. (1993). Prevention of

hepatitis B virus infection in school settings. Policy statement. Pediatrics, 91(4),

848-850. Also available online at http://www.aap.org/policy/04324.html.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (1999a). HIV/AIDS surveillance

report, 11(No. 1), 1-43.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (1999b). Viral hepatitis B fact sheet.

Available online at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/b/fact.htm.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (1999c). Viral hepatitis C fact sheet.

Available online at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/c/fact.htm.

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ERIC Digest.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (1998). Fact sheet: Head lice

infestation (pediculosis). Division of Parasitic Diseases, National Center for Infectious

Diseases. Available online at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/headlice.htm.

Garl, T. (1993). AIDS in athletics: does a collision on the court warrant cause for

concern? Athletic Management. 5(3), 18- 21.

Martin, J. A., Smith, B. L., Mathews, T. J., & Ventura, S. J. (1999). Births and deaths:

Preliminary data for 1998. National Vital Statistics Reports, 47(25), 1-46.

McGrew, C. (1995). HIV, hepatitis B, and the athlete: what precautions are needed?

Journal of Musculoskeletal Medicine. 12(3), 14-18.

National Safety Council (1997). Blood borne pathogens (2nd. ed). Sudbury, MA: Jones

and Bartlett.

- - - - -

This project has been funded at least in part with Federal funds from the U.S.

Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement, under

contract number ED-99-CO-0007. The content of this publication does not necessarily

reflect the views of or policies of the U.S. Department of Education nor does mention of

trade names, commercial products, or organizations

Title: Educating Children and Youth To Prevent Contagious Disease. ERIC Digest.

Document Type: Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs)

(071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073);

Descriptors: Child Health, Communicable Diseases, Comprehensive School Health

Education, Disease Control, Elementary Secondary Education, Health Promotion,

Public Health, School Safety, Students

Identifiers: ERIC Digests, Risk Reduction, Universal Precautions

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