10 Best Strategies for Infection Prevention and Control
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of every 20 hospitalized patients will contract a healthcare-associated infection. The spread of these infections, however, can be controlled. There are several simple and cost-effective strategies that can help prevent infections, from the basic tenet of hand hygiene to the team-oriented approach of Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Programs.
Four infection prevention and process improvement experts weigh-in on the 10 best strategies for prevention of infections.
1. Hand Hygiene. According to the CDC, this is the simplest approach to preventing the spread of infections and needs to be incorporated into the culture of the organization. Surgical team personnel should wash their arms and forearms before a procedure and put on sterile gloves, according to CDC guidelines for infection control. Steven J. Schweon, RN, MPH, infection prevention consultant and member of The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, suggests the “clean in, clean out” approach, wherein hands and equipment are cleaned or disinfected on the way into the patient’s room and on the way out again.
2. Environmental hygiene. According to J. Hudson Garrett, PhD, MSN, MPH, FNP-BC, CSRN, VA-BC, senior director for clinical affairs at PDI, one of the most common sources of transmission of infection is environmental surfaces. Certain types of microbial bacteria are capable of surviving on environmental surfaces for months at a time, according to Mr. Garrett. When healthcare providers or patients touch these surfaces with their skin, the bacteria can be transmitted, causing infection. Thus, it is essential that the environment be kept clean and disinfected. Patients and their families are now the biggest advocates of medical safety, and Mr. Garrett suggests including them in infection prevention protocols, especially with respect to maintaining a clean and sanitary environment. It is also important to involve multidisciplinary environmental hygiene teams in meetings regarding adherence to infection prevention protocols. Irena L. Kenneley, PhD, APRN-BC, assistant professor at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and member of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Prevention, says that meeting with environmental services and sharing in-house surveillance data helps them relate housekeeping tasks with the spread of infection and helps ensure optimal environmental hygiene.
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Read more at: http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/quality/10-best-strategies-for-infection-prevention-and-control.html