Description
Infection control practices in healthcare settings are essential to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and ensure patient and staff safety. These practices include stringent hand hygiene protocols, utilizing personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, masks, and gowns, and implementing standard and transmission-based precautions tailored to specific pathogens. Environmental cleaning and disinfection of surfaces and medical equipment are critical to reducing microbial load. Sterilization of instruments and the proper disposal of medical waste further mitigate infection risks. Additionally, healthcare workers are trained in recognizing and isolating infectious cases promptly, and vaccination programs for both staff and patients are promoted to reduce the incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases. Surveillance systems are in place to monitor infection rates and outbreaks, guiding continuous improvement of infection control measures. Education and adherence to evidence-based guidelines, alongside robust infection control policies, are integral to maintaining a safe healthcare environment and protecting vulnerable populations from healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).
Summary Listen
- Infection prevention and control are crucial in healthcare settings to protect patients and healthcare workers. Prevention is prioritized, given the increasing prevalence of infections and limitations of antibiotics. Both safety and reduction of device-associated infections are the focus.
- Infections spread through a chain of six links: infectious agent, reservoir, portal of exit, transmission, portal of entry, and susceptible host. Breaking any link in this chain can prevent infection. Infection control involves standard precautions, transmission-based precautions, and preventing device-associated infections.
- Standard precautions are a set of practices to minimize infection transmission, regardless of a patient's infectious status. Key components include hand hygiene, personal protective equipment (PPE), safe sharp disposal, environmental cleaning, medical equipment reprocessing, respiratory hygiene, cough etiquette, biomedical waste management, and appropriate linen handling.
- Hand hygiene is the most important component, with evidence suggesting it can cut infections by 80%. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends five moments for hand hygiene: before touching a patient, after touching a patient, before a procedure, after a procedure, and after touching the patient's surroundings.
- PPE, including caps, masks, gowns, shoe covers, gloves, and shields, protects healthcare workers and patients. PPE should be selected based on the anticipated risk of exposure, with glove use emphasized as not a substitute for hand hygiene. Proper donning and doffing of PPE are critical to prevent contamination.
- Safe sharp disposal is vital to prevent needlestick injuries and bloodborne infections like hepatitis B, C, and HIV. Recapping needles should be avoided, and sharps containers should be readily available.
- Environmental cleaning should follow established guidelines using appropriate disinfectants. Low-touch surfaces are cleaned before high-touch surfaces. Medical equipment reprocessing and sterilization should adhere to guidelines based on the Spalding classification system. CSSD should maintain clear zones for soil, clean, and sterile materials.
- Transmission-based precautions are implemented in addition to standard precautions. These include contact precautions, droplet precautions, and airborne precautions, tailored to the mode of transmission of specific infections.
- Device-associated infections, such as catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI), and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), require targeted prevention strategies. These strategies include bundle care, encompassing sets of practices that must be followed entirely to be effective.
Sample Certificate
About the Speakers
Dr. Jaya Banerjee
Consultant Clinical Microbiologist and Infection Control Officer, Yashoda Hospital, Hyderabad
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