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Infection Control
Every year, many lives are lost because of the spread of infections in hospitals. Health care workers can take steps to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. These steps are part of infection control.
Proper hand washing is the most effective way to prevent the spread of infections in hospitals. If you are a patient, don't be afraid to remind friends, family and health care providers to wash their hands before getting close to you.
Other steps health care workers can take include
- Covering coughs and sneezes
- Staying up-to-date with immunizations
- Using gloves, masks and protective clothing
- Making tissues and hand cleaners available
- Following hospital guidelines when dealing with blood or contaminated items
They cover:
- ways of avoiding infection, including handwashing, using gloves and aprons, using sharps safely, and educating patients and their carers about infection
- ways of avoiding and controlling infection for people who need a urinary catheter, enteral feeding or a central venous catheter
According to the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), an infection control practitioner (ICP) is typically a registered nurse, physician, epidemiologist, or medical technologist who: helps to prevent healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) by isolating sources of infections and limiting their spread; systematically collects, analyzes and interprets health data in order to plan, implement, evaluate and disseminate appropriate public health practices; and trains healthcare staff through instruction and dissemination of information on infection control practices. With the advent of new emerging infectious diseases such as SARS and avian influenza, as well as older foes such as MRSA and VRE, the role of the ICP is more critical than ever in the age of mandatory reporting of infections. Infection Control and prevention strategies are critical because HAIs continue to affect more than 2 million patients annually in the U.S., at a cost of more than $5.5 billion; and according to APIC, control and prevention of HAIs have significantly lowered patient infection risk in hospitals and other healthcare and group facilities, and that infection surveillance and data collection on infection rates have become the basis for measuring the quality of care in hospitals.
Information obtained from National Institute of Health