A View from The Joint Commission Perspective: Updated Compendium Will Continue to Help Reduce Healthcare-Associated Infections

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (8) ◽  
pp. 964-966
Author(s):  
Margaret VanAmringe
Keyword(s):  
Infection Prevention ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Healthcare Associated Infections ◽  
Hospital Epidemiology ◽  
Essential Information ◽  
Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Daunting Task ◽  
Healthcare Associated

There is a vast body of knowledge generated for the purpose of improving patient outcomes, including information on how to prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). However, it is a daunting task to ensure that the most valuable practices contained within the scientific domain become broadly, timely, and effectively used in practice. Much has been written about the unacceptably long lag time between new clinical knowledge development and its widespread use, even when that knowledge is produced using the gold standard of randomized controlled clinical trials. With this issue in mind, “A Compendium of Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections in Acute Care Hospitals” was written to accelerate adoption of important practices known to be effective at reducing infections. Now updated, enhanced, and included within this and recent issues of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the Compendium is more than the requisite synthesis of the expansive science on infection prevention and a distillation of that evidence for its relevancy to hospitals. What makes the Compendium unique is its commitment to the usability of its content at the ground level. By presenting information in a format that can make operational sense out of complicated knowledge, the Compendium jump-starts the ability of hospital healthcare professionals to translate essential information into practice.

Using social media to disseminate research in infection prevention, hospital epidemiology, and antimicrobial stewardship

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (11) ◽  
pp. 1262-1268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly A. Cawcutt ◽  
Jasmine R. Marcelin ◽  
Julie K. Silver
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Antimicrobial Stewardship ◽  
Infection Prevention ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Healthcare Associated Infections ◽  
Hospital Epidemiology ◽  
Healthcare Associated ◽  
The Impact

AbstractSocial media, prevention of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and antimicrobial stewardship (ASP) each impact every area of medicine. Independently, each have power to change medicine, however, synergistically, the impact could be transformative. Given the profound clinical, financial, and public health impact of infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship combined with the incomplete uptake of best practices, multimodal strategies employing social media are critical to increase the speed and reach of research. This review discusses the strategic utilization of online communication platforms to increase the dissemination of critical publications.

An Infection Preventionist’s View of the Compendium of Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections: Structure, Process, and Outcome

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (8) ◽  
pp. 961-963
Author(s):  
Janet P. Haas
Keyword(s):  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Infection Prevention ◽  
World Health ◽  
Guidance Document ◽  
Healthcare Associated Infections ◽  
Healthcare Associated Infection ◽  
Hospital Epidemiology ◽  
Process And Outcome ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Healthcare Associated

The set of articles included in the 2008 “A Compendium of Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections in Acute Care Hospitals” was groundbreaking because the articles distilled the latest information about 6 of the most pressing healthcare-associated infection (HAI) prevention problems into a compelling framework, with guidance for immediate interventions. Further, they were all included as a supplement to the regular monthly issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology that could be kept neatly in healthcare professionals' offices for reference. Importantly, colleagues from all disciplines could access these articles online free of charge, along with patient educational material available in English, Spanish, and several additional languages. One central topic missing from the 2008 Compendium was hand hygiene, a cornerstone of infection prevention. The World Health Organization (WHO) Clean Care Is Safer Care initiative was then the focus for hand hygiene monitoring and improvement, and it was unclear at that point whether another guidance document on the topic would have provided additional useful information.

scholarly journals A nosocomial cluster of vancomycin resistant enterococci among COVID-19 patients in an intensive care unit

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefanie Kampmeier ◽  
Hauke Tönnies ◽  
Carlos L. Correa-Martinez ◽  
Alexander Mellmann ◽  
Vera Schwierzeck
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Infection Prevention ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Whole Genome Sequence ◽  
Infection Prevention And Control ◽  
Healthcare Associated Infections ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant ◽  
Healthcare Associated

Abstract Background Currently, hospitals have been forced to divert substantial resources to cope with the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. It is unclear if this situation will affect long-standing infection prevention practices and impact on healthcare associated infections. Here, we report a nosocomial cluster of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) that occurred on a COVID-19 dedicated intensive care unit (ICU) despite intensified contact precautions during the current pandemic. Whole genome sequence-based typing (WGS) was used to investigate genetic relatedness of VRE isolates collected from COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients during the outbreak and to compare them to environmental VRE samples. Methods Five VRE isolated from patients (three clinical and two screening samples) as well as 11 VRE and six vancomycin susceptible Enterococcus faecium (E. faecium) samples from environmental sites underwent WGS during the outbreak investigation. Isolate relatedness was determined using core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST). Results WGS revealed two genotypic distinct VRE clusters with genetically closely related patient and environmental isolates. The cluster was terminated by enhanced infection control bundle strategies. Conclusions Our results illustrate the importance of continued adherence to infection prevention and control measures during the COVID-19 pandemic to prevent VRE transmission and healthcare associated infections.

scholarly journals Strengthening infection prevention and control and systematic surveillance of healthcare associated infections in India

BMJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
pp. j3768 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soumya Swaminathan ◽  
Jagdish Prasad ◽  
Akshay C Dhariwal ◽  
Randeep Guleria ◽  
Mahesh C Misra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prevention And Control ◽  
Infection Prevention ◽  
Infection Prevention And Control ◽  
Healthcare Associated Infections ◽  
Healthcare Associated ◽  
And Control

scholarly journals Infection Prevention and Antimicrobial Stewardship Knowledge for Selected Infections Among Nursing Home Personnel

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara W. Trautner ◽  
M. Todd Greene ◽  
Sarah L. Krein ◽  
Heidi L. Wald ◽  
Sanjay Saint ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urinary Tract Infection ◽  
Nursing Home ◽  
Urinary Tract ◽  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Tract Infection ◽  
Infection Prevention ◽  
Asymptomatic Bacteriuria ◽  
Healthcare Personnel ◽  
Healthcare Associated Infections ◽  
Healthcare Associated

OBJECTIVETo assess knowledge about infection prevention among nursing home personnel and identify gaps potentially addressable through a quality improvement collaborative.DESIGNBaseline knowledge assessment of catheter-associated urinary tract infection, asymptomatic bacteriuria, antimicrobial stewardship, and general infection prevention practices for healthcare-associated infections.SETTINGNursing homes across 14 states participating in the national “Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Safety Program for Long-Term Care: Healthcare-Associated Infections/Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection.”PARTICIPANTSLicensed (RNs, LPNs, APRNs, MDs) and unlicensed (clinical nursing assistants) healthcare personnel.METHODSEach facility aimed to obtain responses from at least 10 employees (5 licensed and 5 unlicensed). We assessed the percentage of correct responses.RESULTSA total of 184 (78%) of 236 participating facilities provided 1 response or more. Of the 1,626 respondents, 822 (50.6%) were licensed; 117 facilities (63.6%) were for-profit. While 99.1% of licensed personnel recognized the definition of asymptomatic bacteriuria, only 36.1% knew that pyuria could not distinguish a urinary tract infection from asymptomatic bacteriuria. Among unlicensed personnel, 99.6% knew to notify a nurse if a resident developed fever or confusion, but only 27.7% knew that cloudy, smelly urine should not routinely be cultured. Although 100% of respondents reported receiving training in hand hygiene, less than 30% knew how long to rub hands (28.5% licensed, 25.2% unlicensed) or the most effective agent to use (11.7% licensed, 10.6% unlicensed).CONCLUSIONSThis national assessment demonstrates an important need to enhance infection prevention knowledge among healthcare personnel working in nursing homes to improve resident safety and quality of care.Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol. 2016;1–6

scholarly journals Infection Prevention Performance among Hospital Staff during Vaginal Birth: Results from a Criterion-Based Audit at a Zonal Referral Hospital in Tanzania

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-43
Author(s):  
Lærke Vinberg Rasmussen ◽  
Enna Sengoka ◽  
Eusebius Maro ◽  
Godfrey Kisigo ◽  
Vibeke Rasch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infection Prevention ◽  
Training Session ◽  
Vaginal Birth ◽  
Healthcare Associated Infections ◽  
Audit Process ◽  
Knowledge Test ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Labour Ward ◽  
Healthcare Associated ◽  
The Impact

Background: Healthcare associated infections is a global burden and is one of the main causes of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality during the time of labour when admitted to the hospital. Healthcare workers´ hands are in most cases the vehicle for transmission of microorganisms from patient to patient.Good hand hygiene practices at the bedside are a simple way of reducing healthcare associated infections. The objective was to assess the impact of a criterion-based audit on infection prevention performance and knowledge during vaginal delivery at a hospital in Tanzania. The quantitative findings were discussed with staff to identify barriers and solutions to quality improvement. Methods: A mixed-method uncontrolled, before and after intervention study by criterion-based audit was performed at the labour ward at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre. Criteria for best practice were established together with key staff based on national and international guidelines. Sixty clean procedures during vaginal birth were observed and assessed by a structured checklist based on the audit criteria. Baseline findings were discussed with staff and an intervention performed including a short training and preparation of alcohol-based hand rub. Hereafter another 60 clean procedures were observed, and performance compared to the care before the intervention. Furthermore, a knowledge test was performed before and after the intervention. Results: Hand washing increased significantly after a procedure from 46.7% to 80% (RR=1.71 95% CI; 1.27 to 2.31), the use of alcohol-based hand rub before a procedure from 1.7% to 33.3% (p<0.001), and the use of alcohol-based hand rub after procedure from 0% to 30% (p<0.001). After the intervention the mean score for the knowledge test increased insignificantly from 59.3% to 65.3%, (mean difference = 6.1%, 95% CI; -4.69 to 16.88). Conclusion: The criterion-based audit process identified substandard care for infection prevention at the labour ward. An intervention of discussing baseline findings and a short training session and introducing alcohol-based hand rub resulted in improvements on infection prevention performance.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document