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Infection Control: Key Definitions and Importance

Infection control aims to prevent the spread of infections in healthcare facilities through policies and procedures. Healthcare-associated infections are those contracted during or after a hospital stay and are a common problem worldwide. They can increase patient suffering, disability, death, hospital stays and costs. Common sites of infection are the urinary tract, surgical sites, and lungs. Common causes are bacteria like MRSA and viruses or fungi. Root causes include lack of infection control training and infrastructure, inadequate hand hygiene and cleaning, and overuse of medical devices and complex treatments.

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224 views9 pages

Infection Control: Key Definitions and Importance

Infection control aims to prevent the spread of infections in healthcare facilities through policies and procedures. Healthcare-associated infections are those contracted during or after a hospital stay and are a common problem worldwide. They can increase patient suffering, disability, death, hospital stays and costs. Common sites of infection are the urinary tract, surgical sites, and lungs. Common causes are bacteria like MRSA and viruses or fungi. Root causes include lack of infection control training and infrastructure, inadequate hand hygiene and cleaning, and overuse of medical devices and complex treatments.

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Last Year
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  • Introduction to Infection Control
  • Key Definitions
  • Why Infection Control?
  • Most Common Sites for HAIs
  • Causative Organisms of HAIs
  • Root Causes of HAIs

Introduction to

infection control
Key Definitions
 Infection control (IC):
The process by which health care facilities develop and implement
specific policies and procedures to prevent the spread of infections
among health care staff and patients.

 Health care-associated infections (HAIs):


Also called nosocomial or hospital acquired infections, are infections
contracted by a patient while in a hospital or other health care facility,
and not present or incubating on admission. They also include
infections acquired by patients in the hospital or facility but appearing
after discharge, and also occupational infections among staff.
 Disinfection:
Destruction of most but not necessarily all pathogenic
microbes or their spores.

 Sterilization:
Destruction of all microbial forms, including bacterial
spores.

.
Why Infection Control (IC)?
 Hospital acquired infections are a common problem.
According to WHO
 Health care-associated infections are the most frequent adverse
event in health-care delivery worldwide.

 Hundreds of millions of patients are affected by health care-


associated infections worldwide each year.

 At any given time, the prevalence of health care-associated


infection varies between:

- 3.5% and 12% in in developed countries .

- 5.7% and 19.1% in low- and middle-income countries.


 Health care-associated infections have several
impacts;
HAI can:
• Increase patients’ suffering.
• Lead to long – term disability.
• Cause unnecessary deaths.
• Prolong hospital stay.
• Increase resistance to antimicrobials.
• Increase need for a higher level of care.
• Increase the costs to patients and hospitals.
Most common sites for HAIs

Urinary tract (catheter-related):35% of all HAI

Surgical incisions: about 20% of all HAI

Lower respiratory tract (pneumonia associated with


ventilators): about 15% of HAI

Bloodstream (catheter-related): 15%


Causative organisms of HAIs
 HAIs may be caused by ;
viral, bacterial, and fungal pathogens.

Common microorganisms include:

 Aerobic Gram-positive cocci:

Staphylococcus aureus [methicillin resistant; MRSA],

Enterococci [vancomycin resistant; VRE].

 Aerobic Gram-negative bacilli:

Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa,

Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterobacter spp..


Root Causes of HAIs

Lack of training in basic IC.

Lack of an IC infrastructure and poor IC practices.

Inadequate facilities and techniques for hand hygiene.

Lack of isolation precautions and procedures.

Inadequate sterilization and disinfection practices, inadequate


cleaning of hospital and inadequate waste disposal.
Root Causes of HAIs
 Prolonged and/or inappropriate use of advanced and
complex treatments including:

 Invasive devices and procedures

 Complex surgical procedures

 Interventional obstetric practices

 Intravenous catheters, fluids, and medications

 Urinary catheters

 Mechanical ventilators

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Key Definitions Infection control (IC): The process by which health care facilities develop and implement specific policies
Disinfection: Destruction of most but not necessarily all pathogenic microbes or their spores. Sterilization: Destruction o
Why Infection Control (IC)? Hospital acquired infections are a common problem. According to WHO Health care-associated infe
Health care-associated infections have several impacts; HAI can: • Increase patients’ suffering. • Lead to long – term dis
Most common sites for HAIs Urinary tract (catheter-related):35% of all HAI Surgical incisions: about 20% of all HAI Lower
Causative organisms of HAIs (http://www.google.com.sa/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CA
Root Causes of HAIs Lack of training in basic IC. Lack of an IC infrastructure and poor IC practices. Inadequate facilitie
Prolonged and/or inappropriate use of advanced and complex treatments including: Invasive devices and procedures Complex s

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