9 Best Ways For infection Prevention & Control in daily Life
Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) have become an especially serious problem in recent years, and it’s no exaggeration to say that almost all of them are caused by nosocomial pathogens rather than pathogenic organisms that typically cause infectious diseases.
Although healthcare professionals know how to avoid these diseases, they still sometimes succumb to their effects because they don’t understand the basics of proper disease prevention techniques. While there’s not one magic solution in fighting HAIs, using these basic practices will reduce your chances of contracting these infections.
Infection prevention and control is the process of preventing hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). It also includes reducing the spread of these germs within hospitals and improving patient outcomes by identifying risk factors. Here are the steps you need to follow when practicing infection prevention and control:
1. Understand what counts as an HAI
Healthcare facilities must determine which illnesses are considered “infectious diseases” – not only those that actually transmit from person to person but also the ones caused by bacteria, fungi, or viruses. Healthcare professionals can’t just rely on guesswork and generalizations when it comes to determining whether something is considered a potential HAI. That’s why it is crucial to use simple, easily measurable tools before deciding whether a germs is contagious. For example, did the resident who was diagnosed with COVID get sick enough to warrant treatment for his symptoms? Was he infected by another individual without knowing it? Or maybe he simply had an overzealous hand washing technique? Did this hospital not even provide sanitary towels until after it became too late? These are some questions you may want to ask if you suspect some patients of being carriers of various diseases.
A quick reference guide to defining HAIs:
2. Identify high-risk areas and take appropriate preventive measures
When caring for patients with known cases of infections, particularly those at higher risk for developing such infections, healthcare professionals should focus on taking necessary precautionary measures. They include:
- Limiting the number of contacts of each patient.
- Ensuring safe working conditions for employees during shifts or if a facility has multiple units.
- Ensuring cleanliness and hygiene in any area of a hospital, regardless of a type of unit (surgical, medical, psychiatric); however, particular attention should be given to nursing rooms and exam rooms. In addition, healthcare personnel should consider having disinfectants available and using gloves when cleaning surfaces.
3. Maintain cleanliness and sanitation
- In order to decrease both transmission rates and improve patient outcomes, it’s essential for healthcare providers to maintain a healthy environment. This means keeping operating rooms, radiology rooms, emergency departments in good condition and avoiding overcrowding.
- Even if wards aren’t congested or poorly ventilated, it’s always important for everyone to practice safety measures such as personal hygiene and physical distancing during surgeries to reduce risks associated with spreading diseases. To achieve this, the following must be implemented in every room:
- Disinfections have been shown to significantly reduce surgical site infections and reduce pain levels. However, they’re often insufficient in hospitals due to limited supplies and resources. So, healthcare professionals must always check to see if there are sufficient supply sources.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends making sure surgical rooms are free of harmful chemicals (such as alcohol, detergents, bleach, and chlorhexidine gluconate) and ensuring surfaces remain clean and dry throughout operations.
- After surgery, sterilization is recommended before covering wounds with gauze and bandages, as well as disinfecting instruments and equipment used when operating on patients. If it does not happen, healthcare workers should always wash hands before and after any surgical operation.
- Using disinfectant wipes instead of soap and water can be part of daily routine, but many healthcare institutions do not use them. Instead, healthcare professionals can purchase disinfectant wipes or cloths, which are a better choice for health care facilities. Make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using disinfectants and products that should not be mixed with other medications.
4. Avoid crowding and stay clean
Maintaining a healthy physical space is equally important for everyone in healthcare facilities. Unfortunately, this does not apply to staff members or visitors – these individuals are the ones who get the chance to interact directly with patients. Therefore, it is vital to make sure your ward/unit is clean, disinfected, and germ-free. Don’t forget to wipe down counters, walls, tables, chairs, floors, beddings, and other common items every time you need a break from work!
5. Follow HCAHPI guidelines
For proper disease prevention practices to follow, one must comply with the Guidelines and Protocols established by The Joint Commission (HCAHPI) for hospitals. All medical centers practicing in the United States must adhere to these recommendations.
A summary of the regulations includes general information about proper infection prevention and prevention and control practices and general advice for managing hospital-acquired infections. Before implementing rules and policies designed to combat the spread of new infections, it’s crucial for both healthcare providers and management teams to ensure compliance with them.
6. Implement comprehensive strategies
- Healthcare providers should learn how to effectively manage the most common types of communicable diseases. Each year, thousands of people have become seriously ill from nosocomial infections, and approximately 1,000 die as a result of these diseases.
- Due to limited supply and resources, healthcare executives have been asked to limit the range of diseases which can be managed at once. As a result, a significant portion of the population has become vulnerable to diseases that could be prevented. One example of this is tuberculosis, the most common infectious disease among U.S. citizens.
- According to the CDC, about 4.5 million Americans are living with TB, which equates to approximately 2% of the entire U.S. adult population. Of these people, roughly 3.6% live in long-term care facilities where the threat of falling ill from a blood-borne illness like TB is considerably greater than from airborne droplet spread.
- With the growing global shortage of doctors and nurses, healthcare organizations often turn to outsourcing specialists (such as general practitioners or nurse practitioners) to treat non-specific cases of disease. Although this approach can help minimize costs, there will always be situations in which patients may require specialized treatment.
- At times such as these, additional intervention is required that can only be provided by trained professionals. Such procedures typically fall into three categories, including those that help control the disease, mitigate its adverse effects, and deal with the consequences of treatment failure.
- When dealing with patients suffering from a certain disease, healthcare providers should first evaluate which category they fall under. Then, depending on the results of their evaluations, implement interventions to reach the goal.
- These steps should be performed with the consent of the patient; otherwise, they may violate personal privacy laws. Ultimately, it is up to each individual provider to decide which interventions are best for him/her.
7. Educate yourself
When working in an environment where hundreds of germs are circulating, it’s extremely difficult to prevent infections and promote effective treatment methods. Healthcare providers need to be aware of basic hygiene practices such as hand washing, disinfection of objects, and social distancing. Aside from ensuring proper personal hygiene, they should also teach themselves the dos and don’ts that can help prevent diseases. Without knowledge of best practices, it seems impossible to control and prevent these health issues. Health professionals must constantly educate themselves and others around them so that they can continue providing superior services of excellent quality throughout the entire organization. By educating themselves regarding basic protocols, they will be able to identify potential problems and take action accordingly.
8. Be prepared for worst-case scenarios
Infectious diseases are highly prevalent in modern American society. Nowadays, infectious agents can enter anywhere, anytime, to infect millions of Americans. Since healthcare professionals do not have complete control over the environments in which they operate every day, they may encounter unexpected incidents. Thus, it is necessary to develop contingency plans in case things go awry or unexpected events occur. There are several elements included in any plan: Prioritizing immediate duties : Ensure that staff members work together efficiently, using an interprofessional team approach. Set clear expectations of team members so that they are fully aware of their responsibilities. Having open communication channels will also help keep everyone informed of any changes or developments in specific projects. Regularly assessing patients’ progress during routine visits. Incorporating regular checks into monitoring patients’ overall clinical response to treatment. Reducing risk factors : Consider ways of mitigating risk factors that can affect people’s health that are outside of control. This can encompass limiting interaction between patients and other staff members, ensuring high hygiene standards in facilities, promoting community involvement, and employing skilled security guards in certain areas.
9. Focus on continuous improvement
Hospital-acquired infections have led to severe complications and deaths, and there’s no end to this epidemic in sight. Fortunately, it’s possible to prevent and reduce the effect of hospital-acquired infections. Most importantly, continuous improvements can help reduce risks associated with the development of new infections. Over the past few decades, healthcare systems have undergone major transformations. Many of these efforts were made in response to rising concerns regarding antimicrobial resistance, , chronic infection problems, and rising healthcare costs. Regardless of which method you choose to employ, one thing you’ll probably notice in terms of the effectiveness is the effort. Take full advantage of this opportunity by focusing on developing the most efficient ways to communicate and disseminate critical data regarding infection prevention. You’ll ultimately find that your institution is equipped with adequate resources to address current challenges and strengthen its defense system against