A Comprehensive Guide On Infection Control

By George Nelson


Research by Center for Disease Control or CDC indicates that one in every 20 patients admitted in a health facility will contract an infection from healthcare handling. The good news is that these infections can be controlled and prevented all together. Infection control measures advocated do not cost a dime and are easy to implement. They include maintaining basic hygiene like washing hands as well as working as a team on a health strategy.

Experts regard hand washing among the most cost effective, simple and obvious ways of preventing infections. The way to make it effective is by making it part of your organizational culture. To make it effective, for instance, surgical teams must thoroughly wash their hands and forearms before and after an operation. The method used in washing is clean in clean out and must be followed by use of gloves.

Work on the surrounding environment. Experts state that a dirty environment will breed and spread all kinds of infectious microorganisms. Cleaning the environment gets rid of them. Both the patients and care givers are bound to touch the surfaces while at work and effectively spread diseases. House keepers must pay attention to all areas and develop a comprehensive cleaning plan. Sanitary hygiene must also receive a lot of attention.

The procedure of admitting patients must include screening and cohorting. The idea is to restrain patients from mixing with others whose infections are different. Mixing leads to cross infection which worsens the conditions. The mode through which diseases are spread should be of interest to care givers. This will prevent spread through preventable means.

Vaccination is one of the widest used methods of preventing infections. Staff in health facilities should be vaccinated against infections and diseases that can be spread easily. There is a protocol on the diseases in question. This protects them from disease spread since they are in frequent and unavoidable contact with patients. They must also seek treatment any time they get sick. Weakening their immune system exposes them to disease spread.

The management of any health facility and people within the area must watch out for signs of infections. This means surveillance where data is gathered regularly and protocols assessed on disease prevention. This information is then used to prevent diseases and infections from spreading. The information is shared with all departments to enable them take early precautionary measures. The need to keep a facility safe is the responsibility of all stakeholders.

Coordinate all efforts towards protecting the health facility in question. This is a proactive step aimed at keeping it infection tight. If one department or section of the facility is unhygienic, all other attempts will be futile. Just like a puncture that grounds an entire trailer, a single laps in hygiene will compromise all other efforts taken. All workers and departments must be made aware that hygiene is a shared responsibility.

Preventing and controlling infections are roles played by everyone within a health facility. This calls for accountability from all departments and individual personnel within the facility. The stakeholders must understand that prevention measures are meant to keep everyone safe and healthy.




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