Infection control, also called infection prevention and control, is the practice of reducing infections and other illnesses primarily in hospitals or other health care facilities. This is accomplished through proper hygiene practices, protective gear, and precautions during medical procedures. All people involved with a health care facility—medical personnel, patients, and visitors—should work together to control the spread of infection.
General Details
Hospitals and other health care facilities are places where people go to find relief from illnesses. Ironically, many kinds of infections may spread in these facilities, seriously endangering the health of patients and health care personnel. Many people die each year of sicknesses spread in hospitals. Medical staff and patients must be aware of the dangers of contagions, or contagious diseases, in the health care environment and take preventative measures to keep illnesses from occurring and spreading.
Infection control is sometimes overlooked or considered a practical guideline rather than a hard science. However, it is an essential part of the health care system around the world, necessary for patient health and well-being. It also requires scientific knowledge to be most effectively applied. Practitioners of infection control have to understand the basics of
epidemiology
, the study of the spread and control of diseases. People must understand what causes diseases to best determine how to prevent them.
Many kinds of infections commonly are associated with health care environments and procedures. Surgical site infections occur on parts of the body that have undergone surgery. Bloodstream infections can take place if germs are transmitted into the blood through needles used for injections or other procedures. Infections of the urinary tract, bladder, or kidneys may result from improper use of catheters, thin tubes used to keep passages open and transmit fluids.
Pneumonia
, a lung infection, is also frequently associated with health care-based illness.
Infection in hospitals and other medical facilities may be passed among patients, staff members, and visitors. The problem is widespread and puts all people in the environment at risk. All health care personnel, patients, and visitors should practice safe behaviors that promote infection control.
Medical Personnel Precautions
Medical personnel must be vigilant in their attention to infection control protocol. Fortunately, most of the guidelines for reducing the spread of sickness are relatively simple and relate to proper hygiene. Many are common sense behaviors already practiced by most people in and out of health care facilities. These actions include hand washing, cough-and-sneeze etiquette,
immunizations
(injections to prevent illnesses), protective gear, safe procedure methods, and management of outbreaks.
Likely the single most effective way to avoid the spread of infection is through proper hand washing. This applies to all people in hospitals as well as the public. People should routinely wash their hands in warm soapy water, which will eliminate most bacteria and other harmful materials on the skin. Antibacterial lotions and other products may also be helpful if used correctly. Experts believe hand washing can vastly reduce foodborne illnesses as well as ailments such as the flu and common cold.
Another important aspect of hygiene is cough-and-sneeze etiquette. It is important to cover the mouth when coughing or sneezing to prevent the spread of airborne contagion to others. Experts recommend coughing or sneezing into the elbow rather than the hand. Coughing or sneezing into the hand transfers harmful materials, which can be readily spread through touch.
Medical personnel should keep immunizations and other personal health routines up to date to keep themselves from becoming ill and potentially spreading illnesses to others. Preventable diseases such as tuberculosis and hepatitis B can be avoided through immunization. The flu and many other sicknesses can also be dodged with such precautions.
Protective gear can shield people from becoming exposed to harmful infectious material. For medical personnel, disposable gloves and smocks are essential protective tools that reduce the chance of contagion spreading by physical contact. Masks reduce the risk of airborne contagions spreading in a health care facility. Any object that is contaminated with blood or other potentially dangerous materials should be washed or disposed of properly, according to hospital rules.
Staff in a hospital or other medical facility should be well trained and prepared to apply specific infection control precautions for different kinds of medical procedures. Injections and catheterizations are procedures that involve the greatest risk of causing infection. Medical staff should remember important safety rules such as only using a needle once for an injection. Reusing needles puts patients at extreme risk of infection.
Finally, medical personnel should monitor patients for any signs of sudden health problems. If any indication of an outbreak of infection exists among patients, personnel should act quickly to manage the problem before it spreads. This might involve quarantining infected patients and observing those who came into contact with them.
Patient and Visitor Precautions
Medical personnel are not the only ones in health care with a responsibility for maintaining infection control. It is also vitally important for patients to be active partners in reducing the spread of illness. Patients' families and friends and other visitors to health care facilities are also responsible for practicing safe behaviors.
Many patient safeguards are similar to the common sense guidelines for medical staff, such as washing hands carefully and practicing cough-and-sneeze etiquette. Patients should also stay informed and observant about their own health. They can learn more about safe practices by asking doctors and other medical staff for information. They should carefully monitor themselves for signs of potential trouble, such as loose or dirty bandages or injuries that are not healing properly.
Patients also can help themselves to avoid infections through research into their particular conditions. For example, patients with a high risk of diabetes or those who smoke or are overweight should know these conditions increases the risk of infection. These patients may need to take special cautionary measures to reduce their risk of infection.
Bibliography
"Infection Control." MedlinePlus. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Web. 11 Feb. 2015. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/infectioncontrol.html
"Infection Prevention and Control." Minnesota Department of Health. Minnesota Department of Health. Web. 11 Feb. 2015. http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/dtopics/infectioncontrol/
"Infection Prevention and You." Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Web. 11 Feb. 2015. http://www.apic.org/Resource_/TinyMceFileManager/IP_and_You/IPandYou_InfographicPoster_2013.pdf
"Preventing Infections in the Hospital." National Patient Safety Foundation. National Patient Safety Foundation. Web. 11 Feb. 2015. http://www.npsf.org/?page=preventinginfections
No comments:
Post a Comment