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5 stories for International Infection Prevention Week
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The theme of this year’s International Infection Prevention Week, which runs from Oct. 14 to 20, is “Protecting Patients Everywhere.”
According to the CDC, at any given time, an estimated one in 25 hospital patients in the United States has at least one health care-associated infection (HAI). In recognition of the awareness week, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) created an infographic detailing ways health care providers, patients and families can keep patients safe from infections, including by washing their hands, staying home if they are sick, getting vaccinated and using safe injection practices.
"APIC’s mission is to create a safer world through the prevention of infection. As infection preventionists, this is what we do 24/7,” APIC President Janet Haas, PhD, RN, CIC, FSHEA, FAPIC, told Infectious Disease News. “IIPW provides the opportunity to raise awareness more broadly about the importance of infection prevention and control – and the role that each member of the health care team, including patients and their loved ones, plays in protecting patients. Great strides have been made in preventing healthcare-associated infections, but they still harm many people.
“IIPW is when we remind everyone of the simple actions they can take to protect patients and re-energize our commitment to making them a part of everyday practice. Consistent attention to hand hygiene and making sure the patient’s equipment and surroundings are clean are some of the ways that health care workers can make a difference. Patients and families can be aware of risk factors for infection and speak up for their care if they have questions or think something is not right.”
Infectious Disease News compiled five articles that highlight infection prevention interventions and practices.
Antiseptic prevents therapy dogs from spreading MRSA to pediatric cancer patients
Researchers found that a low-cost cleaning procedure could prevent therapy dogs from spreading MRSA among pediatric cancer patients — presenting a possible solution to the danger that therapy animals pose to at-risk patients. Read more.
UV-C disinfection reduces environmental pathogens at children’s hospital
A disinfection system using ultraviolet C light was highly effective as an adjunctive cleaning method, along with standard terminal cleaning, in reducing environmental pathogens at a tertiary children’s hospital. Read more.
Sink traps in ICU harbor antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Researchers in Israel said they contained a prolonged outbreak of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae, or CPE, in a hospital ICU after discovering that sink traps were the source of repeated infections in patients. Read more.
Automated surveillance for VAEs more accurate, curtails human error
Study findings showed that an automated system that uses an algorithm to detect ventilator-associated events, or VAEs, in hospitalized patients is more accurate and efficient than traditional manual surveillance performed by infection control staff, who are prone to human error, researchers said. Read more.
Drain cover prevents spread of pathogens from hospital sinks
Researchers developed a novel plastic drain cover that they said could reduce the dissemination of pathogens from contaminated hospital sinks. The cover, called Drain Armor, is a small piece of dome-shaped plastic that is placed over the drain and held in place with three suction cups. Read more.
Disclosure: Haas is the 2018 president of APIC.