A Behind the Scenes Look at
Infection Control in Hospital Settings
Infection control encompasses the
procedures and corresponding policies employed to reduce the threat
of spreading infections, particularly in clinical, medical or
health care settings. The main goal is minimizing the incidences of
infectious diseases. Most diseases are bacterial or viral in origin
and are spread in a variety of ways.
The purpose of a hospital is to make people feel better than when
they were admitted. However, this can really put a crimp in things
if you develop a hospital acquired infection. That is why there are
infection control policies in place to ensure that this does not
happen. In fact, many medical facilities these days appoint one or
more people to govern and oversee infection control.
Defining Infection Control
Infection control encompasses the procedures and corresponding
policies employed to reduce the threat of spreading infections,
particularly in clinical, medical or health care settings. The main
goal is minimizing the incidences of infectious diseases. Most
diseases are bacterial or viral in origin and are spread in a
variety of ways.
Infection control looks at how the infection is spread such
as human to human contact or airborne transportation through the
spread of droplets like in coughing or sneezing. In addition,
animal to human contact is a possibility as well as human contact
with an infectious surface. Of course, water and food are
additional ways that infection is spread. Infection control
officers study all possible scenarios.
The Reason for Infection Control in Health
Care
Nosocomial infections aka hospital acquired infections happen
every day and it is estimated that up to 10 % of all hospital
patients acquire a secondary infection from their stay. Some
patients are more susceptible to infection and have weak immune
systems. In addition, certain medical practices or lack thereof
contribute to the increase of infection as well.
Because of highly infectious bacteria like staph, there has been
an increase in infection control measures. Antibiotic resistance
can be a contributing factor as well. That is why the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have continually modified
a set of guidelines that all infection control departments in
health care settings should follow to reduce infection
problems.
Hand SanitizerAvoid Infection By Maintaining a Healthy Home
Some germs are good as they can help your body develop antibodies to fight off infections. However, too many germs is not a good thing and can keep you in your sick bed if you are not careful. It is often said that your home could be the biggest germ factory in your life, spreading infection and preventing faster recovery times.
With some easy adjustments to your regular home routine, you can cut down on the infectious germs that cause such illnesses as the cold, flu, allergies and even gastrointestinal issues. There is no need to invest in too many antibacterial products as they can be counterproductive.
Health And Safety
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New diseases are being discovered all the time as well as
hardier strains of existing bacteria and viruses which means that
infection control departments have to be particularly diligent at
all times, examining everything from the check-in of a patient to
quality control in the cafeteria to proper sterilization techniques
for the equipment. No stone is left unturned in the pursuit of
determining the causes of nosocomial infections.
Other things that infection control departments look at include:
ventilation systems, new medical equipment which could reduce
infection, proper handling of contaminated sheets, hand washing and
hygiene measures, proper masking and gowning and even developing
continuing education materials about infection that can be
distributed to the public as well as the staff.
Infection control is not just practiced in hospitals; it is
practiced in any health care facility. This includes dental
offices, animal shelters, laboratories, school settings, doctor
offices and even nursing homes. Any location where some type of
medical care is given should have infection control measures in
place. The job of an infection control officer or department can be
quite thankless. There are countless details to know and implement
so continuing education for a person or people in that position is
ongoing. It pays off to be diligent when it comes to learning about
new strains or outbreaks as well as revolutionary tools and
treatments to stave off infection.
Latest Infection Control News
08/27/2008
New York's HIV Infection Rate Dwarfs That of Rest of Country (The New York Sun)
New Yorkers are becoming infected with HIV at three times the national rate, according to new data from the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Based on a new model for tracking recent infections developed by the Centers for Disease Control, city health officials estimated that 72 out of every 100,000 New Yorkers contracted the virus that causes AIDS in 2006, compared with 23 out of ...
New York's HIV Infection Rate Dwarfs That of Rest of Country (The New York Sun)
08/27/2008
Staph infection found at Cheatham Middle (The Tennessean)
ASHLAND CITY — A Cheatham Middle School student has been diagnosed with MRSA, a bacterial skin infection that is caused by a drug-resistant staph bacteria.
Staph infection found at Cheatham Middle (The Tennessean)
08/26/2008
Listeriosis infection: What you need to know (CTV Winnipeg)
Listeriosis, a serious infection caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, has recently been linked to 12 deaths in Canada. Here are answers to frequently asked questions about the infection.
Listeriosis infection: What you need to know (CTV Winnipeg)
08/27/2008
Staph infection found at Cheatham Middle (The Tennessean)
ASHLAND CITY — A Cheatham Middle School student has been diagnosed with MRSA, a bacterial skin infection that is caused by a drug-resistant staph bacteria.
Staph infection found at Cheatham Middle (The Tennessean)
08/26/2008
Oral Administration Of Lactobacillus From Breast Milk May Treat Common Infection In Lactating Mothers (Science Daily)
Oral administration of lactobacillus strains found in breast milk may provide an alternative method to antibiotics for effectively treating mastitis, a common infection that occurs in lactating mothers say researchers from Spain.
Oral Administration Of Lactobacillus From Breast Milk May Treat Common Infection In Lactating Mothers (Science Daily)
08/27/2008
CDC: Rates of HIV infection higher than previously thought (Daily Pennsylvanian)
A recent study has found that annual HIV infection rates are higher than originally anticipated. A report by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention revealed HIV incidence - the number of new infections that occur per year - to be 40 percent higher than first estimated for the year 2006.
CDC: Rates of HIV infection higher than previously thought (Daily Pennsylvanian)
08/28/2008
Predicting Infection Risk Of Airborne Foot-And-Mouth Disease (Medical News Today)
Foot-and-mouth is a highly contagious disease of global socio-economic importance. In countries considered disease-free the control and eradication of any outbreak is reliant upon prompt detection of infected premises. Our paper presents a practical method for predicting airborne infections and prioritising farms for inspection in such a situation, with results applied a recent outbreak.
Predicting Infection Risk Of Airborne Foot-And-Mouth Disease (Medical News Today)
08/27/2008
New York's HIV rate 3 times higher than nation's (CNN.com)
New York City's rate of HIV infection is about three times the national rate, according to estimates released Wednesday by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
New York's HIV rate 3 times higher than nation's (CNN.com)
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