Highlights
- •Infection prevention challenges posed in present-day healthcare settings have created new questions and compelled infection preventionists to re-assess our approaches to reduce infection risk and to control known and emerging pathogens.
- •The article addresses issues and provides recommendations for change in fourteen key challenges facing present-day infection prevention programs.
- •The article addresses the challenges with insight on system components including leadership, education, implementation, procedures, infection surveillance, and technical advances that may assist infection preventionist to enhance intervention programs.
Abstract
Keywords
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2019 National and State Healthcare-Associated Infections Progress Report. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/hai/data/portal/progress-report.html. Accessed February 6, 2022.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Creating a Business Case for Infection Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/pdf/strive/BC101-508.pdf. Accessed February 6, 2022.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. AHRQ Plan for Translating Research into Practice. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. https://www.ahrq.gov/topics/translating-research-practice-trip.html. Accessed February 6, 2022.
Key IP challenges and recommendations for change
IP Program Standardization
Surveillance
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About NHSN. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/about-nhsn/index.html. Accessed February 6, 2022.
Hand hygiene
World Health Organization. Improving Hand Hygiene Through a Multimodal Strategy. World Health Organization. apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/70030. Accessed April 7, 2022.
Leapfrog Hospital Group. Fact Sheet: Leapfrog Hospital Survey Hand Hygiene. https://ratings.leapfroggroup.org/sites/default/files/inline-files/2021%20Hand%20Hygiene%20Fact%20Sheet_0.pdf. Accessed February 6, 2022.
Environmental contamination
- Anderson DJ
- Chen LF
- Weber DJ
- et al.
- Anderson DJ
- Chen LF
- Weber DJ
- et al.
Antibiotic-resistant organisms
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC Launces Two Global Networks, Awards $22 Million to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance and Infectious Diseases. CDC Newsroom.https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/p1207-global-action-healthcare-network.html. Accessed February 6, 2022.
World Health Organization. Global Priority List of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria to Guide Research, Discovery, and Development of New Antibiotics. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/medicines/publications/WHO-PPL-Short_Summary_25Feb-ET_NM_WHO.pdf. Accessed February 6, 2022.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Antibiotic Resistance & Patient Safety Portal. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://arpsp.cdc.gov/resources/AR-PhenotypeDefinitions.pdf. Accessed February 6, 2022.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States 2019. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/pdf/threats-report/2019-ar-threats-report-508.pdf. Accessed February 6, 2022.
National Healthcare Safety Network. Multidrug-Resistant Organism & Clostridioides difficile Infection (MDRO/CDI) Module. National Healthcare Safety Network. https://www.cdc.gov/nhsn/pdfs/pscmanual/12pscmdro_cdadcurrent.pdf. Accessed February 6, 2022.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacterales (CRE). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/hai/organisms/cre/index.html. Accessed February 6, 2022.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Inter-Facility Infection Control Transfer Form for States Establishing HAI Prevention Collaboratives. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/hai/pdfs/toolkits/Interfacility-IC-Transfer-Form-508.pdf. Accessed April 5, 2022.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Containing Multi-Drug-Resistant Organisms in a Long-Term Acute-Care Hospital. Florida Department of Health in Orange County. https://www.cdc.gov/publichealthgateway/field-notes/2019/fl-mdro.html. Accessed February 6, 2022.
Decolonizing patients
Decreasing contact precautions
- Ben-David D
- Masarwa S
- Fallach N
- et al.
Diagnostic stewardship
- Garcia RA
- Spitzer ED
- Beaudry J
- et al.
HAI surveillance and prevention: BSI
HAI surveillance and prevention: Nonventilator hospital acquired pneumonia
HAI surveillance and prevention: Ventilator-associated events
HAI surveillance and prevention: Urinary tract infections
HAI surveillance and prevention: Surgical site infections
Emerging pathogens
National Institue of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Emerging Infectious Diseases/Pathogens. https://www.niaid.nih.gov/research/emerging-infectious-diseases-pathogens. Accessed February 6, 2022.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. History of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) Outbreaks. https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/history/chronology.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fvhf%2Febola%2Foutbreaks%2Fhistory%2Fchronology.html. Accessed February 6, 2022.
World Health Organization. Infection Prevention and Control During Health Care When Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) is Suspected or Confirmed. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-2019-nCoV-IPC-2021.1. Accessed February 6, 2022.
World Health Organization. Infection Prevention and Control During Health Care When Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) is Suspected or Confirmed. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-2019-nCoV-IPC-2021.1. Accessed February 6, 2022.
World Health Organization. Infection Prevention and Control During Health Care When Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) is Suspected or Confirmed. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-2019-nCoV-IPC-2021.1. Accessed February 6, 2022.
American Hospital Association. Kaufman Hall & Associates. Financial Effects of COVID-19: Hospital Outlook for the Remainder of 2021. Accessed April 7, 2022.www.aha.org/guidesreports/2021-09-21-financial-effects-covid-19-hospital-outlook-remainder-2021#:∼:text=Kaufman%20Hall%20projects%20hospitals%20nationwide,Act%20funding%20from%20last%20year.
Conclusion
IP Program Standardization |
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Surveillance |
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Hand hygiene |
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Environmental Contamination |
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Antibiotic Resistant Organisms |
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Decolonizing Patients |
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Decreasing Contact Precautions |
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Diagnostic Stewardship |
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HAI Surveillance and Prevention: Bloodstream Infections |
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HAI Surveillance and Prevention: Nonventilator Hospital Acquired Pneumonia |
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HAI Surveillance and Prevention: Ventilator Associated Events |
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HAI Surveillance and Prevention: Urinary Tract Infections |
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HAI Surveillance and Prevention: Surgical Site Infections |
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Emerging pathogens |
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Statement
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