CDC - Blogs - Safe Healthcare – Infection Prevention: Is Everyone’s Business

Infection Prevention: Is Everyone’s Business
Categories: Infection Control in Healthcare
October 15th, 2010 3:05 pm ET -

IMAGE
http://blogs.cdc.gov/safehealthcare/files/2010/07/cmurph.jpg
Cathryn Louise Murphy, RN, PhD, CIC
Guest Author -Cathryn Louise Murphy, RN, PhD, CIC
2010 President – Association for Professionals in Infection Control & Epidemiology
Managing Director – Infection Control Plus
Associate Professor – Faculty of Health Services and Medicine, Bond University

Each year in October, infection preventionists (IPs) and others working toward the common goal of eliminating healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) observe International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW ). With IIPW 2010 upon us, it again seems prudent to consider some milestones in 2010. Given the long history of U.S. leadership in global HAI prevention, much of this posting will focus on U.S.-driven HAI prevention initiatives.

In March 2010, U.S. Consumer Reports published hospital-specific intensive care unit central line-associated bloodstream infection rates from the highest and lowest performing hospitals in 10 states where such data is publicly reported. The impact of providing such data to the public in terms of achieving further reductions is not yet clear. However, as Consumer Reports suggests, patients and their families can and should rightfully assume an increased role in ensuring caregivers provide high quality and safe care designed to reduce their risk of HAI acquisition.

We were also inspired by several reports of improvements. In February, Dr. Peter Pronovost of The Johns Hopkins University and his colleagues highlighted how a multi-faceted quality improvement project conducted in more than 100 U.S. intensive care units sustained significant reductions in bloodstream infection rates to 36 months post-implementation. Equally impressive has been the widespread engagement and commitment of more than 10,000 hospitals around the world to the WHO’s global campaign to improve hand hygiene among healthcare workers. Also encouraging, CDC released a report detailing state-specific and national central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) data, which showed an 18% reduction in these infections. And in August, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a paper showing the rate of healthcare-associated MRSA infections to be decreasing.

IPs and their peers around the world are actively engaged in many more similar infection prevention activities. While sometimes frustrating, their work is invariably challenging and always rewarding. Given the complex interaction of multiple factors in contributing to HAIs, it is likely that our quest to fewer HAIs may likely be without end. In 2011 and beyond, regardless of where we are based, IPs will be compelled to find new ways to design and deliver smarter, safer, more efficient, and more strategic infection prevention initiatives.
CDC - Blogs - Safe Healthcare – Infection Prevention: Is Everyone’s Business

CDC - Blogs - Safe Healthcare