Posts Tagged ‘IIPW 2023’

Infection prevention and control is complex and incorporates a whole range of measures to keep patients, residents, staff and visitors safe when entering a healthcare facility. These measures are inclusive of improved hand hygiene, surveillance, environmental cleaning, antimicrobial stewardship, personal protective equipment (PPE) and isolation of patients that may pose a higher risk. Patient isolation…

Shared patient equipment can become contaminated and serve as a reservoir for harmful, infection causing pathogens, especially when not cleaned or disinfected between patient use. Inclusive of common equipment such as blood pressure cuffs, wheelchairs, commodes, tympanic thermometers and SpO2 monitors, evidence has shown the link between contaminated shared equipment, transmission of pathogens, HAIs and…

Air quality is a critical component of infection prevention and control and can influence overall quality of care, as well as patient, resident, staff and visitor health and comfort. In poorly ventilated spaces, infectious pathogens can survive in the air for much longer. Pathogens, particulates and odours linger in poorly ventilated spaces and breathing, talking…

While emphasis on effective hand hygiene by healthcare workers to prevent healthcare associated infections is still paramount, it is also vital for patients to have good hand hygiene practices to protect themselves from infection. Healthcare facilities are responsible for ensuring that patients, residents and visitors have access and the opportunity to clean their hands when…

It has been proven that inadequate decontamination of a room through incorrect technique, or use of an inappropriate product can greatly increase the risk posed to the next patient of acquiring the same multi-drug resistant organism after a patient that was colonised or infected with a multi-drug resistant organism. This risk was shown to be…

High-touch surfaces are surfaces that are frequently touched by patients, residents, healthcare workers and visitors, which means they are more likely to become contaminated and act as a source of transmission of harmful pathogens. High-touch surfaces include doorknobs, bedrails, light switches, remote controls, IV pumps and any other surface that may be frequently touched in the…

Contamination of equipment and surfaces can happen at any moment during a procedure. Whilst decontamination of surfaces and equipment before a procedure is proven to remove potentially harmful pathogens, it is just as vital they are decontaminated post- procedure to decrease the risk of transmission and Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs) occurring. This also mitigates the risk that the next…

The most routine of tasks in a healthcare setting can serve as a potential risk of transmission. The use of any shared equipment increases that risk of transmission, which highlights the crucial role decontaminating surfaces and equipment before use plays in reducing healthcare-associated infections. Healthcare settings serve as a breeding ground for microorganisms and potentially…

In the battle against healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), the importance of infection prevention and control (IPC) has never been clearer. While many aspects contribute to IPC, one key area that often goes unnoticed is the role of visibly dirty surfaces. Recent evidence underscores that effectively decontaminating these surfaces is not just about aesthetics — it significantly…