Effective Tips For Infection Control

By George Nelson


Research by Center for Disease Control or CDC indicates that one in every 20 patients admitted in a health facility will contract an infection from healthcare handling. The good news is that these infections can be controlled and prevented all together. Infection control measures advocated do not cost a dime and are easy to implement. They include maintaining basic hygiene like washing hands as well as working as a team on a health strategy.

Hand washing is the simplest, easiest and most cost effective way of preventing infections. It has to be incorporated as part of organizational culture. For instance, surgical teams should wash their forearms and hands before performing any procedure. They must also use gloves and use the method referred to as clean in clean out when washing their hands.

Take care of the environment. According to experts, the most common source of infections is a dirty environment. This helps to get rid of micro-bacteria that live in such places. It ensures that when patients or the health care providers touch these areas, they do not transmit the infections. Sanitary hygiene is given a lot of focus. House keeping requires significant professional attention. The best approach is to develop a comprehensive plan for the entire facility or organization.

The procedure of admitting patients must include screening and cohorting. The idea is to restrain patients from mixing with others whose infections are different. Mixing leads to cross infection which worsens the conditions. The mode through which diseases are spread should be of interest to care givers. This will prevent spread through preventable means.

Vaccination has been regarded as one of the most effective prevention mechanisms. All staff in a facility must be vaccinated to keep them and the patients they are handling safe. They are vulnerable because they come into frequent and unavoidable contact with patients. They must be encouraged to seek treatment as soon as they fall sick. This will also prevent spread of diseases and infections to the persons they are handling.

The facility and all people in the area should be keen to watch signs of danger. Gather data throughout regarding infections and regularly assess the protocol in place on prevention of diseases. This information will enable a facility to improve on its protection measures. The data should be shared and discussions held on how to boost protection measures with all stake holders. Prevention is the duty of all cadres of workers.

Coordinate all efforts towards protecting the health facility in question. This is a proactive step aimed at keeping it infection tight. If one department or section of the facility is unhygienic, all other attempts will be futile. Just like a puncture that grounds an entire trailer, a single laps in hygiene will compromise all other efforts taken. All workers and departments must be made aware that hygiene is a shared responsibility.

The role of every player within the facility must be appreciated. Each worker or department must be accountable for its contribution. There must be an understanding that the aim of prevention is to cater for the good health of all persons working within the facility.




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