Surveillance, Prevention, and Control of Infection (IC)
Highlights: 1140 IC
Recent Articles & Updates
Jan 2009
Pt Safety Jan '09 Vol 9 #1 Pg11-Educating Patients and Families About Infection Control: Practical Questions and Common-Sense Answers The Joint Commission expects hospitals to educate patients regarding infection control practices as a basic health practice, including hand hygiene and cough etiquette (PC.02.03.01). The article encourages more education, including providing handouts to visitors, such as the Joint Commission’s “Speak Up” campaign brochure called Five Things you Can Do to Prevent Infection. IC, PtEd and StEd should consider the suggested actions that include increasing awareness among staff members to identify visitors and staff who have signs of a potentially communicable infection
Feb 2009
Perspectives Feb '09 Vol 29 #2 Pg05-Errata: 2009 Accreditation Manuals, All Programs[**Alert**] Two and a half pages of corrections are provided. Those relevant to psychiatric hospitals include standards in IC, LS, MM, NPSG, UP and PC. Since the corrections are effective immediately, those JCSC expecting survey soon should review the details.
Mar 2009
Pt. Safety Mar 09 Vol 9 #3 Pg05-Strategies for Eliminating Catheter-Related Urinary Tract Infection[**REF**]IC, RN. Some state hospitals that have long term care or medical units allow the use of urinary catheters. For such facilities, this article is a good review of the risks involved. It also notes the fact that CMS will no longer pay for the extra costs associated with catheter-associated urinary tract infections. To guide catheter use, four clear strategies and a decision tree are presented.
Apr 2009
May 2009
Jun 2009
July 2009
Patient Safety Vol 9 #7 Pg01-Protecting the Patient: The Joint Commission Collaborates on Developing Infection Prevention and Control Compendium: [••REF••] Four major healthcare organizations (SHEA, IDSA, AHA, APIC) have joined with TJC to produce the A Compendium of Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections in Acute Care Hospitals that organizes all the evidence- based strategies that have been found to prevent those HAIs causing the greatest mortality (including MRSA and CDI) into practical guideline that can serve as a one-stop prevention resource. Strategies are organized into 4 categories. Basic practices and Special approaches for certain high-risk populations have good or moderate evidence to support their use (i.e., A or B-level recommendation). Level C recommendations are categorized as 'Unresolved issues'. There is a final category of approaches that should not be implemented. The guideline also includes performance measures and patient guides (http://www.preventinghais.com/) for each HAI. IC and related PPR should not only review relevant sections of the compendium, but strongly consider performing a gap analysis between your current approaches and their A or B-level recommendations to better ensure compliance with NPSG.07.03.01, NPSG.07.04.01 and NPSG.07.05.01 that TJC says were directly influenced by the compendium.
• Assessing and Addressing Infection Control Risks: How Does Your Organization Measure Up? Joint Commission: The Source, Part 1: Volume 4, Number 9, September 2006, pp. 1-10(10) Part 2: , Volume 4, Number 10, October 2006, pp. 1-10(10) 1. Abstract: Learn about potential risk points to effective infection control programs and strategies for how your organization can avoid them in this two-part series.
• APIC: Position Paper: Improving health care worker influenza immunization rates (PDF)
Pt Safety Dec 2008 Vol 8 #12 Pg02-Patient Safety Pulse: Your Patient Safety News:Health Care Groups Develop Infection Control Compendium. [**REF**] The compendium was contributed to by the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, The Joint Commission, the American Hospital Association, and the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. The focus is on acute care hospitals, but the principles are still valuable and… it is available for free. IC should at least review the following: • S12 Executive Summary: A Compendium of Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections in Acute Care Hospitals Abstract- Full Text- PDF Version
• S62 Strategies to Prevent Transmission of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Acute Care Hospitals Citation- Full Text- PDF Version
• S81 Strategies to Prevent Clostridium difficile Infections in Acute Care Hospitals Citation -Full Text- PDF Version
Perspectives, Sept. 09 Vol 29 #9 Pg09-Free Help for Meeting Infection-Related NPSG[••REF••] TJC allotted one year (with quarterly milestones) for the full implementation of HAI-related NPSG 7 by January 1, 2010. Longer lead times usually suggest a greater effort is needed to comply. It can also be the basis for greater accountability once the measure is fully in effect. With that in mind, IC and RN should take advantage a free online education program offered by TJC to support compliance and implementation for NPSG 07.03.01, 07.04.01 and 07.05.01. Just be aware that the 76-slide webinar with narration by Louise Kuhny, RN, MPH, MBA, CIC and Barbara Soule, RN, MPA, CIC lasts a little over 58 minutes. You will need to log on to your TJC Connect website to access it.
Patient Safety Sept. 09 Vol 9 #9 Pg08-Preventing Surgical Site Infection How to Use Rapid Cycle Sterilization of Surgical Instruments[••REF••] Ordinarily we would not review an article highlighting issues related to surgical sites. However, given the context referenced in the related Perspectives article above, we think IC and Dentistry should review the special panel entitled 'What Will Joint Commission Surveyors Consider?"
HHS: PandemicFlu.gov (2009) Guidance on Antiviral Drug Use during an Influenza Pandemic {INFO} (PDF)
GAO -08-283 Report (March 2008): Health-Care-Associated Infections In Hospitals: Leadership Needed from HHS to Prioritize Prevention Practices and Improve Data on these Infections (Report) (Highlight) [**REF**] Good overview and ref for CDC's13 published guidelines on HAIs
APIC Position Paper (2004): Integrating Sentinel Event Analysis Into Your Infection Control Practice (PDF)
North Carolina Statewide Program for Infection Control and Epidemiology (SPICE) -
Resource Center on the Joint Commission Surveys - includes frequently asked IC survey questions (IC FAQ)
Source Jul 08 Vol 6 #7Pg06-Hand Hygiene Guidelines by the World Health Organization (WHO) [**REF**] 7 Steps are provided for complying with WHO hand hygiene guidelines. However since most state hospitals chose to comply with the CDC guidelines, the most valuable content is a 2-page compliance checklist based on both CDC and WHO for standard IC.01.0301 (aka IC.4.10). This is a must read for IC and any IC-related PPR team. Get (and use) a copy.
Patient Safety Vol 9 #7 Pg01-Protecting the Patient: The Joint Commission Collaborates on Developing Infection Prevention and Control Compendium: [••REF••] Four major healthcare organizations (SHEA, IDSA, AHA, APIC) have joined with TJC to produce the A Compendium of Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections in Acute Care Hospitals that organizes all the evidence- based strategies that have been found to prevent those HAIs causing the greatest mortality (including MRSA and CDI) into practical guideline that can serve as a one-stop prevention resource. Strategies are organized into 4 categories. Basic practices and Special approaches for certain high-risk populations have good or moderate evidence to support their use (i.e., A or B-level recommendation). Level C recommendations are categorized as 'Unresolved issues'. There is a final category of approaches that should not be implemented. The guideline also includes performance measures and patient guides (http://www.preventinghais.com/) for each HAI. IC and related PPR should not only review relevant sections of the compendium, but strongly consider performing a gap analysis between your current approaches and their A or B-level recommendations to better ensure compliance with NPSG.07.03.01, NPSG.07.04.01 and NPSG.07.05.01 that TJC says were directly influenced by the compendium.
Perspectives, Sept. 09 Vol 29 #9 Pg09-Free Help for Meeting Infection-Related NPSG[••REF••] TJC allotted one year (with quarterly milestones) for the full implementation of HAI-related NPSG 7 by January 1, 2010. Longer lead times usually suggest a greater effort is needed to comply. It can also be the basis for greater accountability once the measure is fully in effect. With that in mind, IC and RN should take advantage a free online education program offered by TJC to support compliance and implementation for NPSG 07.03.01, 07.04.01 and 07.05.01. Just be aware that the 76-slide webinar with narration by Louise Kuhny, RN, MPH, MBA, CIC and Barbara Soule, RN, MPA, CIC lasts a little over 58 minutes. You will need to log on to your TJC Connect website to access it.
Patient Safety Sept. 09 Vol 9 #9 Pg08-Preventing Surgical Site Infection How to Use Rapid Cycle Sterilization of Surgical Instruments[••REF••] Ordinarily we would not review an article highlighting issues related to surgical sites. However, given the context referenced in the related Perspectives article above, we think IC and Dentistry should review the special panel entitled 'What Will Joint Commission Surveyors Consider?"
