Wednesday, February 1, 2017

A Comprehensive Guide On Infection Control

By George Nelson


CDC or Center for Disease Control has indicated that five percent of all patients admitted to hospitals contract diseases that are related to health care. However, research indicates that the infections can be controlled. In their opinion, it is possible to control these infections using very simple tactics that do not even have a budget implication. The infection control methods proposed include team work and basic hand hygiene, among other strategies.

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.

Work on the surrounding environment. Experts state that a dirty environment will breed and spread all kinds of infectious microorganisms. Cleaning the environment gets rid of them. Both the patients and care givers are bound to touch the surfaces while at work and effectively spread diseases. House keepers must pay attention to all areas and develop a comprehensive cleaning plan. Sanitary hygiene must also receive a lot of attention.

Make screening of patients and cohorting part of your procedures. This ensures that patients suffering from the same disease are put in one ward or room. Your will help avoid cross-infection and make it easier to take similar precautionary measures. Care givers must also pay attention to the mode of spread whenever they are dealing with patients. These caregivers have the potential of spreading diseases and infections from one patient to another.

Vaccination has been used for years in preventing infections. This should apply to all staff in an organization or facility. The fact that they are in constant contact makes it easy to contract and spread diseases. There are recommended vaccinations for health care workers. Ensure that each worker is vaccinated and received quick medical attention every time a health concern arises.

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.

The efforts to protect a health facility from infections should be coordinated. It requires proactive approach to control. All efforts will be futile if one arm or section of workers is not involved. It is like a puncture that will eventually cause the entire vehicle to stall. In case one group of workers is uncertain or doubtful of their role in keeping the facility safe, they must be reassured.

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.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment