Proper Hand Hygiene Is Not Enough
Compelled by the growing awareness of HAIs, healthcare facilities are now paying more attention to one of the most fundamental HAI prevention measures – the practice of proper hand hygiene. The CDC issued guidelines for hand hygiene in healthcare facilities in 2001 to guide efforts by organizations to decrease HAI’s. As infections are most often transmitted through the contaminated hands of healthcare workers, healthcare facilities must ensure that their staff is fully educated on the importance of hand hygiene and monitor for compliance. Removal of barriers that prevent compliance with hand hygiene is essential to reduce the potential risks of transmitting infections from caregivers to patients, and from patients to caregivers.
Hand hygiene alone is not enough to prevent HAI’s. Process improvement initiatives introduced by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) consist of the use of multiple procedures or ''bundles'' of items that have been scientifically proven to prevent HAI’s when applied collectively. Some specific ''bundling'' initiatives the IHI developed include the use of insertion checklists, hand hygiene, skin antisepsis, maximum sterile barrier precautions and removing catheters when they are no longer needed to reduce the rates of central venous catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSI).
Hygiene and Process Initiatives Meet Technology
In addition to hand hygiene and process improvement initiatives such, evidence-based technologies such as antibiotic-impregnated central venous catheters are being employed to further reduce and eliminate CRBSIs. The CDC & newly released IDSA/SHEA guidelines recommend the use of proven technologies such as minocycline/rifampin-impregnated catheters in patients at high risk for CRBSI, have a history of CRBSI or if the implemented processes don’t sufficiently lower infection rates.
With approximately two million infections each year, 90,000 deaths and approximately $4.5 billion in excess costs, recent reimbursement changes by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) compel healthcare facilities to implement processes to combat HAI’s with the goal of the best quality of care for their patients. Infection prevention is the responsibility for all members of the healthcare team and with a solid commitment and adherence to infection control best practices, hospitals worldwide will undoubtedly experience a significant reduction in HAI rates.
Janet Chance RN, BSN, CIC is the Infection Preventionist for the Critical Care Division of Cook Medical which manufacturers central venous catheters impregnated with minocycline and rifampin. Janet is a Registered Nurse and holds a Bachelors of Science in Nursing from the University of South Alabama along with a certification in infection control, while also maintaining active membership status in professional societies such as APIC (Association for Professionals in Infection Control), SHEA (Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America) and SCCM (Society of Critical Care Medicine)
