International Infection Prevention Week began Oct. 19. The Aultman Hospital Infection Prevention and Control teams hosted their second annual symposium on Sept. 26 to kick off the event. Featuring the theme “Mission Possible: Agent of Change – Infection Control Edition,” the event provided an opportunity for attendees to gain new insight and enhanced knowledge in infection prevention and control practices.

As a patient, family member or visitor to healthcare facilities, you can help keep infections from spreading, too. Here’s how.

What is infection prevention?

Infection prevention is simply the practice of preventing the spread of infection in healthcare settings or any place where susceptible people live. Specifically in healthcare settings, it is very important to reduce the spread of germs across surfaces, through the air or within the environment.

Who are infection preventionists (IPs)?

According to the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), IPs are professionals who make sure healthcare workers and patients are doing all the things they should to prevent infections and work to prevent germs from spreading within healthcare facilities

They look for patterns of infection within the facility, observe practices, educate healthcare teams, advise hospital leaders and other professionals, compile infection data, develop policies and procedures and coordinate with local and national public health agencies.

How can you help prevent infections in a healthcare setting?

Below are some tips to help prevent the spread of infection to patients, family, visitors and staff. Many of these tips are recommended by APIC and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• Cover your coughs and sneezes. Use a tissue and discard it in an appropriate trash receptacle.

• Wear a mask if you feel sick or ill when entering a healthcare facility for care. Wearing a mask helps reduce the transmission of germs.

• Visitors. Please ask your visitors not to visit if they are ill or if you are ill with a contagious disease.

• Speak up for your care. Always talk with your healthcare providers by asking questions, writing down answers and discussing your concerns. Whenever a treatment or medication is recommended, ask why it is necessary and what risks are associated with it.

• Clean your hands often. Hand hygiene is the best way to prevent the spread of infection. Make sure that everyone around you, including your healthcare providers and visitors, cleans their hands. If you don’t see that person washing their hands or using an alcohol-based hand rub, don’t feel bad about asking them to do so. It is important that you are also diligent about washing your own hands when you are caring for yourself or a family member.

• Safe injection practices. Safe injection practices are steps that your healthcare providers follow when they give injections, such as not using the same needle or syringe on more than one patient. Remember: one needle, one syringe, only one time.

• Clean rooms and clean equipment. Keeping healthcare facilities clean is extremely important. It’s very easy for germs to be passed from the surfaces to the hands and to other people. Please request assistance if your room or equipment needs attention.

• Medication knowledge. Using antibiotics the wrong way can cause bacteria to grow into superbugs. Know what your medication is for, how to take it, how long you should take it and how often you should take it. If you are taking antibiotics, take them exactly as prescribed, even if you start to feel better. If you have a reaction to a medication, make sure to notify your provider.

• Shower before having surgery. If you are having surgery, taking a shower with a germ-killing soap can reduce the risk for a healthcare associated infection (HAI).

• Catheter management. Catheters may contribute to increased risk for infection, so they are evaluated by the medical team regularly to determine the optimal time for removal.

• Stay healthy with immunizations. Vaccines are an effective way to prevent the suffering (and costs) associated with vaccine-preventable infections.

• Learn about HAIs. HAIs are infections that patients can get while receiving treatment for medical or surgical conditions.

Sources:
Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention