Infection Prevention Resources Research Articles

Asymptomatic Testing of Hospital Admissions for SARS-CoV-2: Is it OK to Stop?

Universal severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) testing of all persons admitted to acute care hospitals has become common practice. We describe why 1 hospital discontinued this practice after weighing potential benefits against known harms. Considerations around the benefits shifted as we saw a decline in SARS-CoV-2 community transmission and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity of illness, increased availability of vaccines and treatments, and better understood the many other transmission pathways in the healthcare environment. Considerations around harms included the additional strain on laboratory and infection prevention resources, and several unintended adverse consequences of admission screening for patients, including unnecessary isolation, antiviral treatments, and delays in care delivery. Poor test performance for detection of infectiousness also played a significant role in determining to stop universal screening. No increase in hospital-onset COVID-19 has been documented since discontinuation of admission testing. We continue to apply other established layers of prevention while monitoring for any change in incidence of within-facility transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

Infection Prevention Resources to Respond to the Initial Coronavirus Disease Pandemic at an Academic Medical Center

BackgroundInfection prevention specialists (IPS) are relied on as subject matter experts, providing guidance and support within healthcare facilities. During the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, infection prevention (IP) department resources were heavily taxed, creating an increased IP staffing need. The objective of this study is to quantify the additional IP resources needed to support pandemic response at a large, academic medical center.MethodsPre-pandemic, our IP department included 12 full-time IPS, providing support to a 1315-bed hospital, 138 outpatient clinics, and 2 ambulatory surgery centers. The increased level of organizational support needed for the COVID-19 pandemic response required more full-time employees (FTE) to assist in managing additional duties. Duties included: conducting employee cluster investigations and contact tracing; reviewing positive COVID-19 lab specimens reported each shift to ensure appropriate isolation and bed placement; developing and reviewing COVID-19 related protocols across multiple hospital areas; and instituting a clinical case review process with infectious disease (ID) physicians to respond to call questions about testing, isolation requirements, and discontinuation criteria in complex patients.ResultsThe first known COVID-19 positive patient was admitted on 3/17/2020. Department call volumes peaked between May 2020 and end of June 2020. Calls during that time frame totaled 2,825 with an average of 202 calls daily. In response our IP department added 6 additional FTE. These FTE consisted of 2 reassigned bedside nurses and 4 contract nurses, supporting the 24/7 on-call service from 3/31/2020- 4/6/2021. Physician support increased to 2 dedicated epidemiologists managing COVID-19 guidance and IPS escalation needs, and a 24/7 on-call clinical review team, involving 16 ID physicians was implemented.ConclusionsA pandemic response effort can have a major impact on infection prevention staffing resources. Repurposing and/or onboarding non-IP staff and training them to support concrete IP processes can be an effective strategy to reduce strain on department resources.

811. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Surgical Volume and Surgical Site Infections (SSI) in a Large Network of Community Hospitals

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted hospitalizations and healthcare utilization. Diversion of infection prevention resources toward COVID-19 mitigation limited routine infection prevention activities such as rounding, observations, and education in all areas, including the peri-operative space. There were also changes in surgical care delivery. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on SSI rates has not been well described, especially in community hospitals.MethodsWe performed a retrospective cohort study analyzing prospectively collected data on SSIs from 45 community hospitals in the southeastern United States from 1/2018 to 12/2020. We included the 14 most commonly performed operative procedure categories, as defined by the National Healthcare Safety Network. Coronary bypass grafting was included a priori due to its clinical significance. Only facilities enrolled in the network for the full three-year period were included. We defined the pre-pandemic time period from 1/1/18 to 2/29/20 and the pandemic period from 3/1/20 to 12/31/20. We compared monthly and quarterly median procedure totals and SSI prevalence rates (PR) between the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods using Poisson regression. ResultsPre-pandemic median monthly procedure volume was 384 (IQR 192-999) and the pre-pandemic SSI PR per 100 cases was 0.98 (IQR 0.90-1.04). There was a transient decline in surgical cases beginning in March 2020, reaching a nadir of 185 cases in April, followed by a return to pre-pandemic volume by June (figure 1). Overall and procedure-specific SSI PRs were not significantly different in the COVID-19 period relative to the pre-pandemic period (total PR per 100 cases 0.96 and 0.97, respectively, figure 2). However, when stratified by quarter and year, there was a trend toward increased SSI PR in the second quarter of 2020 with a PRR of 1.15 (95% CI 0.96-1.39, table 1). ConclusionThe decline in surgical procedures early in the pandemic was short-lived in our community hospital network. Although there was no overall change in the SSI PR during the study period, there was a trend toward increased SSIs in the early phase of the pandemic (figure 3). This trend could be related to deferred elective cases or to a shift in infection prevention efforts to outbreak management. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Health Worker Compliance with Infection Prevention and Control Policy in Ghana: A Case Study of La General Hospital

Infection Prevention And Control Is An Important Topic In The Delivery Of Quality Health Care Because It Aims At Protecting The Patient, The Health Worker, And The General Public. The Main Objective Of The Study Was To Determine Health Workers’ Compliance With Infection Prevention And Control Policy Guidelines During Health Care Delivery. A Cross-Sectional Design Using A Quantitative Method Was Used To Carry Out This Study In Which 143 Health Workers At The La General Hospital Were Selected Using A Stratified Sampling Method. The Data Collected Using A Structured Questionnaire Was Statistically Analyzed Using Chi-Square Test And Logistic Regression To Establish An Association Between The Dependent And Independent Variables Using A Significance Level Of P<0.05 At 95% Confidence Interval. The Results Indicated That Knowledge Of Infection Prevention And Control Among Health Workers Was High As 97% Had Adequate Knowledge, With 64% Of This Proportion Having Excellent Knowledge. Additionally, The Availability Of Infection Prevention Resources To Health Workers Always Was 31.4%; Non-Compliance Due To Time Constraints At Work Was 66.4%, And Compliance With Infection Prevention And Control Guidelines Was 30.7%. Time Constraint At Work Was Significantly Associated With Health Workers’ Compliance With Infection Prevention And Control (P = 0.001). The Paper Suggests That Regular In-Service Training On Infection Prevention And Control Must Be Continued To Improve The Standards Of Health Delivery Practice. Management Is Encouraged To Improve The Availability Of Infection Prevention Resources To Health Workers And To Duly Regulate Staff Workload In Order To Reduce Time Constraints And Prevent Burnout.

Roadmap for onboarding a new infection preventionist: One health care system's approach

Beginning a new career as a subject matter expert in Infection Prevention (IP) can be challenging. The scope of the service is broad, and the reference materials can be challenging to navigate. Ascension Wisconsin created a team to produce a tool to assist with the onboarding process. This project encompassed national roadmap literature blended with the healthcare system materials. The result was a compilation of IP resources, best practices, education resources, and internal talent a new IP can benefit from regardless of their experience. This tool was instrumental to the successful onboarding of 4 novice IPs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Use of Retired Infection Preventionists to Supplement Infection Prevention Department Staffing

Background Infection Prevention (IP) programs are facing national shortages due to a workforce nearing retirement age and challenges recruiting and retaining incoming Infection Preventionists (IPs). This study assesses the use of retiring IPs to continue working remotely in an as needed (PRN) status to support centralized surveillance as part of a plan to address staffing shortages. Methods IP department staffing was assessed at a 1543 licensed bed hospital system in Texas comprising 12 acute care hospitals, including 2 critical access hospitals, and one acute psychiatric hospital. The staffing complement was 1 IP for every 171 licensed beds. This includes 8.0 full time IPs and one IP director. Requests for additional full-time IP resources were deferred due to COVID constraints. A staffing model using retired IPs was developed to increase on-site IP capacity during a period of increased IP program demand. Results Two IPs had been retained in a PRN status at the time of their retirement to support specific projects. Another IP retired in March 2020 and approval was received to maintain that IP in PRN status. The three PRN IPs agreed to perform remote surveillance and electronic COVID reporting, as required, beginning in March 2020. The IPs required no onboarding or training due to prior knowledge of surveillance methodology, electronic health records, and surveillance software systems. A PRN status was preferred over full or part-time status by both the IPs and the organization. Full-time IPs reported increased availability for unit-based activities. Conclusions Use of retiring IPs as remote centralized surveillance support is a viable model to increase the capacity of hospital-based IPs on a short or intermediate-term basis. In departments with lean staffing complements, reducing surveillance burden can also ease the training demand of new novice or becoming proficient IPs and support retention of new staff.

High-Risk Interactions for Transmission of CRE to Health Worker Gloves or Gown: A Multicenter Cohort Study

Background: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) are a serious threat to public health due to high associated morbidity and mortality. Healthcare personnel (HCP) gloves and gowns are frequently contaminated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including CRE. We aimed to identify patients more likely to transmit CRE to HCP gloves or gowns and HCP types and interactions more likely to lead to glove or gown contamination. Methods:Between January 2016 and August 2018, patients with a clinical or surveillance culture positive for CRE in the preceding 7 days were enrolled at 5 hospitals in California, Maryland, New York, and Pennsylvania. Ten HCP–patient interactions were observed for each patient and were recorded by research staff. Following patient care, but prior to doffing, the gloves and gown of each HCP were sampled for the presence of CRE. Results: We enrolled 313 CRE-colonized patients, and we observed 3,070 HCP interactions. CRE was transmitted to HCP gloves in 242 of 3,070 observations (7.9%) and to gowns in 132 of 3,070 observations (4.3%). Transmission to either gloves or gown occurred in 308 of 3,070 interactions observed (10%). The most frequently identified organism was Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 171, 53.2%), followed by Enterobacter cloacae (n = 36, 11.2%), and Escherichia coli (n = 33, 10.3%). Patients in the intensive care unit (n = 177, 56.5%) were more likely to transmit CRE to HCP gloves or gown (OR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.03–2.64) compared to those not in an ICU and adjusted for HCP type. The odds of CRE transmission increased with the number of different items touched near the patient (OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.21–1.44) and with the number of different items touched in the environment (OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.06–1.21). Respiratory therapists had the highest rates of transmission to gloves and gown (OR, 3.79; 95% CI, 1.61–8.94), followed by physical therapists and occupational therapists (OR, 2.82; 95% CI, 1.01–8.32) when compared to HCP in the “other” category. Manipulating the rectal tube (OR, 3.03; 95% CI, 1.53–6.04), providing wound care (OR, 2.81; 95% CI, 1.73–4.59), and touching the endotracheal tube (OR, 2.79; 95% CI, 1.86–4.19) were the interactions most strongly associated with CRE transmission compared to not touching these items and adjusted for HCP type. Conclusions: Transmission of CRE to HCP gloves and gowns occurs frequently. We identified interactions and HCP types that were particularly high risk for transmission. Infection control programs may wish to target infection prevention resources and education toward these high-risk professions and interactions.Funding: This work was supported by the CDC Prevention Epicenter Program (U43CK000450-01) and the NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (R01 AI121146-01).Disclosures: None

Ambulatory Staff as Infection Control Liaisons: An Untapped Resource

<h3>Background</h3> Infection prevention resources in the outpatient setting lag behind the inpatient setting, with either no dedicated infection preventionist (IP) or an IP responsible for numerous clinics, often in remote locations. A well-established infection control liaison program focused on inpatient infection prevention exists at our facility providing nurses with IP knowledge to be a unit resource. Outpatient IP and clinic staff met to develop a framework for an Ambulatory Infection Control Liaison (AICL) program modeled on the inpatient program. <h3>Methods</h3> Criteria was developed to include attendance at the North Carolina Curriculum for Infection Control in Outpatient Settings course, ability and willingness to be the clinic IP resource and active participation in AICL meetings. Meetings scheduled on a non-recurring basis, focused primarily on foundational infection prevention principles including hand hygiene and standard precautions. To gain momentum and further meet the needs of the AICLs, a learning needs assessment to include preferred meeting topics, meeting times/days/locations and learning methods was distributed to AICLs with a 41% response rate. <h3>Results</h3> Through this assessment, maturation of the AICL group continued with regularly scheduled bi-monthly meetings, standardized meeting formats and implementation of remote video conferencing for off-campus clinics. Content was expanded including topics identified from the needs assessment. Post meeting, a summary, attendance list and copy of the presentation were posted on the intranet. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Outpatient clinic staff no longer view Infection prevention focused solely on inpatient care. The AICL meetings provide a collegial setting to address infection issues unique to outpatients. This program contributes to enhanced relationships and increased familiarity between outpatient clinical staff with their assigned IP. The group fosters networking between clinics to include best practices and best products. We believe our AICL program supports safer patient care by providing ready access to IPs knowledgeable of the unique aspects of outpatient care.

A strategy for expanding infection prevention resources to support organizational growth

The field of infection prevention is rapidly evolving and becoming increasingly complex, as resource-intensive responses to device-associated outbreaks, global epidemics, and regulatory requirements continue to grow. This increasing complexity coupled with changing health care systems present important challenges to infection prevention staffing and resources. We describe the development of a novel infection prevention and control (IPC) staffing structure that includes both infection preventionists (IPs) and role-specific support staff to meet the evolving IPC needs and challenges of an expanding health care network. The IPC department at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia underwent iterative modifications to its staffing structure between 2014 and 2018, including the development of revised job descriptions and promotional criteria, career ladders, and supporting roles. Data on key infection prevention activities, including rounding frequency and performance of audits and observations, growth metrics and infection data was evaluated for trends before and after departmental restructuring. An overall health care associated infection (HAI) index was calculated based on existing surveillance data and used to monitor patient outcomes over time. In addition, departmental employee engagement was assessed via a standard survey instrument to evaluate improvements in teamwork and professional growth opportunities over time. Between 2014 and 2018, the number of unique job descriptions for IPs and support staff increased from 4 to 9, creating a 3-tier career ladder for IPs and increasing full time equivalents from 8.2 to 11.6. Additional support roles included a Hand Hygiene Program Manager, Infection Prevention Associates and a Clinical Practice Analyst; these roles, along with increased IP staffing, expanded the education and consultative range of the department, as measured by a 33% increase in environmental rounding and a 7-fold increase in performance of isolation audits. Team diversity also expanded, changing from a team with predominantly nursing backgrounds, to one with an equal distribution of nursing, public health, and laboratory scientists. Results from serial engagement surveys showed an increase in teamwork and professional growth by 7.4% and 5.4%, respectively. Over this time period, the total HAI index decreased by 23%, while patient days, central line days, and ventilator days increased each year, and there was a statistically significant reduction in rates of harm across 5 key HAI indicators. Role diversity and varying professional backgrounds within IPC programs offer a complement of strengths and increase capacity to support patient care activities, improving patient outcomes. This strategy leads to a more cost-effective, robust IPC program that supports the growing needs and evolving challenges of the field.

A cross-sectional survey of measles preparedness in critical-access hospitals of Idaho

Patients with measles can precipitate outbreaks in health care facilities where they seek care. Rural critical-access hospitals (CAHs) may be at higher risk of outbreaks given their size and potentially limited infection prevention resources. We surveyed CAHs in Idaho to ascertain their levels of preparedness for managing measles cases. A 25-item questionnaire was sent to infection preventionists at all 27 Idaho CAHs. The questionnaire covered organizational structure, resources for managing measles cases, and hospital policies for ensuring immunity among health care workers. A total of 22 (82%) CAHs responded, reporting varying availability of facilities and resources for managing measles cases and disparate procedures for testing clinical samples and providing vaccines to nonimmune, exposed staff. With measles incidence on the rise in the United States, our survey found that most of the responding hospitals had the basic organizational structure for facility-wide prevention and management efforts in case a patient with suspected or confirmed measles presented to that facility. Most of the hospitals also had at least some available resources to manage measles cases, as well as policies for ensuring immunity to measles among at least some groups of health care workers. This study provides initial perspectives on measles preparedness among Idaho CAHs, despite limited generalizability. Future studies should explore whether self-reported preparedness measures reflect the ability of the CAHs to control measles spread when cases present for care.

Quality Innovation Networks Share Varied Resources for Nursing Homes on Mostly User-Friendly Websites.

Quality innovation networks' (QINs') support of nursing homes (NHs) is a national strategy to systematically improve the quality of care experienced by residents. QINs have been tasked with providing NHs with information, resources, tools, and training to assist in developing best practices and to support quality improvement efforts in infection prevention (including joining the National Healthcare Safety Network [NHSN]), avoid unnecessary hospitalizations, and increase use of hospice and palliative care. Our objective was to examine QIN online resources provided to NHs to support best practices and improvement efforts. An environmental scan was conducted. Each QIN website was evaluated on (1) usability, (2) accessibility and prominence, (3) website design, (4) availability of training materials, (5) recency of update, (6) identification of key personnel, and (8) quality focus areas (ie, infection prevention, NHSN, antibiotic stewardship, reducing unnecessary or avoidable hospitalizations, and palliative and hospice care). QIN websites varied dramatically in design and resources offered to NHs as well as in the content and ease of finding information. Antibiotic stewardship and NHSN resources were widely available. Information (ie, fact sheets) on reducing avoidable hospitalizations was commonly available, while resources, such as tool kits, webinars, training, and contact information for personnel on reducing avoidable hospitalizations, were available to 23 states. Infection prevention resources were varied and limited to 34 states. Both palliative care and hospice resources were available through only a few QINs (13 states and 20 states, respectively). Given that much of the information, tool kits, and resources are standardized and in the public domain, centralized resources with tailored or specialized links to unique local resources, like in-person trainings and state-specific contact information, could be more beneficial for NHs. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:2376-2381, 2019.

Quantitative Results of a National Intervention to Prevent Clostridioides difficile Infection: A Pre-Post Observational Study.

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is on the rise. To evaluate the effect of a tiered, evidence-based intervention to prevent CDI. Pre-post observational evaluation of a prospective, 12-month, national, nonrandomized, clustered quality improvement project to reduce hospital health care-associated infection. Acute care, long-term acute care, and critical access hospitals working with state partner organizations (state hospital associations and state health departments) to improve health care-associated infection prevention practices. Targeted hospitals had a high burden of CDI and another health care-associated infection. Other hospitals that did not meet these criteria volunteered to participate. Multimodal intervention that consisted of 1) on-demand educational modules and webinars, 2) in-person meetings facilitated by state-level partners, 3) feedback and recommendations for implementation of evidence-based recommendations (including a CDI-specific guide on which interventions to implement), and 4) guided facilitation through infection prevention resources and site visits. Pre- and postintervention CDI rates. Between November 2016 and May 2018, 387 hospitals (366 of which reported CDI data) in 23 states and the District of Columbia participated in the intervention. There was a statistically significant decrease in CDI incidence over the study period, from 7.0 cases per 10000 patient-days in the preintervention period to 5.7 cases per 10000 patient-days in the postintervention period. However, this decrease appeared to be part of a temporal trend rather than due to the study intervention. Commitment to and adherence with recommended infection prevention practices before and after the intervention were not assessed. The intervention period was relatively brief, and patient-level data were not available. Although a statistically significant decline in hospital-onset CDI was observed, this trend appears to be unrelated to the study intervention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention STRIVE Initiative: Construction of a National Program to Reduce Health Care-Associated Infections at the Local Level.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention STRIVE Initiative: Construction of a National Program to Reduce Health Care-Associated Infections at the Local Level.

Investigation of a Serratia Marcescens bacteremia Cluster in a Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit (CICU) Utilizing Whole Genome Sequencing

BACKGROUND Serratia bacteremia is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the intensive care unit (ICU). In August 2018 we identified 5 cases in our CICU, prompting an investigation for patient risk factors, exposures, and environmental sources. METHODS To ascertain common exposures among the cases, patient demographic and mortality data, unit length of stay, room location, infection, and surgical histories were collected by chart review. Medication histories were obtained from pharmacy records and the potential for drug diversion was explored. Environment of care rounds were conducted in both the CICU and the Cardiac operating rooms. Environmental culturing was considered. Four case isolates along with 21 non-cluster Serratia blood isolates from the same facility were analyzed for relatedness by whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis. RESULTS The case age range was 30-80 years with 80% male gender. Mortality rate among cases was 60%. The investigation did not reveal any common risk factors or exposures among cases either in the CICU or the operating room. Environmental cultures were not collected. No evidence of drug diversion or medication contamination was identified. WGS analysis did not show any close genotypic relationship among the patients’ isolates. CONCLUSIONS WGS was used to investigate Serratia bacteremia isolates which were clustered in time, clinical service and location. The WGS results, however, indicated that these cases did not arise from a common source nor from cross-infection. WGS provides an unprecedented level of specificity for outbreak investigations permitting infection prevention resources to be used appropriately and cost-efficiently.

Facility type and surgical specialty are associated with suboptimal surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis practice patterns: a multi-center, retrospective cohort study

BackgroundGuidelines recommend discontinuation of antimicrobial prophylaxis within 24 h after incision closure in uninfected patients. However, how facility and surgical specialty factors affect the implementation of these evidence-based surgical prophylaxis guidelines in outpatient surgery is unknown. Thus, we sought to measure how facility complexity, including ambulatory surgical center (ASC) status and availability of ancillary services, impact adherence to guidelines for timely discontinuation of antimicrobial prophylaxis after outpatient surgery. A secondary aim was to measure the association between surgical specialty and guideline compliance.MethodsA multi-center, national Veterans Health Administration retrospective cohort from 10/1/2015–9/30/2017 including any Veteran undergoing an outpatient surgical procedure in any of five specialties (general surgery, urology, ophthalmology, ENT, orthopedics) was created. The primary outcome was the association between facility complexity and proportion of surgeries not compliant with discontinuation of antimicrobials within 24 h of incision closure. Data were analyzed using logistic regression with adjustments for patient and procedural factors.ResultsAmong 153,097 outpatient surgeries, 7712 (5.0%) received antimicrobial prophylaxis lasting > 24 h after surgery; rates ranged from 0.4% (eye surgeries) to 13.7% (genitourinary surgeries). Cystoscopies and cystoureteroscopy with lithotripsy procedures had the highest rates (16 and 20%), while hernia repair, cataract surgeries, and laparoscopic cholecystectomies had the lowest (0.2–0.3%). In an adjusted logistic regression model, lower complexity ASC and hospital outpatient departments had higher odds of prolonged antimicrobial prophylaxis compared to complex hospitals (OR ASC, 1.3, 95% CI: 1.2–1.5). Patient factors associated with higher odds of noncompliance with antimicrobial discontinuation included younger age, female sex, and white race. Genitourinary and ear/nose/throat surgeries were associated with the highest odds of prolonged antimicrobial prophylaxis.ConclusionsFacility complexity appears to play a role in adherence to surgical infection prevention guidelines. Lower complexity facilities with limited infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship resources may be important targets for quality improvement. Such interventions may be especially useful for genitourinary and ear/nose/throat surgical subspecialties. Increasing pharmacy, antimicrobial stewardship and/or infection prevention resources to promote more evidence-based care may support surgical providers in lower complexity ambulatory surgery centers and hospital outpatient departments in their efforts to improve this facet of patient safety.

The impact of electronic surveillance systems for healthcare associated infections on infection prevention resources: A systematic review of the literature

The impact of electronic surveillance systems for healthcare associated infections on infection prevention resources: A systematic review of the literature

Is accounting for acute care beds enough? A proposal for measuring infection prevention personnel resources

There is still little known about how infection prevention (IP) staffing affects patient outcomes across the country. Current evaluations mainly focus on the ratio of IP resources to acute care beds (ACBs) and have not strongly correlated with patient outcomes. The scope of IP and the role of the infection preventionist in health care have expanded and changed dramatically since the Study on the Efficacy of Nosocomial Infection Control (SENIC Project) recommended a 1 IP resource to 250 ACB ration in the 1980s. Without a universally accepted model for accounting for additional IP responsibilities, it is difficult to truly assess IP staffing needs. A previously suggested alternative staffing model was applied to acute care hospitals in our organization to determine its utility.

Optimizing Infection Prevention Resources through Standardization of Workflow Integrated with Infection Prevention Software

Optimizing Infection Prevention Resources through Standardization of Workflow Integrated with Infection Prevention Software

Resources for Infection Prevention and Control on the World Wide Web

This review summarizes infection prevention resources on the Internet. Web sites are presented in 8 categories: guidelines, policies, and regulatory bodies; health care-associated infection and multidrug-resistant organisms; surveillance, reporting, and initiatives; antibiotic use; employee health; long-term care facilities; facility and environmental infection control; and professional societies, educational opportunities, and listserves. For example, links to the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program and National Healthcare Safety Network reports are provided among resources for infection surveillance, reporting, and initiatives. A link to guidelines for infection prevention in health care workers is listed with other information regarding employee health. The Web address for the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America guidelines for infection control in long-term care facilities is listed with resources for long-term care facilities. Guidelines for construction and environmental services are summarized with other information regarding facility and environmental infection control. This review summarizes the most useful and up-to-date infection prevention resources on the Internet and will simplify the search for pertinent information.