ABSTRACT
Healthcare-associated infections pose significant risks to both patients and healthcare personnel. Healthcare organizations must adhere to current CDC guidelines concerning infection prevention and control. OSHA mandates that organizations take specific actions to minimize employee exposures to bloodborne pathogens. Healthcare safety personnel should work closely with the infection control and prevention staff on issues of joint concern such as compliance with the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030). Healthcare personnel must strive to minimize their exposure risks to blood, sputum, aerosols, and other body fluids by following proper work practices and using PPE/clothing. The use of appropriate PPE along with relevant education and training provides the foundation for infection prevention. Any effective infection control and prevention function should stress personal hygiene, individual responsibility, surveillance monitoring, and investigation of infectious diseases and pathogens. Efforts should emphasize identifying infection risks, instituting preventive measures, eliminating unnecessary procedures, and preventing the spread of infectious diseases through the healthcare facility. Facilities should develop and implement plans to prevent and control infections by focusing on
• Integrating infection control into safety and performance improvement efforts • Assessing risks for the acquisition or transmission of infectious agents within the facility • Using an epidemiological approach to focus on surveillance and data collection data • Implementing infection prevention and control processes based on sound data • Coordinating plan design and implementation with key leaders • Establishing coordinated processes to reduce the risks of organization-acquired infections • Appointing one or more qualified individuals to lead facility efforts • Reporting information about infections both internally and to public health agencies • Designing processes to reduce rates or trends of epidemiologically significant infections • Implementing strategies to reduce risks and prevent transmission of infections • Adopting strategies that consider scientific knowledge, practice guidelines, laws, or
regulations • Considering endemic rates and epidemic rates when analyzing data • Ensuring management systems support infection control objectives • Stressing risk identification using surveillance, prevention, and control activities • Coordinating with external organizations to reduce infections from the environment
(Table 8.1)
Healthcare organizations should establish a comprehensive written policy regarding immunizing personnel, develop a listing of all required and recommended immunizations, and refer all staff to the employee health function to receive education needed for their positions. The employee health
function should consider medical history and job position exposure risk to determine needed vaccinations (Table 8.2).
