Infection Prevention and Control in the Hospitals

Abstract

Hospital acquired infections cause a great deal of concern for patients. The risk of infection always increases where there is a large group of ill people together, such as in hos[1]pitals. Be assured that there is an effective Infection Control Committee in the hospitals. The Infection Control Commit[1]tee strives to ensure that high standards and best practices are maintained in relation to the prevention and control of nosocomial infections. SOPs for critical care areas of the hospitals written in the Red Book of CDC must be adapted by the hospital staff. In this regard keeping your hands and body clean is important. When you are in the hospital make sure that you have your own toiletries. The liquid soap in the Hospital is highly suitable for hand and body washing. Please wash your hands whilst in hospitals you would nor[1]mally do. Whenever you notice that your hands are dirty, e.g.: 1. Before eating. 2. After going to the toilet. 3. Before and after examining a patient. If you are confined to bed or unable to access a sink, wet wipes are a good idea to have with you. When coughing or sneezing turn your head away from others and use a tis[1]sue to cover your nose and mouth. Dispose of the tissue af[1]terwards in a waste bin and remember to then clean your hands. Hospital staff can protect you by washing their hands or by cleaning them with special alcohol hand gel. St. John’s Hospital staff is trained in hand washing techniques and will not be offended if you ask them whether they have clean hands. Do not interfere with or handle any device attached to you as part of your treatment, such as drips, tubes, cath[1]eters, drains, wound dressings as bacteria on your hands may cause infection. Keep the top of your locker and bed table free from clutter. Too many things make it difficult for staff to clean the area. If you use the washroom and are con[1]cerned that it does not look clean, report it to the person in[1]charge. Always wear suitable footwear when walking. Make sure you have asked a relative or friend to do your laundry so that it does not accumulate at your bedside. Children should not visit unless necessary. If it is a necessary visit, they must be supervised by an adult and must not interfere with Hos[1]pital equipment. Visitors should observe the following 1. Do not come into hospital if you have been ill, for instance, diarrhea and vomiting, coughs and colds. This puts all the patients at risk including the patient you are visiting 2. Use the alcohol gel in the wall mounted dispensers on entering the hospital, before entering and on exiting hospital wards and on exiting the hospital. 3. Do not enter a patient’s room that is being nursed in isolation without checking with the nursing staff. 4. When visiting a number of patients, including a patient in isolation, the patient in isolation should be the last patient visited rather than the first due to possible spread of infection. 5. Make sure that you use the alcohol gel between patients. 6. Additional restrictions will apply from time to time, e.g. during outbreaks of infectious diseases. If you require further information regarding specific infections, do not hesitate to speak with a Nurse or Doctor looking after you. The Infection Control Nurse and hospital infection control committee should be mandatory for each hospital of the country. We would also welcome your views on how we can continue to improve our infection prevention and control service.