Infection Control Standards

   Important evidence-based interventions to decrease morbidity, mortality and health care cost for the industry have been elaborated in the effort to prevent of nosocomial infections, named by Joint Commission as Health Care-Associated Infections (HAIs). The Joint Commission is addressing infection control issues through several initiatives and new standards for hospitals for the year 2005 have been published recently by JCAHO in its website, which will became effective on January 1, 2005.

  The CDC estimates that for the next year, approximately:

·         2 million patients admitted to acute care hospitals in the United States will acquire infections that were not related to the condition for which they were hospitalized ¹.

·         These infections result in approximately 90,000 deaths/year

·         The increase in patient care will add around $5 billion per year to the health system, just in patient care costs (CDC, 1992) ².

·         One third of the nosocomial could be prevented if appropriate recommendations are implemented by institutions^3,

  Some causes of nosocomial infections are difficult to control, such as underlying diseases. However, many high risk behaviors and situations and some direct causes of the infections can be identified and controlled. According to data recollected in publications during the last twenty years, CDC estimates that approximately 30% of the nosocomial infections will be prevented if appropriate recommendations are implemented by institutions^3,4 . The Prevention of nosocomial infections represents one of the major task for the hospitals and other health institutions, assuring an effective evaluation and ongoing redesign of the existing infection control programs a main concern. An effective infection control program requires an integrated and quick to respond process, which should involve a synergistic cooperation of all hospital’s programs and services. The system should be able to develop, implement, and evaluate quick answers to the new and re-emergent infection control issues. The design and scope of the IC program are based on the particular risk that the hospital faces related to the acquisition and transmission of infectious diseases. The ultimate goal of an effective program is to reduce the risk of acquisition and transmission of nosocomial infections and other maladies.

REFERENCES

1 Monitoring hospital-acquired infections to promote patient safety—United States, 1990-1999. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 49:149-153, Mar. 10, 2000.

2 Public Health focus: surveillance, prevention and control of nosocomial infections. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 41:783-787, Oct. 23, 1992.

3 Harbarth S., Sax H., Gastmeier P.: The preventable proportion of nosocomial infections: an overview of published reports. J Hosp Infect 54:258–256, Aug. 2003.