CURRENT ISSUE May 2022 - Infection Control Table of Contents Guest Editor: Don’t Stop Now The pandemic gave infection control the attention it deserves, and it’s up to facility leaders to keep it that way. Working Toward Our Goal of Zero SSIs A mix of protocols, patient education and policy adjustments have combined to keep our center’s infection rate below 0.4%. Surface Disinfection Done Right Effective cleaning requires the proper tools, tactics and technologies — and a safety-first culture. Rigid Protocols for Flexible Endoscope Reprocessing Standardization is the only way to ensure instructions for cleaning and high-level disinfecting are followed to the letter. Simplify the Skin Prepping Process Standardized protocols render incision sites as clean as possible before surgery. It's Time to Focus on Nasal Decolonization Understanding the seriousness of staph infections can get your team to buy into infection-reducing protocols. Hand Hygiene Enforcement Done Right Designated auditors, frequent and formal evaluations and a top-down culture of compliance are the keys to success. Sterilized With Certainty ATP testing improves the effectiveness of instrument cleaning and ultimately decreases the risk of SSIs. Patient Warming Helps Prevent Infections Comfort is important, but there’s a crucial safety component to maintaining normothermia. Helping Providers Learn by Doing Q&A with Pam Falk, MPH, CIC, longtime clinical educator on the unique challenges of outpatient infection control. DID YOU SEE THIS?
