Micro Lab 101 – Aleks SG.
Health Care Epidemiology and Infection
Prevention and Control
Health care epidemiology can be defined as the study of
the occurrence, determinants, and distribution of health
and disease within health care settings. Health and disease
are the result of complex interactions between pathogens,
patients, and the health care environment.
Health Care-associated Infection
Based on how a person becomes sick, infectious diseases
(infections) can be classified into two groups. The terms
"health-care-associated virus" and "iatrogenic infection"
should not be mistaken. Iatrogenic infections are one kind
of HAI, but they aren't all HAIs.
 Infections obtained in the community are those
that are present or incubating at the time of
admission to the hospital.
 A "HAI" is described by the CDC as an infection
that occurs within 14 days of being discharged
from the hospital
*Community-acquired infections are those that are present
or incubating at the time of hospital admission. All other
lnfec1fons are considered HAis, including those that erupt
within 14 days of hospital discharge.
*An iatrogenic infection is an infection that results from
medical or surgical treatment-an infection that is caused
by a surgeon, another physician, or some other health care
worker
Frequency health care associated infection
It's tragic to consider that a patient who goes to the
hospital for one reason could catch an infection and die
as a result of that infection. However, despite significant
initiatives to limit the number of HAIs, this is an all-too-
common phenomenon.
 In 2002, for example, the number of HAIs in US
hospitals was reported to be about 1.7 million.
 2011: the figure had dropped to about 722,000.
2002: the number of deaths linked to HAIs was
reported to be 98,987, but by 2011 it had
dropped to about 75,000.
Pneumonia was the cause of the largest number of deaths.
HAIs result in a substantial rise in the number of days spent
in the hospital and the cost of further care.
Pathogens Most Often Involved in Health Care Associated
Infections
 The hospital environment harbors many potential
pathogens. Some live on and in health care
professionals, other hospital employees, visitors to
the hospital, and patients themselves.
 Others live in dust or wet or moist areas such as
sink drains, showerheads, whirlpool baths, mop
buckets, flower pots, and even food from the
kitchen.
 To make matters worse, the bacterial pathogens
that are present in hospital settings are usually
drug-resistant strains and, quite often, are
multidrug resistant
The following bacteria are the four most prevalent causes
of HAl in U.S. hospitals:
 Clostridium difficile
 Staphylococcus aureus
 Klebsiella pneumoniae and Klebsiella oxytoca
 Eschrichia coli
*For C. difficile, the organism may have been part of the
patient's indigenous micro biota but was allowed to
overgrow after antibiotic usage. Alternatively, the organism
may have been picked up as a bacterial spore if the room
was not terminally cleaned properly. Urinary catheters
provide a "superhighway" for indigenous micro biota of the
distal urethra to gain access to the urinary bladder.
*Approximately 70% of HAIs are involve drug-resistant
bacteria, which are common in hospitals, drug-resistant
nursing homes, and other health bacteria. care settings as
a result of the many antimicrobial agents in use there. The
drugs place selective pressure on the microbes; that is, only
those that are resistant to the drugs will survive. These
resistant organisms then multiply and predominate
*HAIs caused by Pseudomonas infections as are especially
difficult to treat, as are infections caused by multidrug-
resistant Acinetobacter, carbapenem -resistant
Enterobacteriaceae, vancomycin-resistant Enterococci
(VRE), methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), and methicillin-
resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis strains. Bacteria are
not the only pathogens that have become drug resistant,
however. Fungi (such as various Candida spp.) are
becoming more resistant to common antifungal agents.
Modes of Transmission
The three principal routes by which pathogens involved in
HAIs are transmitted are contact, droplet, and airborne.
Contact Transmission
There are two types of contact transmission:
 In direct contact transmission, pathogens are
transferred from one infected person to another
person without a contaminated intermediate
object or person.
 Indirect contact transmission happens when
pathogens are transferred via a contaminated
intermediate object or person
Droplet Transmission
 In droplet transmission, respiratory droplets
carrying pathogens transmit infection when they
travel from the respiratory tract of an infectious
individual (e.g., by sneezing or coughing) to
susceptible mucosal surfaces of a recipient.
Droplets traditionally have been defined as being
larger than 5 J.1m in size.
Airborne transmission
 It occurs with dissemination of either airborne
droplet nuclei or small particles containing
pathogens. Traditionally, airborne droplets are
defined as being less than or equal to 5 IJ.In in
size.

Most Common Types of Health care-Associated Infections
According to the CDC, the five most common types of
HAIs in U.S. hospitals are the following:
1. C. ~associated gastrointestinal disease (antibiotic-
associated diarrhea [AAD])
2. UTIs, most of which are catheter related
3. Surgical site infec1ions
4. Lower respiratory tract infectious (primarily
pneumonia)
5. Bloodstream infections (septicemia)
The most common types of HAl in the United States are C.
difficile-associated diarrhea, UTis, surgical site infections,
lower respiratory 1ract infections, and bloodstream
infections.
C. Difficile is the most common cause of health care-
associated gastrointestinal infections
Patients most likely to develop health care-associated
infections
Patient whose immune systems have weakened by age,
underlying disease/medical/surgical treatments are most
likely risks to infections. Intensive care unit (ICU) is the
highest infection rate in the hospital area. Moreover, Health
Associated Infections rates are 3x higher in adult and
pediatric ICU’s than elsewhere in hospital.
These are the most vulnerable patients in the hospital
settings:
 Elderly patients
 Women in labor and delivery
 Premature infants and newborns
 Surgical and burn patients
 Patients with diabetes or cancer
 Patients with cystic fibrosis
 Patients having an organ transplant
 Patients receiving treatment with steroids,
anticancer, drugs, ant lymphocyte serum, or
radiation
 Immunosuppressed patients (are specially likely
to develop HAIs)
 Patients who are paralyzed
 Patients undergo in renal dialysis or urinal
catheterization
 Patients with indwelling devices such as
endotracheal tubes, central venous, and arterial
catheters and synthetic implants
MAJOR FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO HEALTH CARE-
ASSOCIATED INFECTIONS
3 MAJOR FACTORS:
1. Increasing number of drug-resistant pathogens
2. Failure of health care personnel to follow infection
control guidelines
3. Increased number of immunocompromised
patients
Addition in contributing factors:
 Indiscriminate use of antimicrobial agents
 False sense of security about antimicrobial agents
 More complicated type of surgery
 Overcrowding of hospitals and other health care
facilities, as well as shortage of staffs
Micro Lab 101 – Aleks SG.
 Increased use of less highly trained health care
workers, who are often unaware of infection
control procedures
 Increased use of anti-inflammatory and
immunosuppressant agents such as radiation,
steroids, anticancer, chemotherapy, and ant
lymphocyte serum
 Overuse and improper use of indwelling medical
devices
What Can Be Done to Reduce the Number of Health Care-
Associated infections?
It is critical for all health care workers to be aware of the
problem of HAis and to take appropriate measures to
minimize the number of such infections that occur within
health care facilities.
Handwashing is the single most important measure to
reduce the risks of transmitting pathogens from one patient
to another or from one anatomic site to another on the
same patient. Because it specifically pertains to health
care personnel, handwashing is discussed in the section
entitled "Standard Precautions."
The following are commonsense, every day, handwashing
guidelines that pertain to everyone:
Wash your hands before you:
 Prepare or eat food
 Treat a cut or wound or tend to someone who is
sick.
 Insert or remove contact lenses
Wash your hands after you:
 Use the restroom
 Handle uncooked foods, particularly raw meat,
poultry, or fish
 Change a diaper
 Cough, sneeze, or blow your nose
 Touch a pet, particularly reptiles and exotic
animals
 Handle garbage
 Tend to someone who is sick or injured
Wash your hands in the following manner:
 Use warm or hot running water
 Use soap
 Wash all surfaces thoroughly, including wrists,
palms, back of hands, fingers, and under
fingernails (preferably with a nail brush)
 Rub hands together for at least 10 to 15 seconds
 When drying, begin with your forearms and work
toward your hands and fingertips, and pat your
skin rather than rubbing to avoid chapping and
cracking
Handwashing is the single most important measure to
reduce risks of transmitting pathogens from one patient to
another or from one anatomic site to another on the same
patient
Infection Prevention and Control
Infection control measures are designed to break various
links in the chain of infection.
 Micro Lab 101 – Aleks SG.

Aseptic technique Semi-critical Items

Actions include: general cleanliness, frequent and
thorough handwashing, isolation of infected
patients, disinfection, and sterilization
 Are action taken to prevent infection or break
the chain of infection.
Medical Asepsis
A clean technique. Its goal is to exclude pathogens
 Involves procedures and practices that reduce
the number and transmission of pathogens
 It includes all precautionary measures
necessary to prevent direct and indirect
transfer of pathogens
Medical asepsis techniques includes:
 Handwashing
 Personal grooming
 Wearing mask
 Gloves
 Gowns
 Disinfection
 Proper disposal of needles, contaminated
materials and infectious waste
 Sterilization
 Contact mucous membranes or non-intact skin
and require high-level disinfection
 It includes respiratory therapy and anesthesia
equipment, esophageal manometry probes,
cystoscope, anorectal manometry catheters, and
diaphragm fitting rings.
 Disinfect using glutaraldehyde, hydrogen
peroxide, parasitic acid with hydrogen peroxide
Non-Critical Items
• Items are those that come in contact with intact
skin
• Patient critical items includes bedpan, BP cuff,
crutches and computers etc.
• Non-critical environmental surfaces includes
bedrails, some food utensils, bedside tables,
patient furniture etc.
• Disinfect using 70 to 90 % ethyl or isopropyl
alcohol, sodium hypochlorite

Disinfection

Categories of Disinfectants

Chemical Sterilant
 Kill bacterial spores with prolonged exposure
times 3 - 12 hours
High-Level disinfectant
 Kill all microbes, except large number of
bacterial spores
Intermediate-level disinfectant
 Might kill mycobacteria, vegetative
bacteria, most viruses, and most fungi, but
do not necessarily kill bacterial spores.
Low-Level disinfectant
 Kill most vegetative bacteria, some fungi,
and some viruses within 10 mins of exposure.

Spaulding System for Classification of Instruments and

Items for Patient Care

More than 30 years ago, Earle H. Spaulding devised a

system of classifying instruments and items for patient
care according to the degree of risk for infection that
was involved. This system is still used to determine how
these items are to be disinfected or sterilized

Critical Items

 A high risk for infection if they are

contaminated with any microbe.
 It includes surgical instrument, cardiac and
urinary catheters, implants, and ultrasound
probes.
 It should be sterile or sterilized using steam,
ethylene oxide gas, hydrogen peroxide gas
plasma, or liquid chemical sterilants
 Micro Lab 101 – Aleks SG.

Surgical Asepsis
 Practiced in operating room, in labor and delivery
area, and during invasive procedure.

Example of invasive procedures are drawing blood,

injecting medication, urinary catheter etc.

 Other surgical aseptic techniques includes

surgical scrubbing of hand and fingernails,
wearing sterile masks , gloves, gowns, and shoe
covers
 Using sterile drapes, sterile field and heat -
sterilized surgical instrument
 As soon as these items become contaminated,
they must be thoroughly cleaned and sterilized for
reuse or disposed of properly.
 All needles, syringes, and other sharp items of
equipment must be disposed of by placing them
into appropriate puncture-proof "sharps
containers”.
 Floors and all equipment in the operating room
must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected
before and after each use
 Proper ventilation must be maintained

Regulations Pertaining to Health care Epidemiology and

Infection Control

This standard requires facilities having employees who

have occupation exposure to blood or other potentially
infectious materials to prepare and update a written plan
called the Exposure Control Plan. This plan is designed to
eliminate or minimize employee exposure to pathogens.

Other topics addressed in 29 CFR.1910.1030 are as follows:

 Post exposure follow-up
 Recordkeeping for blood borne pathogens
 Needle stick injuries and other sharps
 Universal precautions
 Latex allergy
 Blood borne illnesses, such as 1-11'\T, hepatitis B
virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV)
 Labeling and signs
Standard Precautions
 Prevent transmission of pathogens
 To be applied to the care of all patients in all
health care settings regardless of the suspected
or confirmed presence of an infectious agent
 Provides infection prevention guidelines regarding
hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene/ cough
etiquette, patient-care equipment and
instruments/ devices, care of the environment,
and textiles and laundry.
 Implementation of Standard Precautions
constitutes the primary strategy for the prevention
of health care associated transmission of
Infectious agents between patients and health
care personnel.
Vaccinations
Health care personnel are at particular risk for several
vaccine-preventable infectious diseases, Immunization
Action Coalition recommended that health care personnel
should receive the following vaccines:
 Hepatitis b vaccine
 Influenza (annually)
 Measles-mumps-rubella
 Varicella (chicken pox)
 Tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis
 Meningococcal vaccine
Hand hygiene
 Most important and most basic technique in
preventing and controlling infections and
preventing the transmission of pathogens
 Alcohol-based hand rubs can be used in place of
handwashing when hands are not visibly soiled.
 Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis – father of
handwashing, father of hand disinfection and
father of hospital epidemiology

Personal Protective Equipment
Gloves
 Protect both patient and health care personnel
 Must be changed between tasks and procedures
on the same patient whenever there is risk of
transferring microorganisms from one body site to
another.
 Always remove gloves promptly after use and
before going to another patient.
 Wash hands immediately after removing gloves.
Isolation Gown
 Worn in conjunction with gloves and with other
PPE
 First piece of PPE to be donned
 Protect health care worker’s arms and exposed
body areas and prevent contamination with
blood, body fluids, and other potentially infectious
material
 When applying Standard Precautions, isolation
gown is worn only if contact with blood or body
fluid
 When Contact Precautions are used, donning of
both gown and gloves upon room entry is
indicated
 Isolation gowns should be removed before
leaving the patient-care area
 It should be removed in a manner that prevents
contamination of clothing or skin and the outer
“contaminated” side of the gown is turned
inward and rolled into a bundle and discarded
into a designated container for waste or linen
Mask
They are worn by health care personnel:
 Protect them from contact with infectious
material from patients
 Engaged in procedures requiring sterile technique
to protect patients from exposure to pathogens
that maybe present in a health care worker’s
mouth or nose
 Placed on coughing patient to limit potential
dissemination of infectious respiratory secretions
Respiratory Protection
 Requires the use of a respirator with N95 or higher
filtration to prevent inhalation of infectious
particles
 N95 respirators are tight-fitting, adjustable masks
that are designed to protect against small
droplets of respiratory fluids and other airborne
particles
 It filters at least 95% of airborne particles
 Powered air-purifying respirators are
recommended when working with patients with
tuberculosis, viral hemorrhagic fever infections
such as Ebola, smallpox, and during the
performance of aerosol-generating procedures
on patients with avian or pandemic influenza
Eye Protection
 It include goggles and disposable or non-
disposable face shields
 Eyes, nose, and mouth protection are necessary
when it is likely that there will be a splash or spray
of any respiratory secretions or other body fluids
Micro Lab 101 – Aleks SG.
 Eye protection and masks are removed after
gloves are removed
Patient-care and Environmental control
Patient-care equipment
 Organic material should be removed from
medical equipment and Instruments such as
blood, body fluids, secretions, and excretions.
 Equipment's and devices must be handled in a
manner that will protect health care workers and
the environment from potentially infectious
material.
 Items such as commodes, intravenous pumps,
and ventilators must be thoroughly cleaned and
disinfected before use by or on another patient.
Environmental control
The hospital must have employees that will comply
adequate procedures for the routine care, cleaning, and
disinfection of environmental surfaces.
Linens
Textiles, such as bedding, towels, and patient gowns, that
have become soiled with blood, body fluids, secretions, or
excretions must be handled, transported, and laundered in
a safe manner.
Disposal of sharps
Needle stick injuries and injuries resulting from broken
glass and other sharps are the primary manner in
which health care workers become infected with
pathogens. Standard Precautions include guidelines
regarding the safe handling of such C items.
The following are desirable characteristics of needle safety
features:
 It is as simple to use as possible, requiring little
training to use it effectively.
 It is an integral part of the device, not an
accessory.
 It provides a barrier between the hands of the
health care worker and the needle after its use.
 It allows the worker's hands to remain behind the
needle at all times.
 It is in effect before disassembly and remains in
effect after disposal to protect users and trash
handlers and for environmental safety.
 Contaminated needles and other contaminated
sharps must not be bent, recapped, or removed,
and shearing or breaking of needles is prohibited.
Transmission Based Precautions
Used to help stop the spread of germs from one person to
another. The goal is to protect patients, their families, other
visitors, and healthcare workers—and stop germs from
spreading across a healthcare setting.
 Used for patients who are suspected to be
infected
 Extra safety precautions are required to interrupt
transmission within the hospitals.
 Pathogen are transmitted in three major routes:
contact, droplet and airborne.

 Precautions are used in addition to Standard Pre
caution
Contact Precautions
 Used for infections, diseases, or germs that are
spread by touching the patient or items in the
room.
 Contact Transmission is the most frequent
transmission of Health care-associated infections
(HAIs).
 Contact Precautions are used for the patients
suspected to be infected or colonized with
epidemiologically important pathogen that can
be transmitted by direct or indirect contact
Example of infectious agents requiring contact precautions
include:
• Multidrug- resistant bacteria
• CRE - Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales
• C. Difficile – associate diarrhea
• Respiratory viral infections
Infectious Disease or Conditions in Contact Precautions
Oozing cellulitis – soaks lines
Open wounds – soaks dressing / not contaminated
Uncontained urine – soil environment
Uncontained respiratory secretions – soils
environment
Diarrhea and unable to self – toilet
Respiratory syncytial virus / RSV (infants, young
children, and immunocompromised adults)
MDRO/ Multidrug resistant organism (Carbapenem-
resistant Enterobacterales, Multi drug resistant -
Acinetobacter, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
aureus, Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci)
Cystic Fibrosis
Infectious Disease or Conditions in Contact Enteric
Clostridium difficile (patient remains in precaution
for duration of hospitalization)
Norovirus (can remove from precautions once
asymptomatic for 2 days)
Contact Precautions and Contact Enteric Precautions Signs
 Hand Hygiene (Before entering room)
 Gown
 Gloves
 Hand Hygiene (Upon exiting room)
Droplet Precautions
 Used for diseases or germs that are spread in tiny
droplets caused by coughing and sneezing
 Form of contact transmission
 The mechanism of transfer here is quite different
from that in direct transmission and indirect
contact transmission
Micro Lab 101 – Aleks SG.
 Droplets are produced primarily as a result of
coughing, sneezing, and talking as well during
hospital procedures such as suctioning and
bronchoscopy
 Droplet Precautions are used for particles that are
larger than 5m in diameter
 Droplets do not remain suspend in the air
 Droplets Precaution must be used for patients
known to be infected with microbes transmitted
by droplets that can generate in the ways
previously mentioned
Infectious Disease or Conditions in Droplet Precautions
Influenza
Meningitis (haemophilus influenza type b – children,
Neisseria meningitides – adolescence,
streptococcus pneumoniae –elderly)
Mumps
Pertussis
Viral hemorrhagic fevers (Lassa, Ebola, Marburg,
Crimean-Congo fever viruses)
- Have common features they affect many
organs, they damage the blood vessels,
and they affect the body's ability to
regulate itself.
Droplet precaution signs
 Handy hygiene before entering
 Mask with eye shield/ mask
 Hand hygiene upon exiting
Airborne Precaution
 Used for diseases or very small germs that are
spread through the air from one person to
another
 (Examples: tuberculosis, measles, chickenpox).
 Involves either airborne droplet nuclei or dust
particles containing a pathogen
 They are used when particles are 5 less in
diameter
 They remain suspended in the air because of their
small size
 Applied to patients known or infected with
epidemiologically important pathogens that can
be transmitted by the airborne route such as
tuberculosis or measles
Infectious Disease or Conditions in Airborne Precaution
Measles
Tuberculosis (active or rule out)
Chickenpox (Varicella)
Shingles (Zoster)
Contact Precautions Signs
 Handy hygiene before entering,
 N95/ PAPR respirator mask (powered air purifying
respirator)
 Negative air pressure,
 Hand hygiene upon exiting

Patient Placement
 Singe patient rooms are used for patients who
might contaminate the hospital environment who
do not assist in maintaining appropriate hygiene
or environmental protocol.
 Single rooms are always indicated for patients
placed on airborne precautions and are referred
for patient requiring contact or droplet
precautions
Airborne Infection Isolation Rooms
 These are single-occupancy patient care spaces
designed to isolate airborne pathogens to a safe
containment area.
 Preferred placements for patients who air
infected by air borne droplet nuclei, and
therefore require Airborne Precautions is in an
airborne infection isolation room (AIIR)
 AIIR are under negative pressure, and air is
evacuated from these rooms passes through High
Efficiency particular air (HEPA) filters
 The use of AII rooms is required by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a
means to protect the public from the spread of
disease. Patients immediately confined to AII
rooms usually have illnesses such as tuberculosis,
SARS, H5N1, or coughing conditions that may
pose a risk to hospital staff.
In simple terms, this provides a gentle flow of air under a
closed doorway and into the room so that no airborne
particulates escape into nursing staff or public areas.
Protective Environments
 Protective Environment (PE) rooms are hospital
rooms designed to protect a high-risk
immunocompromised patient from human and
environmental airborne pathogens. These are
positive pressure rooms intended to keep patients
safe during recovery from cancer treatment or
stem-cell transplant. The patients who use it most
often are those who have received transplant,
leukemia and immature infants. These patients
can be protected in a Protective Environment
 Certain in patients that are especially vulnerable
in infection, particularly to environmental fungal
infections
 The protective environment is a single room.
 Appropriate standard and transmission based
precautions are strictly enforced
 The vented air entering the room is passed
through High Efficiency particular air (HEPA) filters.
In simple terms, this provides a gentle flow of air under a
closed doorway and into the hallway so that no airborne
particulates can enter into the patient’s room.
Handling Food and Eating Utensils
 Contaminated food provides an excellent
environment for the growth of pathogens.
Micro Lab 101 – Aleks SG.
 The carelessness of humans in neglecting proper
hygiene, such as handwashing, results in
contamination.
 Foodborne pathogens such as campylobacter
jejuni, cryptosporidium spp., E. coli, Salmonella,
Giardia lamblia, Shigella, and Listeria are
contributing factors.
 A combination of hot water and detergents
should be used in dishwashers.
For safe handling of food and utensils are the following:
 Using high-quality, fresh food
 Properly refrigerating and storing food
 Properly washing, preparing, and cooking food
 Properly disposing of uneaten food
 Thoroughly washing hands and fingernails before
handling food and after visiting a restroom
 Properly disposing of nasal and oral secretions in
tissues
 Wearing of cap or hairnet as well as an apron in
preparing foods
 Providing periodic health examinations for kitchen
workers
 Prohibiting anyone with respiratory or
gastrointestinal disease from handling food or
eating utensils
 Keeping all cutting boards and other surfaces
scrupulously clean
 Rinsing and then washing cooking and eating
utensils in a dishwasher in which the water
temperature is greater than 80°C
Handling Fomites
Fomites are any nonliving or inanimate objects other than
food that may harbor and transmit microbes
Transmission of pathogens by fomites can be prevented by
observing the following rules:
 Use disposable equipment and supplies wherever
possible Disinfect or sterilize equipment as soon as
possible after use
 Use individual equipment for each patient
 Use electronic or glass thermometers fitted with
onetime use. Disposable covers or use disposable,
single-use thermometers; electronic and glass
thermometers must be cleaned or sterilized on a
regular basis, following manufacturer's instructions
 Empty bedpans and urinals, wash them in hot
water, and store them in a clean cabinet
between uses
 Place bed linen and soiled clothing in bags to be
sent to the laundry
Medical Waste Disposal
Biohazards
 Materials or substances that are harmful to health.
 The most common examples of it were human
blood, animal waste, human body fluid,
Microbiological wastes, pathological waste, and
sharp waste.
The proper standards are as follows:
 Any receptacle used for decomposable solid or
liquid waste or refuse must be constructed.
 Micro Lab 101 – Aleks SG.

 All sweepings. Solid or liquid wastes, refuse and Role of the Microbiology Laboratory in Health care
garbage shall be removed. Epidemiology
 The medical facility's infection control program
must address the handling and disposal of The following are some of the ways in which CML personnel
potentially contaminated items. participate in health care epidemiology and infection
control:
Infection Control in Dental Health Care Setting  By monitoring the types and numbers of
pathogens isolated from hospitalized patients. In
 Development of a written infection control most hospitals, such monitoring is accomplished
program and training of dental health care using computers and appropriate software
personnel, immunizations, exposure prevention programs called Laboratory Information Systems.
and post exposure management, work restriction  By performing antimicrobial susceptibility testing,
caused by medical conditions, and maintenance detecting emerging resistance patterns, and
of records, data management, and preparing
confidentiality
 Preventing transmission of blood borne pathogens
 Hand hygiene and PPE
 Contact dermatitis and latex hypersensitivity
 Sterilization and disinfection of patient-care items
 Environmental infection control
 Special considerations, such as dental hand
pieces, dental radiology, an aseptic technique
for parenteral medications, oral surgical
procedures, handling of biopsy specimens and
extracted teeth, dental laboratory, and patients
with tuberculosis

Infection Prevention and Control Committees and Infection

Control Preventionists

 All health care facilities should have some type of

formal infection control and prevention program
in place.
 In the Philippines, we have Philippine Hospital
Infection Control Society (PHICS), Inc.
 Their purpose is to strengthen and sustain
effective strategies in controlling and preventing
healthcare-associated infections.
 They provide collaborative work such as
education, training programs, research, and
quality management programs in infection
control.
 They aim to be the lead organization in
institutionalizing infection control standards and
practices in healthcare facilities at the national
level, by forging strong partnerships with other
healthcare organizations locally and
internationally.

The primary responsibilities of an ICP are as follows:

 Possess knowledge of infectious diseases

processes, reservoirs, incubation periods, periods
of communicability, and susceptibility of patients
 Conduct surveillance and epidemiologic
investigations
 Prevent/control the transmission of pathogens to
include strategies for hand hygiene, antisepsis,
cleaning, disinfection, sterilization, patient-care
settings, patient placement, medical waste
disposal, and implementation of outbreak control
measures
 Manage the facility's infection control program
 Communicate with the public, facility staff, and
state and local health departments concerning
infection control-related issues
 Evaluate new medical products that could be
associated with increased infection risk