P revention of infection is central to a number of healthcare priorities – local , national and international . It includes efforts to reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance , along with achievement of the UN ’ s Sustainable Development Goals . 1 The prevention of infection is a critical element of antimicrobial stewardship ( AMS ) programmes , and nurses and midwives are integral to this . A common misunderstanding is that AMS relates solely to prescription of antibiotics but this is not the case ; work on infection prevention and control is a key AMS domain 2 and plays an important part in protecting our patients and fellow healthcare professionals . This article will present a series of top tips to support this work .
1 Specimen
2 Asepsis
collection – this directly affects the quality of results and decisions to prescribe antimicrobial drugs , especially antibiotics . The correct collection , labelling and storage of specimens is important , as the quality of the specimen has implications for any microbiological diagnosis that may be reported and the consequent prescribing of antimicrobials such as antibiotics .
Specimens that have been incorrectly handled can result in inappropriate or unnecessary prescriptions , which can cause a patient to become susceptible to infections such as Clostridium difficile and increase the possibility of resistance .
and aseptic technique Asepsis is a process that seeks to prevent or minimise the entry of micro-organisms into a vulnerable body site , during surgery or other invasive procedures such as the insertion of urinary catheters or intravascular devices .
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Rose Gallagher is RCN professional lead for infection prevention and control |
3 Decontamination
4 Achieving
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Asepsis reduces the risk of an infection as a result of such procedures , and an aseptic technique comprises a set of specific actions performed under controlled conditions .
The extent to which conditions can be controlled will vary according to the practice setting . However , principles such as ensuring the area where a procedure will take place is as clean as possible and performing hand hygiene before and during the procedure are essential to reduce risk .
of equipment Decontamination is an umbrella term used to describe processes that make equipment safe for their next use . It includes the destruction or removal of micro-organisms .
Inadequate decontamination is often associated with outbreaks of infection in healthcare settings . All staff must be aware of this and their responsibilities to patients , colleagues and themselves .
All health and social care providers ( hospital , GP surgery , clinic or nursing home ) should have clear systems for identifying which staff are responsible for cleaning which equipment ( for example , nurses , cleaners or dedicated equipment cleaning teams ). All staff should be aware of and comply with local policies for decontamination of equipment . Cleaning is the critical element of the process and should always be undertaken thoroughly regardless of the level of decontamination required .
and maintaining a clean clinical environment A dirty or contaminated clinical environment is one of the factors that contributes to healthcare-
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ALAMY |
nursinginpractice . com Summer 2021 |