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Literature Update - February, 2004

Compiled by Dr Deb Friedman, VICNISS ID Physician

Prevent Antimicrobial Resistance in Healthcare Settings

Early in the year is the perfect time for hospital infection control programs to plan their priorities for the coming year. This can be increasingly challenging because of the existing large quantity of work that infection control staff undertake. Well, one idea is to follow the lead set by the CDC and focus on preventing antimicrobial resistance in hospitals.

This 12-step initiative has 4 major components:

  • Prevent infection
  • Diagnose and treat infection
  • Use antimicrobials wisely
  • Prevent transmission
Prevent infection picture Diagnose and treat infection picture
Use antibiotics wisely picture Prevent transmission picture

Steps 1 and 4 are directly relevant to infection control programs.

Preventing infections will reduce the use of antibiotics. The key ways to achieve this goal in your hospital are:

  • Vaccinate staff and at-risk patients
  • Encourage hand hygiene
  • Educate about aseptic technique for line insertion, line care and expeditious line removal
  • Educate about ways to reduce surgical site infections, such as aseptic technique and blood glucose control

Preventing transmission of infections is in the hands of healthcare workers:

  • Encourage hand hygiene
  • Encourage compliance with additional precautions, such as contact isolation
  • Encourage staff to stay home when they are sick

Fact sheets and other educational material are available at:
www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/healthcare/patients.htm

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VICNISS 10 Wreckyn Street North Melbourne 3051 Victoria Australia Phone +61 3 9342 2605 Fax +61 3 9342 2633 Last Updated:
22 February 2008