Fundamentals of infection control and strategies for the intensive care unit

Abstract

The mission of a hospital infection control program is to ensure continuous improvement in the delivery of patient care. This is done through a structured surveillance, which reviews, analyzes, and reports healthcare-associated infection (HAI) rates. It is the overall intent of the program to identify and reduce the risk of acquiring and transmitting infections among patients, staff, physicians, other healthcare professionals and visitors to the institution. There are in essence three specific goals of a hospital infection control program. The first goal involves the protection of the patient, which is accomplished through ensuring that a low risk exists for the acquisition of a HAI. This has become a daunting exercise in the presence of a high-risk patient population coupled with an environment that fosters the development of widespread antibiotic resistance. However, there is substantial published data demonstrating that an effective infection control program results in a reduced infection rate, increased case-specific patient survival, fewer complications and a reduction in hospitalized days [1]. © 2007 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.