Infection Control

Excerpt

Infection control refers to the policies and procedures implemented to prevent and minimize the spread of infections in hospitals and other healthcare settings, with the primary purpose of reducing infection rates. Infection control as a formal entity was established in the United States in the early 1950s. By the late 1950s and 1960s, a small number of hospitals began to recognize healthcare–associated infections and implemented basic infection control measures. The primary purpose of infection control programs was to focus on surveillance for healthcare–associated infections and integrate fundamental epidemiological concepts to identify risk factors for healthcare–associated infections. However, these programs were often organized and managed by large academic centers rather than public health agencies, resulting in sporadic efficiency and suboptimal outcomes.

The late 19th and early 20th centuries marked the beginning of a new era in infection control, initiated by 3 pivotal events. These events include the Institute of Medicine's 1999 report on errors in health care, the 2002 Chicago Tribune report on health care–associated infections, and the 2004/2006 publications of the significant reductions in bloodstream infection rate through the standardization of the central venous catheter insertion process. This new era in healthcare epidemiology is characterized by consumer demands for more transparency and accountability, increasing scrutiny and regulation, and expectations for rapid reductions in healthcare–associated infection rates. The role of infection control is to prevent and reduce the risk of hospital-acquired infections through structured programs. These programs typically encompass surveillance, isolation, outbreak management, environmental hygiene, employee health initiatives, education, and infection prevention policies and management.