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Whenever a care provider works with patients in a healthcare facility or in a home health setting, they risk encountering harmful bacterias or viruses. The care provider may then unintentionally spread an infection from one patient to another, to coworkers, and to family and friends.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides a comprehensive resource of effective practices for infection prevention and control in healthcare. Core infection prevention practices were studied and shown to lower the risk and spread of infectious diseases, healthcare-associated infections, and treatment-resistant biological agents. These Core Practices were last reviewed and updated in November 2022. 

Standard precautions

Within the core practices for infection prevention are Standard Precautions. These are common sense, best practices that should be applied to all patient care, no matter the setting where the care is given. Here are a few examples of the suggestions to be found in the CDC resource.

1. Hand hygiene–There must be an adequate supply of hand sanitizer or soap and water stations conveniently located at the entrance/exit or inside of patient rooms. Care providers and visitors should avoid unnecessary touching of surfaces in patient rooms. 
2. Use of personal protective equipment (PPE)—The appropriate types and sizes of gloves, gowns, and face masks/shields should be easily accessible outside the patient room for care providers. Care providers should remove and properly dispose of gloves and gowns after contact with each patient and should not wear the same PPE for care of more than one patient. 
3. Cough etiquette/respiratory hygiene–The healthcare facility should post reminders for workers, patients, and the visitors who accompany them to cover their mouth and nose (with their elbow) when coughing or sneezing. Tissues and hand sanitizer should be readily available, together with a no-touch waste container. 
4. Proper patient placement based on infection risk level–Infection control precautions for potentially transmissible infection must start at the first interaction with the patient (emergency room, outpatient clinic, doctor’s office, long-term care facility, etc.). Infection control personnel can adjust the initial maximum infection control precautions after transmission risk is more thoroughly assessed. 
5. Proper handling and disinfection of equipment–Any reusable medical equipment, instruments and devices used for patient care should be sanitized after each patient use.
6. Environmental cleaning–This includes procedures for routine and deep cleaning of surfaces, equipment, laundry, and biohazard waste management with EPA-registered microbicidal disinfecting agents. 
7. Injection safety (safe injection and disposal practices)–Do not use a syringe, needle, cannula, intravenous fluid bags or tubing for more than one patient. Do not keep multidose vials in the patient treatment area.

Transmission-based precautions

Use Transmission-Based Precautions above and beyond the standard precautions when needed. Transmission-based precautions are additional actions that must be taken when there is suspicion or confirmation of a communicable disease. How to implement a transmission-based practice depends on the type of healthcare facility, the interaction between the patient and healthcare provider, and how the patient presents symptoms. Here are the guidelines for controlling infection transmission through:

1. Contact with the patient’s skin, bodily fluids, or the patient’s environment
• Put the patient in isolation in a single room or patient space.
• Use appropriate PPE for all interactions with the patient. 
• Limit movement of the patient outside of the room or isolation space except as medically necessary. When transporting the patient, cover infectious skin lesions.
• Use dedicated or disposable equipment for patient care (such as blood pressure cuffs).
• Clean and disinfect the room and all patient care equipment daily or before allowing a new patient to enter the room.
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1.  Droplets when the patient talks, sneezes, or coughs
• Require the patient to wear a mask.
• Educate the patient on proper respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette.
• Put the patient in isolation in a single room or patient space.
• Use appropriate PPE for all interactions with the patient. 
• Limit movement of the patient outside of the room or isolation space except as medically necessary.
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•  Airborne transmission of the pathogen

• Require the patient to wear a mask.
• Educate the patient on proper respiratory hygiene/ cough etiquette.
• Put the patient in isolation in a single room or patient space, preferably in an airborne infection isolation room (AIIR).
• Use appropriate PPE, including gloves, gowns, and a high-level, fit-tested respirator.
• Limit movement of the patient outside of the room or isolation space except as medically necessary. When transporting the patient, cover any infectious skin lesions.
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The key to a successful infection prevention program is leadership support

Infection prevention procedures are not fully effective if everyone in the organization isn’t following them precisely and consistently. That’s why the CDC includes leadership support in its list of core practices for infection prevention and control. A healthcare organization’s leadership must make it clear to every worker that infection control and prevention is a top priority. The CDC recommends that organizations review their occupational health policies and procedures–such as immunization requirements, sick-leave policies, and post-exposure policies–to ensure these rules also reinforce worker and patient safety. Infection prevention programs save lives when implemented correctly.

Together, we can Outsmart Infection ^®

Sri Trang, a global manufacturing leader of quality disposable medical gloves, is ready to support your infection prevention and control program with Ventyv^® brand nitrile and latex medical gloves. From exam gloves to surgical gloves to chemo-rated gloves, we have a wide range of inventory to help keep your infection prevention program running smoothly. 

For more information about infection prevention and control, check out some of our other blog posts dedicated to this topic by clicking here and here. And subscribe to the blog to stay informed on current industry news.