MICROBIOLOGY

AND PARASITOLOGY
Prepared by:
Mark Joseph V. Liwanag, RN, MSN
 HEALTHCARE
EPIDEMIOLOGY
Prepared by:
Mark Joseph V. Liwanag, RN, MSN
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
After studying this chapter, you should be able to:

 Differentiate between healthcare-associated, community-

acquired, and iatrogenic infections
 List the seven pathogens that most commonly cause healthcare-
associated infections
 State the four most common types of healthcare associated
infections
 List six types of patients who are especially vulnerable to
healthcare-associated infections
 State the three major contributing factors in healthcare-associated
infections
 Differentiate between medical and surgical asepsis
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
After studying this chapter, you should be able to:
 State the most important and effective way to reduce the number
of healthcare-associated infections
 Differentiate between Standard Precautions and Transmission-
Based Precautions, and state the three types of Transmission-Based
Precautions
 Describe the types of patients placed in Protective Environments
 Cite three important considerations in the handling of each of the
following in healthcare settings: food, eating utensils, fomites, and
sharps
 List six responsibilities of an Infection Control Committee
 Explain three ways in which the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory
participates in infection contro
INTRODUCTION
 HEALTHCARE EPIDEMIOLOGY:
study of the occurrence,
determinants, and distribution of
health and disease within healthcare
settings.
 primary focus: infection control and
preventing healthcare- associated
infections (HAIs)
 includes any activities designed to
study and improve patient-care
outcomes
ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:
 surveillance measures
 risk reduction programs focused on device
and procedure management
 policy development and implementation
 education of healthcare personnel in
infection control practices and procedures
 cost–benefit assessment of prevention and
control programs
 any measures designed to eliminate or
contain reservoirs of infection, interrupt the
transmission of infection, and protect
patients, healthcare workers, and visitors
against infection and disease.
HEALTHCARE - ASSOCIATED INFECTIONS

Infectious diseases (infections) can

be divided into two categories,
depending on where the person
became infected:
(a) infections that are acquired

within hospitals or other

healthcare facilities
(b) infections that are acquired
outside of healthcare facilities
HEALTHCARE - ASSOCIATED INFECTIONS

 HOSPITAL ACQUIRED INFECTION (NOSOCOMIAL

INFECTION): infectious diseases acquired within hospital
or other health care facilities.
 COMMUNITY ACQUIRED INFECTION: infections that are
acquired outside of healthcare facilities.

 Community- acquired infections are those that are

present or incubating at the time of hospital admission.
 All other infections are considered HAIs, including those
that erupt within 14 days of hospital discharge.
HEALTHCARE - ASSOCIATED INFECTIONS

 IATROGENIC INFECTION: an
infection that results from medical
or surgical treatment—an infection
that is caused by healthcare
worker.
 Examples: surgical site infections
and urinary tract infections
 Iatrogenic infections are a type of
HAI, but not all HAIs are iatrogenic
infections.
 Pathogens Most Often Involved in HAIs

 The following bacteria account for

∼84% of all HAIs:
 Gram-positive cocci:  Gram-negative bacilli:
 Staphylococcus aureus (including  Escherichia coli (10%)
methicillin-resistant strains of
 Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Staphylococcus aureus [MRSA])
(∼8%)
(∼15%)
 Klebsiella pneumoniae (∼6%)
 Coagulase-negative
 Enterobacter spp. (∼5%)
staphylococci (∼15%)
 Acinetobacter baumannii
 Enterococcus spp. (including
vancomycin-resistant enterococci (∼3%)
[VRE]) (∼12%)  Klebsiella oxytoca (∼2%)
 some of the pathogens that cause
HAIs originate in the external
environment
 many come from the patients
themselves
 their own indigenous microbiota
that enter a surgical incision
 otherwise gain entrance to areas
of the body other than those
where they normally reside.
 Urinary catheters, for example,
provide a “superhighway” for
indigenous*
 Approximately 70% of HAIs involve drug-
resistant bacteria.

 resistant organisms then multiply and predominate

1. MRSA and MRSE: resistant to all antistaphylococcal drugs
except vancomycin and several recently developed drugs
(e.g., daptomycin, ceftaroline).
2. Streptococcus pyogenes and Streptococcus
pneumoniae: Strains of S. pyogenes that are resistant to
macrolide antibiotics have emerged, but fortunately, all
strains of S. pyogenes remain susceptible to penicillin.
 Many strains of S. pneumoniae have developed
resistance to penicillin and other beta-lactam antibiotics.
 Approximately 70% of HAIs involve drug-
resistant bacteria.

3. Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus spp. : strains are

resistant to most antienterococcal drugs, including vancomycin.
 Common causes of healthcare-associated infections,
especially urinary tract infections.
4. Clostridium difficile: major cause of hospital-associated
diarrheal disease.
 resistant to clindamycin, ciprofloxacin, and levofloxacin
5. P. aeruginosa: are common and especially difficult to
treat.
 Aminopenicillins, macrolides, and most cephalosporins are
ineffective against P. aeruginosa
 Approximately 70% of HAIs involve drug-
resistant bacteria.

6. Klebsiella pneumoniae: produce a β-lactamase

that destroys penicillins, cephalosporins, aztreonam,
carbapenemes, and other antibiotics.
7. Multidrug-resistant M. tuberculosis (MDR-TB):
resistant first-line therapeutic drugs - isoniazid and
rifampin.
 resistant to the most effective second-line
therapeutic drugs - fluoroquinolones and at least
one of the following: amikacin, kanamycin,
capreomycin
Modes of Transmission
Three principal routes by involved in HAIs
1. Contact Transmission
There are two types of contact transmission:
 direct contact transmission, pathogens are

transferred from one infected person to another

person without a contaminated intermediate object or
person.
 Indirect contact transmission happens when
pathogens are transferred via a contaminated
intermediate object or person.
 Modes of Transmission
2. Droplet Transmission
 respiratory droplets carrying pathogens transmit infection
when they travel from the respiratory tract of an infectious
individual (e.g., by sneezing or coughing) to susceptible
mucosal surfaces of a recipient.
 Droplets traditionally have been defined as being larger
than 5 μm in size.
3. Airborne Transmission
 occurs with dissemination of either airborne droplet nuclei
or small particles containing pathogens.
 airborne droplets are defined as being less than or equal
to 5 μm in size.
 Most Common Types of HAIs
 According to the CDC,d the four most common types of HAIs
in U.S. hospitals are the following:
1. UTIs, which represent about 32% of all HAIs and cause
about 13% of the deaths associated with HAIs;
2. surgical site infections, which represent about 22% of all
HAIs and cause about 8% of the deaths associated with
HAIs;
3. lower respiratory tract infections (primarily pneumonia),
which represent about 15% of HAIs
4. bloodstream infections (septicemia), which represent
about 14% of HAIs and cause about 31% of the deaths
associated with HAIs.
 Most Common Types of HAIs
 Other common HAIs: gastrointestinal
diseases caused by Clostridium
difficile - C. difficile-associated
diseases.
 superinfections of C. difficile* can
occur when a patient receives oral
antibiotics*
 C. difficile, which is resistant to many
orally administered antibiotics*
 enterotoxin causes a disease known
as antibiotic- associated diarrhea
(AAD).
 cytotoxin causes a disease known as
pseudomembranous colitis (PMC)
NOSOCOMIAL INFECTION
NOSOCOMIAL INFECTION
Patients Most Likely to Develop HAIs

Listed here are the most vulnerable

patients in a hospital setting:
 elderly patients

 women in labor and delivery

 premature infants and newborns

 surgical and burn patients

 patients with diabetes or cancer

 patients with cystic fibrosis

 patients having an organ transplant

 Patients Most Likely to Develop HAIs

Listed here are the most vulnerable

patients in a hospital setting:
 patients receiving treatment with
steroids, anticancer drugs,
antilymphocyte serum, or radiation
 immunosuppressed patients

 patients who are paralyzed or are

undergoing renal dialysis or urinary

catheterization
 patients with indwelling devices
 Major Factors Contributing to HAIs
 three major factors that
combine to cause HAIs
(Fig. 12-1) are
 an ever-increasing number of
drug-resistant pathogens,
 the failure of healthcare
personnel to follow infection
control guidelines,
 an increased number of
immunocompromised patients.
Factors Contributing to HAIs:
Additional
 indiscriminate use of
antimicrobial agents
 a false sense of security about

antimicrobial agents, leading

to a neglect of aseptic
techniques
 overcrowding of hospitals and
other healthcare facilities, as
well as shortages of staff
Factors Contributing to HAIs:
Additional
 lengthy, more complicated types
of surgery;
 increased use of less-highly

trained healthcare workers

 increased use of anti-

inflammatory and
immunosuppressant agents
 overuse and improper use of

indwelling medical devices.

 What Can Be Done to Reduce
the Number of HAIs?
 primary way to reduce the
number of HAIs is strict
compliance with infection
control guidelines.
 Handwashing is the single
most important measure to
reduce the risks of transmitting
pathogens from one patient to
another or from one anatomic
site to another on the same
patient.
 What Can Be Done to Reduce
the Number of HAIs?
Wash your hands before you:
 Prepare or eat food
 Treat a cut or wound or tend to someone who is sick
 Insert or remove contact lenses
Wash your hands after you:
 Use the restroom
 Handle uncooked foods, particularly raw meat,
poultry, or fish
 Change a diaper
 Cough, sneeze, or blow your nose
 Touch a pet, particularly reptiles and exotic animals
 Handle garbage
 Tend to someone who is sick or injured
What Can Be Done to Reduce
the Number of HAIs?
Wash your hands in the following manner:
 Use warm or hot running water

 Use soap

 Wash all surfaces thoroughly, including wrists,

palms, back of hands, fingers, and under fingernails

(preferably with a nail brush)
 Rub hands together for at least 10 to 15 seconds

 When drying, begin with your forearms and work

toward your hands and fingertips, and pat your skin
rather than rubbing to avoid chapping and cracking
 INFECTION CONTROL

infection control pertains

to the numerous
measures that are taken
to prevent infections
from occurring within
healthcare settings.
INFECTION CONTROL
 Ignaz Philipp Semmelweiss
(1818–1865) a Hungarian doctor
working in Austria was trying to
prevent young women from dying.
 Semmelweiss decided to try
washing his hands between
patients.
 As a result, fewer of his patients
died. In two years, he reduced the
death rate among his patients from
12% to 1%.
INFECTION CONTROL
 Joseph Lister (1827–1912) been
concerned at the high death rates
of patients following surgery, 45%
of patients would die of infections
afterward.
 idea of killing germs with
chemicals.
 In 1867, he began using an
antiseptic to clean surgical
instruments.
 He also sprayed the air, and
required hand washing and clean
aprons. As a result, the death rate
dropped to 15%.
INFECTION CONTROL
 Florence Nightingale (1820–
1910) published her ideas on
disease in 1860. 1
 the idea that cleanliness was
important in preventing
disease was not a common
one.
 She was one of the first to
recognize the value of
cleanliness and recommended
it as a part of good nursing.
 INFECTION CONTROL
 ASEPSIS: which literally means
without infection
 ASEPTIC TECHNIQUES: actions taken
to prevent infection or break the
chain of infection.
 Such actions include general
cleanliness, frequent and thorough
handwashing, isolation of infected
patients, disinfection, and
sterilization.
 techniques used to achieve asepsis
depend on the site, circumstances,
and environment.
 INFECTION CONTROL
 There are two main types or categories of
asepsis: medical asepsis and surgical asepsis.
 Medical asepsis is a clean technique. Its goal is

to exclude pathogens.
 all the precautionary measures necessary to
prevent direct transfer of pathogens
 include frequent and thorough handwashing;
personal grooming; wearing of clean masks,
gloves, and gowns when appropriate etc.
 INFECTION CONTROL: MEDICAL ASEPSIS

 Disinfection: is the destruction or

removal of pathogens from nonliving
objects by physical or chemical
methods
 Disinfectants: chemical substances that
eliminate pathogens on inanimate
objects
 few disinfectants will kill bacterial
spores with prolonged exposure
times (3–12 hours); these are
referred to as chemical sterilants
Categories of Disinfectants.
 High-level disinfectants kill all
microbes (including viruses), except
large numbers of bacterial spores.
 Intermediate-level disinfectants
might kill mycobacteria, vegetative
bacteria, most viruses, and most
fungi, but do not necessarily kill
bacterial spores.
 Low-level disinfectants kill most
vegetative bacteria, some fungi,
and some viruses within 10 minutes
of exposure.
Disinfectants Commonly Used in Hospitals

1. Alcohols (e.g., 60%–90% solutions

of ethyl, isopropyl, and benzyl
alcohols)
 Cause denaturation of proteins;
bactericidal, tuberculocidal,
fungicidal, virucidal, but not
sporicidal
 For disinfection of thermometers,

rubber stoppers, external surfaces

of stethoscopes, endoscopes, and
certain other equipment
Disinfectants Commonly Used in Hospitals

2. Chorine and chlorine compounds

(Clorox, Halazone, hypochlorites,
Warexin)
 Thought to cause inhibition of key
enzymatic reactions, protein
denaturation, and inactivation of
nucleic acids; bactericidal,
tuberculocidal, fungicidal, virucidal,
sporicidal
 For disinfection of countertops, floors,
blood spills, needles, syringes; water
treatment
Disinfectants Commonly Used in Hospitals

4. Hydrogen peroxide
 Produces destructive free radicals
that attack membrane lipids, DNA,
and other essential cell
components; bactericidal,
tuberculocidal, fungicidal,
virucidal, sporicidal
 For disinfection of inanimate
surfaces; limited clinical use;
contact with eyes may cause
serious eye damage
 Disinfectants Commonly Used in Hospitals

5. Glutaraldehyde
 Interferes with DNA, RNA, and protein

synthesis
 bactericidal, fungicidal, virucidal,
sporicidal; relatively slow tuberculocidal
activity
 For disinfection of medical equipment such

as endoscopes, tubing, dialyzers, and

anesthesia and respiratory therapy
equipment; has a pungent odor and is
irritating to eyes, throat, and nose; may
cause respiratory irritation, asthma, rhinitis,
and contact dermatitis
 Disinfectants Commonly Used in Hospitals

6. Iodine (iodine solutions or tinctures)

and iodophors (e.g., povidone-iodine,
Wescodyne, Betadine, Isodine, Ioprep,
Surgidine)
 Thought to disrupt protein and
nucleic acid structure and synthesis
 bactericidal,tuberculocidal, virucidal;
may require prolonged contact times
to be fungicidal and sporicidal
 Primarily for use as antiseptics; also
for disinfection of rubber stoppers,
thermometers, endoscopes
 Disinfectants Commonly Used in Hospitals

7. Peracetic acid (peroxyacetic acid)

 Thought to disrupt cell wall
permeability and alter the structure
of proteins
 bactericidal, tuberculocidal,
fungicidal, virucidal, sporicidal
 Used in an automated machine to
chemically sterilize immersible
medical, surgical, and dental
instruments, including endoscopes
and arthroscopes; concentrate can
cause serious eye and skin damage
 Disinfectants Commonly Used in Hospitals

8. Phenol (carbolic acid) and phenolics (e.g.,

xylenols, o-phenylphenol, hexylresorcinol,
hexachlorophene, cresol, Lysol)
 Disrupts cell walls and inactivates essential
enzyme systems
 bactericidal, tuberculocidal, fungicidal,
virucidal, but not sporicidal
 For decontamination of the hospital
environment, including laboratory surfaces,
and for noncritical medical and surgical
items; residual disinfectant on porous
surfaces may cause tissue irritation
 Spaulding System for Classification of
Instruments and Items for Patient Care.
 system is still used to determine how these items are to be
disinfected or sterilized.
Critical items.
 a high risk for infection if they are contaminated with any
microbe.
 such objects must be sterile.

 include surgical instruments, cardiac and urinary

catheters, implants, and ultrasound probes used in sterile
body cavities.
 Items in this category should be purchased as sterile or
be sterilized using steam (preferably), ethylene oxide
gas, hydrogen peroxide gas plasma, or liquid chemical
sterilants.
 Spaulding System for Classification of
Instruments and Items for Patient Care.
Semicritical items
 contact mucous membranes or non - intact skin and
require high-level disinfection.
 include respiratory therapy and anesthesia equipment,
some endoscopes, laryngoscope blades, esophageal
manometry probes, cytoscopes, anorectal manometry
catheters, and diaphragm fitting rings.
 minimally require high-level disinfection using
glutaraldehyde, hydrogen peroxide, ortho-
phthalaldehyde, or peracetic acid with hydrogen
peroxide.
 Spaulding System for Classification of
Instruments and Items for Patient Care.
Noncritical items.
 those that come in contact with intact skin, but not mucous
membranes.
 Such items are divided into two subcategories:

 noncritical patient-care items (e.g., bedpans, blood pressure

cuffs, crutches, computers)
 noncritical environmental surfaces (e.g., bed rails, some food
utensils, bedside tables, patient furniture, floors).
 Low-level disinfectants may be used for noncritical items. Any of
the following disinfectants may be used for noncritical items: 70%
to 90% ethyl or isopropyl alcohol, sodium hypochlorite (household
bleach diluted 1:500)
 INFECTION CONTROL: SURGICAL ASEPSIS

 Surgical asepsis, or sterile

technique, includes practices used
to render and keep objects and
areas sterile (i.e., free of
microbes).
 practiced in operating rooms, in
labor and delivery areas, and
during invasive procedures.
 Other surgical aseptic techniques
include surgical scrubbing of hands
and fingernails, etc.
Standard Precautions
 Standard Precautions are to be
applied to the care of ALL
patients in ALL healthcare settings,
regardless of the suspected or
confirmed presence of an
infectious agent.
 based on the principle that all
blood, body fluids, secretions,
excretions except sweat, non -
intact skin, and mucous
membranes may contain
transmissible infectious agents.
 Standard Precautions provide
infection prevention guidelines
 INFECTION CONTROL
Vaccinations
 Because healthcare personnel are at particular

risk for several vaccine-preventable infectious

diseases, the Immunization Action Coalition
(www.vaccineinformation.org) recommends that
they receive the following vaccines:
 Hepatitis B vaccine

 Influenza (annually)

 Measles–mumps–rubella (MMR)

 Varicella (chickenpox)

 Tetanus–diphtheria–pertussis (Tdap)

 Meningococcal vaccine
 Personal Protective Equipment
 Gloves: can protect both patients and
healthcare personnel from exposure to
infectious materials that may be 14.
carried on hands.
 Isolation Gowns: are worn in
conjunction with gloves and with other
PPE when indicated*
 protect the healthcare worker’s arms
and exposed body areas and
prevent contamination of clothing
with blood, body fluids, and other
potentially infectious material.
 Personal Protective Equipment
Masks - used for three primary
purposes in healthcare settings: 15-17
 protect them from contact with
infectious material from patients.
 engaged in procedures requiring
sterile technique
 They are placed on coughing
patients to limit potential
dissemination of infectious
respiratory secretions from the
patient to others.
 Personal Protective Equipment
 Eye Protection: Types of eye
protection include goggles and
disposable or nondisposable face
shields.
 Masks may be used in combination
with goggles, or a face shield may
be used instead of a mask and
goggles.
 Respiratory protection: requires
the use of a respirator with N95
or higher filtration to prevent
inhalation of infectious particles
 INFECTION CONTROL
 Patient-Care Equipment: Organic
material (e.g., blood, body fluids,
secretions, excretions) must be removed
from medical equipment, instruments,
and devices prior to high-level
disinfection and sterilization
 All such equipment and devices must
be handled in a manner that will
protect healthcare workers and the
environment from potentially
infectious material.
 INFECTION CONTROL
 Environmental Control:
hospital must have, and
employees must comply with,
adequate procedures for the
routine care, cleaning, and
disinfection of environmental
surfaces
 such as bedrails, bedside
tables, commodes,
doorknobs, sinks, and any
other surfaces and
equipment in close proximity
to patients
 INFECTION CONTROL
 Linens: Textiles such as bedding,
towels, and patient gowns that
have become soiled with blood,
body fluids, secretions, or
excretions must be handled,
transported, and laundered in a
safe manner.
 Soiled textiles must not be
shaken, must not come in
contact with the healthcare
worker’s body or clothing, and
must be contained in a laundry
bag or designated bin.
INFECTION CONTROL
 Disposal of Sharps: Needlestick injuries and injuries
resulting from broken glass and other sharps are the
primary manner in which healthcare workers become
infected with pathogens such as HIV, HBV, and HCV.

 Needles and other sharp devices must be handled

in a manner that prevents injury to the user and to
others who may encounter the device during or
after a procedure.
 Transmission-Based Precautions
 Transmission-Based Precautions: used for patients
who are known or suspected to be infected or
colonized with highly transmissible or epidemiologically
important pathogens for which additional safety
precautions beyond Standard Precautions are required
to interrupt transmission within hospitals.
 Three types of Transmission-Based Precautions:
Contact Precautions, Droplet Precautions, and Airborne
Precautions.
 are to be used in addition to the Standard Precautions
already being used.
 Transmission-Based Precautions
Contact Precautions
 are used for patients known or
suspected to be infected or
colonized with epidemiologically
important pathogens that can be
transmitted by direct or indirect
contact.
 Examples include multidrug-
resistant bacteria, C. difficile-
associated diseases, respiratory
syncytial virus (RSV) infection in
children, scabies, impetigo,
chickenpox or shingles, and viral
hemorrhagic fevers.
 Transmission-Based Precautions
Droplet Precautions
 Droplets are produced primarily
as a result of coughing, sneezing,
and talking, as well as during
hospital procedures such as
suctioning and bronchoscopy.
 Transmission occurs when droplets
(larger than 5 μm in diameter)
containing microbes are propelled
a short distance through the air
and become deposited on another
person’s conjunctiva, nasal mucosa,
or mouth.
 Transmission-Based Precautions
Airborne Precautions
 involves either airborne
droplet nuclei or dust
particles containing a
pathogen.
 nuclei are small-particle
residues (5 μm or less in
diameter) of evaporated
droplets containing
microbes; because of their
small size, they remain
suspended in air for long
periods.
 Patient Placement
Airborne Infection Isolation Rooms
 placement for patients who are infected with

pathogens that are spread via airborne droplet nuclei

 is a single-patient room that is equipped with special

air handling and ventilation systems.

 AIIRs are under negative pressure to prevent room air
from entering the corridor when the door is opened,
and air that is evacuated from such rooms passes
through high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters to
remove pathogens.
 Patient Placement
Protective Environments
 Certain patients are especially vulnerable to infection,

particularly to invasive environmental fungal infections.

 patients can be protected by placing them in a

Protective Environment (sometimes referred to as

protective isolation or positive pressure isolation).
 a well-sealed single patient room in which vented air
entering the room is passed through HEPA filters
 room is under positive pressure to prevent corridor air

from entering when the door is opened

 Handling Food and Eating Utensils

 Regulations for safe handling of food and eating

utensils are not difficult to follow.
 They include the following:
 Properly refrigerating and storing food
 High quality fresh food

 Properly washing, preparing, and cooking food

 Properly disposing of uneaten food

 Thoroughly washing hands and fingernails before

handling food and after visiting a restroom
 Handling Food and Eating Utensils

 Regulations for safe handling of food and eating utensils

are not difficult to follow.
 They include the following:
 Properly disposing of nasal and oral secretions in tissues and
then thoroughly washing hands and fingernails
 Covering hair and wearing clean clothes and aprons
 Providing periodic health examinations for kitchen workers
 Prohibiting anyone with a respiratory or gastrointestinal disease
from handling food or eating utensils
 Keeping all cutting boards and other surfaces scrupulously clean
 Rinsing and then washing cooking and eating utensils in a
dishwasher in which the water temperature is greater than 80°C
 Handling Fomites
 Transmission of pathogens by fomites can be prevented by
observing the following rules:
 Use disposable equipment and supplies wherever possible
 Disinfect or sterilize equipment as soon as possible after use
 Use individual equipment for each patient
 Use electronic or glass thermometers fitted with onetime use,
disposable covers or use disposable, single-use thermometers;
electronic and glass thermometers must be cleaned or sterilized
on a regular basis, following manufacturer’s instructions
 Empty bedpans and urinals, wash them in hot water, and store
them in a clean cabinet between uses
 Place bed linen and soiled clothing in bags to be sent to the
laundry
 Medical Waste Disposal
 Materials or substances that are harmful to health are
referred to as biohazards (short for biologic hazards).
These standards include the following:
 Any receptacle used for decomposable solid or liquid

waste or refuse must be constructed so that it does not

leak and must be maintained in a sanitary condition.
 All sweepings, solid or liquid wastes, refuse, and garbage
shall be removed
 The medical facility’s infection control program must

address the handling and disposal of potentially

contaminated items.
 Infection Control Committees and
Infection Control Professionals
 All healthcare facilities should have some type of formal
infection control program in place.
 infection control program is usually under the jurisdiction of
the hospital’s Infection Control Committee (ICC) or
Epidemiology Service.
 Composed of representatives from most of the hospital’s
departments
 Chairperson is usually an Infection Control Professional
(ICP), such as a physician (e.g., an epidemiologist or
infectious disease specialist), an infection control nurse, a
microbiologist, or some other person knowledgeable about
infection control.
 Infection Control Committees and
Infection Control Professionals
Primary responsibilities of an ICP are as follows:
 Possess knowledge of infectious diseases processes, reservoirs,
incubation periods, periods of communicability, and susceptibility of
patients
 Conduct surveillance and epidemiologic investigations
 Prevent/control the transmission of pathogens to include strategies for
hand hygiene, antisepsis, cleaning, disinfection, sterilization, patient-care
settings, patient placement, medical waste disposal, and implementation
of outbreak control measures
 Manage the facility’s infection control program
 Communicate with the public, facility staff, and state and local health
departments concerning infection control-related issues
 Evaluate new medical products
References:

 Engelkirk, P. G., et al
(2015). Burton’s
Microbiology: for the
Health Sciences. 10th ed.
Lippincott Williams &
Wilkins