What's New | October 12, 2011

Reducing Hospital-Acquired Infections

Nearly 1.7 million hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) occur annually, leading to approximately 99,000 deaths every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (Adobe Reader is required to view or print the PDF. Download a free copy here. External Web Site Policy

) Recent efforts have demonstrated that infections can be controlled and significantly reduced through relatively simple measures.

The featured Innovations describe three programs that have reduced HAIs by implementing infection control measures ranging from weekly rounds to a set of common protocols and practices.

The featured QualityTools describe two toolkits designed to assist health care professionals in implementing infection control measures in hospitals.

Featured Innovations:

• Electronic Isolation Flags and Weekly Rounds by Infection Control Staff Improve Adherence to Contact Precautions

• Nurse–Physician Infection Prevention Teams Conduct Rounds and Provide Support to Frontline Clinicians, Leading to Fewer Hospital-Acquired Infections

• Protocols, Task Specialization, and Case Reviews Virtually Eliminate Catheter-Related Bloodstream Infections in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Featured QualityTools:

• Guide to the Elimination of Catheter-Related Bloodstream Infections
Developed by Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology

• Health Care–Associated Infections: Prevention Toolkits
Developed by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID), Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP)

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Also in This Issue:

Innovations >

• Comprehensive Program Focused on Culture Change, Education and Training, and Solicitation of Employee Ideas Significantly Reduces Incidence of Common Hospital-Acquired Infection

• Strict Adherence to System-Wide Standards and Protocols Significantly Reduces Infections Associated With Central Venous Catheters

• Educational Materials Enhance the Ability of New Parents To Understand and Cope With Infant Crying

QualityTools >

• LTCFocUS.org (Long-Term Care: Facts on Care in the US)
Developed by Brown University Center for Gerontology and Health Care Research

• Period of PURPLE Crying^®: A New Way To Understand Your Baby's Crying
Developed by National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome