251 Still Pine Bend, Smyrna, GA 30082

Infection Prevention and Control

Our Mission

Safe Care Campaign is an organization dedicated to working diligently on early prevention and detection of all types of Infections, whether they occur in a health care setting, in the community or at home.

One Family, 3 Infections:

The Journey Begins

The Nahums healthcare nightmare begins at the end of 2006 when they finally come to the shocking realization that 3 family members have become infected by their medical care in 3 different hospitals in 3 different states in 10 months time.

Longmont, CO: The Third Infection

6 months later, on Labor Day weekend 2006, the Nahum's son, Josh Nahum is injured in a skydiving accident, breaking his left femur and fracturing his skull.

After weeks in ICU, he is recovering so well, he is moved to a physical rehab facility so that he may continue his progress. But suddenly, his doctors discover an infection (the 3rd one he has acquired during his medical care).

This time is enterobacter aerogenes, a gram-negative bacteria in his cerebrospinal - spinal fluid. The infection causes so much pressure on his brain that it pushes part of it into his spinal column, irreversibly damaging his spinal cord and making him a permanent ventilator - dependent quadriplegic before it eventually kills him.

Infection Prevention and Control Practices

for Safe Healthcare Delivery in All Settings

Introduction

Adherence to infection prevention and control practices is essential to providing safe and high quality patient care across all settings where healthcare is delivered

This document concisely describes a core set of infection prevention and control practices that are required in all healthcare settings, regardless of the type of healthcare provided. The practices were selected from among existing CDC recommendations and are the subset that represent fundamental standards of care that are not expected to change based on emerging evidence or to be regularly altered by changes in technology or practices, and are applicable across the continuum of healthcare settings. The practices outlined in this document are intended to serve as a standard reference and reduce the need to repeatedly evaluate practices that are considered basic and accepted as standards of medical care. Readers should consult the full texts of CDC healthcare infection control guidelines for background, rationale, and related infection prevention recommendations for more comprehensive information.

Scope

The core practices in this document should be implemented in all settings where healthcare is delivered. These venues include both inpatient settings (e.g., acute, long-term care) and outpatient settings (e.g., clinics, urgent care, ambulatory surgical centers, imaging centers, dialysis centers, physical therapy and rehabilitation centers, alternative medicine clinics). In addition, these practices apply to healthcare delivered in settings other than traditional healthcare facilities, such as homes, assisted living communities, pharmacies, and health fairs.

Healthcare personnel (HCP) referred to in this document include all paid and unpaid persons serving in healthcare settings who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials, including body substances, contaminated medical supplies, devices, and equipment; contaminated environmental surfaces; or contaminated air.

Methods

CDC healthcare infection control guidelines 1-17 were reviewed, and recommendations included in more than one guideline were grouped into core infection prevention practice domains (e.g., education and training of HCP on infection prevention, injection and medication safety). Additional CDC materials aimed at providing general infection prevention guidance outside of the acute care setting 18-20 were also reviewed. HICPAC formed a workgroup led by HICPAC members and including representatives of professional organizations (see Contributors in archives for full list). The workgroup reviewed and discussed all of the practices, further refined the selection and description of the core practices and presented drafts to HICPAC at public meeting and recommendations were approved by the full Committee in July 2014. In October 2022, the Core Practices were reviewed and updated by subject matter experts within the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion at CDC. The addition of new practices followed the same methodology employed by the Core Practices Workgroup but also included review of pathogen-specific guidance documents 21-22 that were created or updated after July 2014. These additions were presented to HICPAC at the November 3, 2022 meeting. Future updates to the Core Practices will be guided by the publication of new or updated CDC infection prevention and control guidelines.

Core Practices Table

COVID-19

What you need to know about COVID-19.
Read More ...
RSV Prevention

Learn about the symptoms and treatment of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Read More...
Respiratory Illness

There are actions you can take to protect yourself and others from flu, COVID-19, and RSV.
Read More...
Ways to Prevent Measles

Measles cases in the United States originate from unvaccinated international travelers.

Read More...

251 Still Pine Bend, Smyrna, GA 30082

678.309.9605

anahum@safecarecampaign.org

Safe Care Campaign
What You Need To Know About Infections

Infection Prevention and Control

Our Mission

One Family, 3 Infections:

The Journey Begins

Quint Nahum

November 2005

Victoria Nahum

March 2006

Josh Nahum

September 2006

Josh Nahum

October 2006

Infection Prevention and Control Practices