Infection Prevention Manual

EXPOSURE CONTROL PLAN LIMITING THE SPREAD OF INFECTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH MEDICAL EQUIPMENT, DEVICES, AND SUPPLIES Purpose: To provide practical and effective steps to take to help reduce the risk of health care- associated infections (HAIs). Procedure: Follow standard practices for handling and reprocessing used patient-care equipment, including medical devices: • Wear gloves when handling and moving used patient-care equipment. • Wipe heavily soiled equipment with an EPA-approved disinfectant before moving it to the patient’s bed. Follow current manufacturing recommendations for cleaning and disinfection or sterilization of reusable patient-care equipment. • Wipe external surfaces of portable equipment for performing procedures in the patient’s area with an EPA-approved disinfectant. • Direct care staff complete hand hygiene in accordance with Agency policy. • Infectious waste is disposed of properly. • During interview direct care staff indicates knowledge of infection control practices and reporting mechanisms within the Agency. • During interview direct care staff indicates knowledge of infection control quality improvement activities. The written infection control program is periodically reviewed by our Agency and revised as indicated. Orientation of all new field personnel to the infection control program and periodic updates for all staff. Stethoscopes carry disease from one patient to another, spreading everything from the common cold and flu to life-threatening "superbugs" such as MRSA and other staph infections. We encourage that field staff wash their hands and clean their stethoscopes before examination to help prevent the spread of infections. The goals of infection control staff training are to: Ensure that health professionals understand how bloodborne and other pathogens can be transmitted in the work environment: patient to healthcare worker, healthcare worker to patient, and patient to patient Apply current scientifically accepted infection control principles as appropriate for the specific work environment Minimize opportunity for transmission of pathogens to patients and healthcare workers. Our field staff should learn and follow scientifically accepted infection prevention techniques appropriate to their profession for the cleaning and sterilization or disinfection of instruments, devices, materials, and work surfaces, utilization of protective garb, use of covers for contamination- prone equipment, and the handling of sharp instruments. Such techniques include but are not limited to the following: Wearing of appropriate protective gloves at all times when touching blood, saliva, other body fluids or