Page 154 - Registrar Orientation Manual 2016

Infection Prevention & Control – The important stuff!
The focus of IPC is to minimise the risk of patients getting a hospital acquired infection such as Staphylococcus aureus blood stream infection, Clostridium difficile diarrhoea, MRSA or ESBL. These can lead to increased hospital stays, additional medical and/ or surgical intervention, and in some cases unfortunately death.
To prevent hospital acquired infections there are multiple aspects that should be part of everyday clinical practice.
 Hand hygiene – always adhere to the five moments.
Sterigel is our alcohol based hand rub available in all clinical areas and should be at the patient bedside.
Gloves should only be worn if contact or exposure to blood or body fluids is likely.
Dress Standards and Professional Image Policy – require all staff having contact with a patient/client are to be bare below the elbow; that is no wrist jewellery, only one plain ring, and no nail polish or nail extenders.
 Standard Precautions – the minimum expected level of precautions.
These should be applied to all patients regardless of diagnosis or presumed infection status, to prevent staff from acquiring infections or viruses from patients
Personal protective equipment (PPE) should be available in all clinical areas, and is there for your protection.
 Expanded Precautions – used with patients with a known or suspected infectious disease or transmissible organism, and are used in addition to standard precautions.
 Contact precautions  Droplet precautions  Airborne precautions
IPC Precaution flip charts will be at the entrance to rooms for patients in isolation, these should be noted and complied with.