Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs)

Infection Prevention & Control Resources

Fri, 01 Oct 2021 17:38:27 +0000

Infection Prevention & Control Resources

olh_Sharon.Muellers Fri, 10/01/2021 - 13:38

Project Firstline: Infection prevention and control is an essential part of caring for and protecting patients and staff

Project Firstline (PFL) is a joint effort of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Vermont Department of Health. The primary goal is to provide infection prevention and control information and training to frontline health care workers and public health personnel. The project aims to empower health care professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, enhance safety, and protect both workers and patients from healthcare-associated infections.

This page is a curated list of free infection control and prevention educational resources that meet the diverse needs and learning preferences of the health care and public health workforce.

More about Project Firstline (CDC)

Infection Control Basics for Everyone

Resources for Long-term Care

Resources for EMTs

Resources for Nurses, Nursing Assistants & Techs

Resources for Infection Preventionists

Resources for Outpatient Settings (Including Dental & Dialysis)

Safe Injection Practices

Mon, 18 Jul 2016 14:27:29 +0000

Safe Injection Practices

Unsafe injection practices can be a serious threat to a patient’s health. Health care providers (doctors, nurses, and anyone providing injections) should never reuse a needle or syringe from one patient to another. Both the needle and syringe must be discarded once they have been used. Reusing a needle or syringe can put patients in danger of getting hepatitis C, hepatitis B, and HIV.

The Health Department is a member of the One & Only Campaign, which began in 2009 in response to large numbers of patients having potential exposure to infectious diseases such as hepatitis C, hepatitis B, and HIV due to unsafe injection practices. The campaign was developed by the Safe Injection Practices Coalition, a partnership of health care-related organizations, patient advocacy organizations, industry partners, and other public health partners led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

vdhadmin Mon, 07/18/2016 - 10:27

Antibiotic Use

Mon, 18 Jul 2016 14:27:29 +0000

Antibiotic Use

vdhadmin Mon, 07/18/2016 - 10:27

Antibiotics: What Everyone Should Know

Antibiotics are medicines that fight infections by either killing the bacteria or by making it difficult for the bacteria to grow and multiply. Antibiotics can save lives and are critical tools for treating certain bacterial infections, but they aren't always the answer when you're sick.

Overusing or misusing antibiotics can cause:

Antimicrobial resistance – when antibiotics no longer work against bacteria. This can make infections harder to treat.
Side effects that can range from mild (rash, nausea, diarrhea, yeast infections) to more serious like C. diff infections or severe allergic reactions.

Help prevent antibiotic resistance by only taking antibiotics when needed and by following your provider's instructions when taking them.

Antibiotics only treat certain infections caused by bacteria. Bacteria are germs that cause infections like strep throat and whooping cough.

Antibiotics do not treat infections caused by viruses. Viruses are germs that cause infections like RSV, flu, COVID-19 and the common cold.

Learn more (CDC)

Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile)

Mon, 18 Jul 2016 14:27:29 +0000

Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile)

Clostridioides difficile, or C. difficile (formerly called Clostridium difficile), is a bacterium that causes inflammation of the colon, called colitis, and is a leading cause of healthcare-associated diarrhea. People affected by C. difficile commonly have watery diarrhea at least three times a day for two or more days. Other symptoms of C. difficile include fever, loss of appetite, nausea, and abdominal pain. The elderly and people who require long term use of antibiotics are at a higher risk of becoming infected with C. difficile. The infection is usually spread from the hands of a healthcare worker who has touched equipment contaminated with fecal material, such as toilets or rectal thermometers. C. difficile spores can live for long periods of time on these surfaces. Treatment of C. difficile often includes changing the patient’s antibiotics, which can sometimes be effective. However, there is a chance the infection can return and worsen. Other treatments for C. difficile, such as “fecal transplants”, may be effective for helping patients with repeat infections, but they may not be widely available.

Publication: Living with C. difficile

This booklet provides basic information about caring for yourself and others diagnosed with C. difficile

More information on C. difficile

Additional Resources

Information about C. difficile in Vermont

Individual cases of C. difficile are not reportable in Vermont, so the Health Department does not have data on the number of cases. However, clusters of cases or outbreaks are reportable. Some Vermont hospitals report data on C. difficile to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) National Healthcare Safety Network.

vdhadmin Mon, 07/18/2016 - 10:27

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE)

Mon, 18 Jul 2016 14:27:29 +0000

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE)

CRE, or carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, are a group of bacteria that are resistant to commonly used antibiotics. They are becoming a growing threat to public health because they cannot be treated with carbapenems, a type of antibiotics usually used to treat severe infections. CRE is most often spread in healthcare settings through contact with wounds or infected stool. Patients can also get a CRE infection from medical devices such as catheters or ventilators. Patients with compromised immune systems are at a much higher risk for a CRE infection. While CRE are often resistant to many commonly prescribed antibiotics, they may still be treatable with one or more antibiotics. Decisions on treatment of CRE infections should be made on a case-by-case basis by a health care provider.

Appropriate antibiotic use is one of the most important things we can do in order to prevent CRE infections. Use antibiotics only as prescribed by a health care provider. Finish the entire course as directed, even if you start to feel better. Good handwashing practices are also important, because drug-resistant infections are often spread by hand-to-hand transmission.

More information about CRE

Publication: Living with Multidrug-resistant Gram-negative Rods (MDR GNR)

This booklet provides basic information about caring for yourself and others diagnosed with multidrug-resistant gram-negative rods, like CRE.

Resources for Health Care Providers:

Information for Healthcare Facilities About CREs (CDC)
Guidelines for carbapenem-resistant organisms in Vermont: Roles, Laboratory Testing, and Infection Prevention
Vermont Department of Health CRE laboratory instructions from the Vermont Department of Health laboratory
CDC CRE website for clinicians
Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology CRE
CDC toolkit Facility Guidance for Control of Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE)
AHRQ toolkit Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) Control and Prevention Toolkit

vdhadmin Mon, 07/18/2016 - 10:27

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

Mon, 18 Jul 2016 14:27:29 +0000

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

Staphylococcus aureus, also known as staph, is a very common bacterium that can live on the skin or in the noses of healthy people. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, is a type of staph bacteria that cannot be treated with antibiotics called beta-lactams which include methicillin, oxacillin, penicillin, and amoxicillin. This resistance makes choosing the right antibiotic challenging. In the community, most MRSA infections are skin infections that cause skin lesions—such as pimples and boils—and are often easy to treat. MRSA in a hospital or healthcare setting can be a different strain than MRSA in the community. Resistant staph can be life-threatening to older people and those with weakened immune systems. Patients who are most at risk for serious infections are those with open wounds, burns, or tubes inserted in their bodies that provide a path for infection to be carried through the bloodstream and internal organs.

vdhadmin Mon, 07/18/2016 - 10:27

Collaborative to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance (C-PHAR)

Mon, 18 Jul 2016 14:27:29 +0000

Collaborative to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance (C-PHAR)

Vermont’s statewide Collaborative to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance (C-PHAR) (formerly known as the Multi-drug Resistant Organism or MDRO Collaborative) is a statewide collaborative that brings infection preventionists, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare providers from hospitals, long-term care facilities (LTCFs), residential care facilities, adult day centers, home health, corrections and a variety of outpatient clinics together to prevent HAIs and reduce antimicrobial resistance.

Goals of C-PHAR

Share infection prevention knowledge and expertise while building relationships between facilities
Decrease the incidence of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in Vermont
Promote antimicrobial stewardship in Vermont healthcare settings
Reduce antimicrobial resistance in Vermont

Benefits to Participation

Build relationships with local healthcare facilities and public health personnel
Get acclimated in a new role and learn the basics of infection prevention
Learn about new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requirements and get support achieving compliance
Gain knowledge of emerging issues and discuss hot topics
Participate in educational modules and train-the-trainer sessions to bring back to your staff
Ask questions about the National Healthcare Safety Network, antibiograms, and other data sources and reports
Get help with policy and procedure updates

To find out more, including how to get involved, contact the HAI Coordinator at [email protected]">[email protected].

The CDC’s NHSN is the nation's most widely used healthcare-associated infection tracking system. It provides healthcare facilities, states, and the CDC with data needed to identify problem areas, measure progress of prevention efforts, and ultimately eliminate healthcare-associated infections.

Enroll your facility in NHSN

Be Antibiotics Aware

Be Antibiotics Aware is a CDC campaign focused on improving prescribing practices in inpatient healthcare facilities.

According to CDC, “Antibiotics save lives but any time antibiotics are used, they can cause side effects and lead to antibiotic resistance. At least 80 million antibiotic prescriptions each year are unnecessary, which makes improving antibiotic prescribing and use a national priority.”

The Infection Control Assessment and Response (ICAR) Program was developed by CDC to help identify infection control needs and improve infection prevention programs across the country. ICARs provide non-punitive, confidential, facility-specific infection control advice from CDC to help facilities improve their programs. Please contact the HAI Coordinator at [email protected]">[email protected] to schedule a voluntary ICAR at your facility.

vdhadmin Mon, 07/18/2016 - 10:27