Infection management by hospital pharmacists

2010 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 110-113
Author(s):  
EM Woodford Guegan ◽  
CE Jamieson

This paper reviews the wide-ranging activities of hospital pharmacists in infection management. Hospital pharmacists share many roles with primary care colleagues within the area of infection prevention and control including advising on the management of self limiting infectious diseases such as influenza. However, this paper reviews other specialist hospital activities including clinical pharmacy, technical services and medicines information.

Author(s):  
Nizam Damani

The Manual of Infection Prevention and Control provides practical guidance on all aspects of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). It outlines the basic concepts of infection prevention and control (IPC), modes of transmission, surveillance, control of outbreaks, epidemiology, and biostatistics. The book provides up-to-date advice on the triage and isolation of patients and on new and emerging infectious diseases, and with the use of illustrations, it provides a step-by-step approach on how to perform hand hygiene and how to don and take off personal protective equipment correctly. In addition, this section also outlines how to minimize cross-infection by healthcare building design and prevent the transmission of various infectious diseases from infected patients after death. The disinfection and sterilization section reviews how to risk assess, disinfect and/or sterilize medical items and equipment, antimicrobial activities, and the use of various chemical disinfectants and antiseptics, and how to decontaminate endoscopes. The section on the prevention of HAIs reviews and updates IPC guidance on the prevention of the most common HAIs, i.e. surgical site infections, infections associated with intravascular and urinary catheters, and hospital- and ventilator-acquired pneumonias. In view of the global emergence of antimicrobial resistance to the various pathogens, the book examines and provides practical advice on how to implement an antibiotic stewardship programme and prevent cross-infection against various multi-drug resistant pathogens. Amongst other pathogens, the book also reviews IPC precautions against various haemorrhagic and bloodborne viral infections. The section on support services discusses the protection of healthcare workers, kitchen, environmental cleaning, catering, laundry services, and clinical waste disposal services.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 46
Author(s):  
Erna Tsalatsatul Fitriyah ◽  
Meidiana Dwidiyanti ◽  
Luky Dwiantoro

Background: Infectious diseases have become one of the world’s serious problems including in Indonesia. Infectious diseases can originate from the community and hospital environment. Health workers performing inappropriate medical procedures could also be a cause of transmission of infectious diseases. Infection prevention and control nurses (IPCNs) as the pioneers of prevention and infection control in hospitals have not optimally played their roles.   Purpose: This study aimed to explore the roles of IPCNs and their constraints in preparing for emerging infectious diseases. Methods: The present study employed a qualitative design with the hermeneutic phenomenological approach. The samples were seven IPCNs for the primary participants, and two Infection Prevention and Control Officers (IPCOs) and 13 Infection Prevention and Control Link Nurses (IPCLNs) as the triangulation participants. The data were collected using in-depth semi-structured interviews analyzed using a content analysis technique.   Results: The results identified two themes: (1) IPCNs played roles as clinical practitioners, activity coordinators, administrators, and educators, and (2) the roles of IPCNs had not been optimal due to the lack of support from the hospital management, insufficient infrastructure, weak monitoring and evaluation, and the unavailability of appropriate rewards and  punishment.Conclusion: The majority of participants in this study agreed that IPCNs had tried well to play their roles. However, various obstacles were encountered, which hindered the IPCNs in performing their roles.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lara Shiu-yi Ho ◽  
Ruwan Ratnayake ◽  
Rashid Ansumana ◽  
Hannah Brown

Abstract Background The 2014–2015 Ebola epidemic in West Africa became a humanitarian crisis that exposed significant gaps in infection prevention and control (IPC) capacity in primary care facilities in Sierra Leone. Operational partners recognized the national gap and rapidly scaled-up an IPC training and infrastructure package. This prompted us to carry out a mixed-methods research study which aimed to evaluate adherence to IPC practices and understand how to improve IPC at the primary care level, where most cases of Ebola were initially presenting. The study was carried out during the national peak of the epidemic. Discussion We successfully carried out a rapid response research study that produced several expected and unexpected findings that were used to guide IPC measures during the epidemic. Although many research challenges were similar to those found when conducting research in low-resource settings, the presence of Ebola added risks to safety and security of data collectors, as well as a need to balance research activities with the imperative of response to a humanitarian crisis. A participatory approach that attempted to unify levels of the response from community upwards helped overcome the risk of lack of trust in an environment where Ebola had damaged relations between communities and the health system. Conclusion In the context of a national epidemic, research needs to be focused, appropriately resourced, and responsive to needs. The partnership between local academics and a humanitarian organization helped facilitate access to study sites and approvals that allowed the research to be carried out quickly and safely, and for findings to be shared in response forums with the best chance of being taken up in real-time.


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