Epidemiology Of Healthcare Associated Infections In Australia

Endorsed by the Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control (ACIPC) ACIPC is the peak body for infection prevention and control professionals in the Australasian region. Healthcare-associated Infections (HAIs) are a major threat to patient safety and the quality of healthcare globally. Despite this, Australia does not have a nationally coordinated program for the surveillance and reporting of HAIs. Epidemiology of Healthcare-associated Infections in Australia is Australia’s first peer-reviewed, evidence-based assessment of the epidemiology of HAIs using publicly available data from hospital-acquired complications (HACs), state-based surveillance systems and peer-reviewed and grey literature sources. This important work has been compiled by some of Australia’s leading infection control professionals and researchers. It will build national consensus on definitions, surveillance methodology and reporting of the incidence of HAIs. In doing so, it provides hospitals and those working in infection prevention and control an opportunity to benchmark and evaluate interventions to reduce infections and ensure transparency on reporting methods that will strengthen Australia’s efforts to prevent and control HAIs. Here is a great article published in Sydney Morning Herald on the publication of Epidemiology of Healthcare-associated infections in Australia. Collated publicly available HAI surveillance definitions from jurisdictions across Australia Collated publicly available national HACs HAI data derived from the associated surveillance programs Identification of the gaps in both publicly available HAI data from different sources and the lack of publicly available HAI surveillance data in one serialised title Supporting video summarising key content

A clear, hands-on outline of best practices for infection prevention that directly improve patient outcomes across the healthcare continuum.

The fifth edition of Mayhall’s Hospital Epidemiology and Infection Prevention has a new streamlined focus, with new editors and contributors, a new two-color format, and a new title. Continuing the legacy of excellence established by Dr. C. Glen Mayhall, this thoroughly revised text covers all aspects of healthcare-associated infections and their prevention and remains the most comprehensive reference available in this complex field. It examines every type of healthcare-associated (nosocomial) infection and addresses every issue relating to surveillance, prevention, and control of these infections in patients and in healthcare personnel, providing unparalleled coverage for hospital epidemiologists and infectious disease specialists.

These guidelines provide recommendations that outline the critical aspects of infection prevention and control. The recommendations were developed using the best available evidence and consensus methods by the Infection Control Steering Committee. They have been prioritised as key areas to prevent and control infection in a healthcare facility. It is recognised that the level of risk may differ according to the different types of facility and therefore some recommendations should be justified by risk assessment. When implementing these recommendations all healthcare facilities need to consider the risk of transmission of infection and implement according to their specific setting and circumstances.

Thoroughly revised and updated for its Fourth Edition, this highly acclaimed volume is the most comprehensive reference on hospital epidemiology and infection control. Written by over 150 leading experts, this new edition examines every type of hospital-acquired (nosocomial) infection and addresses every issue relating to surveillance, prevention, and control of these infections in patients and in healthcare workers. This new edition features new or significantly increased coverage of emerging infectious diseases, avian influenza, governmental regulation of infection control and payment practices related to hospital-acquired infections, molecular epidemiology, the increasing prevalence of community-acquired MRSA in healthcare facilities, system-wide infection control provisions for healthcare systems, hospital infection control issues following natural disasters, and antimicrobial stewardship in reducing the development of antimicrobial-resistant organisms.

Infections that occur in the wound created by an invasive surgical procedure are generally referred to as surgical site infections (SSIs). SSIs are one of the most important causes of healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs). A prevalence survey undertaken in 2006 suggested that approximately 8% of patients in hospital in the UK have an HCAI. SSIs accounted for 14% of these infections and nearly 5% of patients who had undergone a surgical procedure were found to have developed an SSI. However, prevalence studies tend to underestimate SSI because many of these infections occur after the patient has been discharged from hospital. SSIs are associated with considerable morbidity and it has been reported that over one-third of postoperative deaths are related, at least in part, to SSI. However, it is important to recognise that SSIs can range from a relatively trivial wound discharge with no other complications to a life-threatening condition. Other clinical outcomes of SSIs include poor scars that are cosmetically unacceptable, such as those that are spreading, hypertrophic or keloid, persistent pain and itching, restriction of movement, particularly when over joints, and a significant impact on emotional wellbeing. SSI can double the length of time a patient stays in hospital and thereby increase the costs of health care. Additional costs attributable to SSI of between £814 and £6626 have been reported depending on the type of surgery and the severity of the infection. The main additional costs are related to re-operation, extra nursing care and interventions, and drug treatment costs. The indirect costs, due to loss of productivity, patient dissatisfaction and litigation, and reduced quality of life, have been studied less extensively.

Medical error as defined in Epidemic of Medical Errors and Hospital-Acquired Infections: Systemic and Social Causes encompasses many categories including, but not limited to, medical error, hospital-acquired infections, medication errors, deaths from misdiagnosis, deaths from infectious diarrhea in nursing homes, surgical and post-operative complications, lethal blood clots in veins, and excessive radiation from CT scans. When the deaths from these categories are counted they become the leading cause of fatality to Americans, outpacing cancer and heart disease. Add the numbers of fatalities (mortality) to the millions each year who are injured (morbidity) and whose quality of life is forever effected, and an epidemic of harm is defined. The book describes the many systemic and social causes of medical error and iatrogenic events, all of which are cited in the peer-review science, that have a direct effect on the epidemic of patient injury, but are rarely or never considered. These systemic causes include factory medicine (for-profit medicine), staffing ratios in clinical and non-clinical departments, shift work, healthcare working conditions, lack of accountability, legal issues that conflict with patient safety issues, bullying and hierarchical relationships, training of healthcare workers that never rises to the level of risk, and injury to healthcare workers. The premise of the book is that if the systemic or social causes are not considered or changed, then medical error will continue to be an epidemic and no substantial impact in the numbers will be realized. An expert with 30 years of experience as a health and safety officer in healthcare and as an activist for community health and safety issues, editor and author William Charney explores the issues surrounding medical errors and examines the science behind possible solutions. He presents an efficient dialogue that produces a more systemic exploration and targeting of the causes of medical error and drives an exacting message: we are dealing with an epidemic of harm, and unless systemic issues are solved, little will change to subdue the epidemic. Information on the June 2012 Conference on the Epidemic of Medical Errors & Hospital Acquired Infections in the US and Canada: the Systemic Causes can be found on the CRC Press Issuu page.