Infection Control Committee

Infection control committee

Infection is the most common complication of human health. Infection among patients and staff in hospitals is a serious problem in healthcare management. It increases morbidity, mortality, hospital stay, cost of treatment etc. The spread of infection inside the hospital must be minimized. An infection control committee in the hospital is constituted to prevent and control these infections.

Aim: To frame policies and procedures, and monitor prevention and control of infection in the hospital.

Constitution:

The Infection control committee is constituted under the patient safety program of the hospital. Infection prevention and control is a highly technical matter. This committee includes senior expert members from various disciplines within the hospital. It is headed by a chairperson who is the administrator of the hospital or a person who has a direct influence on the head of the hospital. Normally, it has representations from the following

1. Chairperson: Preferably, the Head of the Hospital or a senior member of the hospital with direct access to the head of the hospital.

2. Member Secretary: Senior Microbiologist.

3. Members: Representatives from medical practitioners, nursing staff, pharmacy, medical laboratory microbiologists, Surgery department, local public health, etc. Medical practitioners and nursing staff from the high-risk department are preferred as members of this committee. Members of the committee should hold a leadership position in their respective departments in order to influence the policy of the hospital.

4. Support Services: Representative from Pharmacologist, Operation Theatre, House-keeping and Sanitation, Engineering, Store Officer Inventory department.

5. Infection Control Nurse/Nurses

6. Infection Control officer

Compiled by: Alok Bains

Infection Control Committee

Alok Bains...

Infection control committee functions

Compiled by Alok Bains

The Committee may frame subgroups for a special task. It will include any expert member on an ad hoc basis with other members of the infection control committee.

Functions:

Its main role is to frame policies, procedures and monitors to prevent and control infections such as hospital-acquired infections (Nosocomial infections), endemic infections or pandemic infections. These policies and procedures and approved considering political and administrative standpoints. Normally committee frame policies and procedures related to the following aspects:

1. Surveillance: Active surveillance of the high-risk areas such as intensive care units (ICU), burn units, dialysis units, blood transfusion units, central sterile service department, drinking water and food handlers.

2. Infection outbreak: Immediate control, microbiological study and control evaluation in Infection outbreak.

3. Infection control: Universal precautions to reduce infection transmissions such as hand hygiene, and protective equipment hygiene (hand gloves, mask, eye protection, face shield, apron, cough etiquette.) These precautions are applied to all patients. These precautions become more valuable if contacts through blood, body fluid, mucous membrane and broken skin are anticipated.

4. Hospital-acquired infections: Patients Preparation, microbiological sampling, cleaning, disinfection, sterilisation etc to prevent Hospital-acquired infections such as catheters associated with UTI, catheters related to blood infection, ventilator-related pneumonia, surgical infections etc.

5. Sterilization and Disinfection: Disinfect and sterilize equipment, instruments and environmental surfaces.

6. Patient isolation: Patient identifications, contact precautions such as patient placement, personal protective equipment, patient transport, patient care equipment and instruments and environmental measures for Isolation of infected persons.

7. Antibiotic policy: Antibiotic policy, appropriate antibiotic uses, specific organism spread control, true control on antibiotic uses, etc.

8. Biomedical wastes: Management of Biomedical wastes in patient care areas, their collection, storage, labelling and recording, Liquid chemical waste management, Discarded medicines and Cytotoxic drugs, biomedical wastes containers and bags,

9. Occupational health and safety: Exposure to sharps injuries, needle stick injuries and other exposures to blood and body fluids have the potential to expose an employee to the risk of blood-borne infections. The committee shall frame policies and procedures for the prevention, reporting, and management of such injuries. Staff training, management of exposure to viral infections like HIV, HBV, etc.

Compiled by: Alok Bains

Infection Control Committee

Functions

Alok Bains...

Infection control committee functions

Compiled by Alok Bains

Responsibilities

1. To develop manuals of policies and procedures to control and prevent infections

2. To carry out surveillance of pre-decided patient populations.

3. To monitor cleanliness and hygienic practices.

4. To investigate infection outbreaks.

5. To monitor sterilisation and disinfection.

6. To supervise patient isolation procedures.

7. To manage all types of waste.

8. To provide information to manage infection,

9. To advise staff to maintain a safe environment for patients and staff

10. To train new employees to follow policies and procedures to control and prevent infections.

11. To organise regular training for hospital staff to control and prevent infection.

12. To audit infection prevention and control policies and procedures.

13. To monitor hospital staff safety programs. 

Compiled by: Alok Bains

Infection Control Committee

Responsibilities

Alok Bains