Infection Prevention Resources

Quick links

• CAUTIs
• Certification in Infection Control and Prevention
• CLABSIs
• Clostridioides difficile (C-diff)
• Hand Hygiene
• Isolation Precautions
• NHSN Training
• SSI
• VAEs

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AAMI (Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation)

• Professional association for sterile processing (and others in the medical device industry)
• The AAMI standards program consists of over 100 technical committees and working groups that produce Standards, Recommended Practices, and Technical Information Reports for medical devices.
• ST79 is the go-to reference for steam sterilization and sterility
• ST91 – flexible and semi-rigid endoscope processing
• EST58 – coming soon – low-temperature sterilization and high-level disinfection

AHA (American Hospital Association)

• Best Practices Library
• Quality & Patient Safety
• Infection Control
  • Guidance on humidity levels in the operating room (2015)
  • CDC HAN Alert – Contaminated Heater-Cooler Devices Used During Surgery (2016)

AHRQ (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)

• CUSP – The Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP) combines techniques to improve safety culture, teamwork, and communications, together with a checklist of proven practices.
• The Core CUSP Toolkit
• Toolkit for Reducing CLABSI in Hospitals
• Toolkit for Reducing CAUTI in Hospitals
• Toolkit To Improve Safety For Mechanically Ventilated Patients
• Toolkit To Promote Safe Surgery
• Toolkit for Reduction of Clostridium difficile Through Antimicrobial Stewardship

Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS)

• 2017 Antibiotic Use in the United States
• CDC Adult Antibiotic Prescribing Guidelines (Telligen 1-page version)
• CDC Clinician Guide for Collecting Cultures
• CDC Core Elements for Small and Critical Access Hospitals
• CDC Core Elements of Hospital Antibiotic Stewardship Programs
• CDC Core Elements of Hospital Antibiotic Stewardship Programs Checklist
• CMS Proposed Rule requiring AMS programs and antibiotic use surveillance (search Section 482.42)
• Joint Commission Antimicrobial Stewardship Standard (MM.09.01.01)
• National Quality Partners Playbooks: Antibiotic Stewardship in Acute Care
• SHEA Practice Resources for AMS
  • This section includes materials and forms, US Academic Medical Centers Online Steward Resources, International Online Stewardship Resources, and other resources

Antiseptics

• FDA’s Final Rule for Safety and Effective Health Care Antiseptics; Topical Antimicrobial Drug Products for OTC Use

APIC (Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology)

• APIC is the leading professional organization for IPs
• APIC’s educational programs, products, and services support IP work and its many stakeholders
• APIC collaborates with other professional associations, consumer groups, leaders, and regulatory and accrediting organizations

• APIC Chapters
• Chapters serving Alaska, Oregon, and Washington
• Chapters of APIC:
  • Advocate for infection prevention issues
  • Create opportunities for networking and communication
  • Local chapters provide support at the local level
  • Provide leadership and educational opportunities and mentoring
• APIC Online Courses
• Implementation Guides (Provide practical, evidence-based strategies for surveillance and the elimination of infection. Each guide includes online tools and resources.)

ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers

• ASHRAE – IP Resources

Candida auris

• CDC Fact Sheet on Candida auris (English), (Spanish)
• CDC information about this drug resistant yeast that spreads in healthcare facilities
• CDC Information for Laboratorians and Health Professionals
• CDC Information for Patients and Family Members

Cardboard Boxes and Shipping Containers

• Joint Commission Standards FAQ Details on managing cardboard or corrugated boxes and shipping containers
• AAMI Standard ANSI/AAMI ST79:2006

CAUTI (catheter-associated urinary tract infection)

• AHRQ CAUTI Wheel Infographic
• AHRQ Toolkit for Reducing CAUTIs
• APIC Guide to Preventing Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections
• org. Provides clinician and researcher resources with overview, key prevention strategies, and information on provider engagement, implementation and educational tools
• CDC Guideline for Prevention of Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections
• CDC Targeted Assessment for Prevention (TAP) CAUTI Toolkit
• CMS CAUTI Reporting: Operational Guidance for Fulfilling Hospital Inpatient IQR Requirements
• Emergency Nurses Association: CAUTI Prevention in the ED
• HRET-HIIN: Facing the Facts about CAUTI: Focus on the Emergency Department
• SHEA Patient Education Guide – CAUTI (English) (Spanish)
• SHEA Strategies to Prevent CAUTI in Acute Care Settings

CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Healthcare-associated Infection (HAI)

• CDC Core Infection Prevention and Control Practices

CHG (chlorhexidine)

• AJIC A descriptive study of bathing practices in acute care facilities in the (American Journal of Infection Control, 2019)
• CHG Bathing Skills Assessment by AHRQ.

Certification in Infection Control (CIC®)

• APIC resources
• CBIC (Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology)
• Predictors of certification in infection prevention and control among infection preventionists: APIC Mega Survey findings (AJIC, 2018)
• Washington State Department of Health/APIC Puget Sound CIC Study Group Meeting

CLABSI (central line-associated blood stream infection)

• AHRQ Toolkit for Reducing CLABSIs
• APIC Guide to Preventing CLABSIs
• CDC Guideline for Prevention of CLABSIs
• CDC Targeted Assessment for Prevention (TAP) CLABSI Implementation Guide
• CMS CLABSI Reporting: Operational Guidance for Fulfilling Hospital Inpatient IQR Requirements
• Improve PICC (multiple links to various resources and guidelines)
• SHEA Patient Education Guide – CLABSI
• SHEA Strategies to Prevent CLABSI in Acute Care Settings
• Needleless Connector Drying Time – How long does it take? American Journal of Infection Control, (American Journal of Infection Control, 2018).
• CLABSI: To use a PICC or not.
  • The Michigan Appropriateness Guide for Intravenous Catheters (MAGIC): Results from a Multispecialty Panel Using the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method, (Annals of Internal Medicine, 2015)
• CLABSI: To use a cap or not.
  • Antiseptic barrier cap effective in reducing central line-associated bloodstream infections: A systematic review and meta-analysis, International Journal of Nursing Studies, 2017

• CLABSI: Chlorhexidine bathing skills assessment by AHRQ.
• Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice: A systematic review, (revised 2016). (J Clin Nurs. 2012)
• Surveillance for Blood Stream Infections (CLABSI) and none-CLABSI.

Clostridioides difficile (C-diff)

• AHRQ Toolkit for Reduction of C. diff through Antimicrobial Stewardship

• APIC Chapter on C. diff (email sandraa@wsha.org)
• APIC Guide to Preventing C. diff Infections
• Brecher Guidelines
• Bristol Stool Chart
• CDC Targeted Assessment for Prevention (TAP) of C. diff
• CMS C. diff Reporting: Operational Guidance for Fulfilling Hospital Inpatient IQR Requirements
• IDSA/SHEA C. diff Pocket Guide
• IDSA/SHEA Clinical Practice Guidelines for C. diff Infection in Adults and Children
  • JAMA Synopsis
• Know your Poo (a.k.a. Poology)
• Reducing C. difficile Infections Toolkit – GNYHA/UHF C. diff Collaborative
• SHEA Patient Education Guide – C. diff
• SHEA Strategies to Prevent C. diff in Acute Care Settings
• Also see AMS (Antimicrobial Stewardship)

CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)

• Hospital Infection Control Worksheet [document used by surveyors to determine compliance with the Infection Control Condition of Participation]
• State Operations Manual (SOM): Appendix A – Survey Protocol, Regulations and Interpretive Guidelines for Hospitals
• State Operations Manual (SOM): Appendix G – Guidance for Surveyors: Rural Health Clinics
• State Operations Manual (SOM): Appendix W – Guidance for Surveyors: Critical Access Hospitals and Swing-Beds in CAHs
• CAUTI Reporting: Operational Guidance for Fulfilling CMS’s IQR Requirements
• State Operations Manual (SOM): Full Document and All Appendices

Construction

• FGI (The Facility Guidelines Institute): Guidelines or Design and Construction of Hospitals and Outpatient Facilities.
• WA DOH (Washington Department of Health): Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA) Form (PDF)
• The Importance of conducting a comprehensive ICRA (Infection Control risk Assessment) (Abatement Technologies, undated)

Contact Precautions

• Discontinuing contact precautions for multidrug-resistant organisms: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis, (AJIC, 2018)
• SHEA Expert Guidance: Duration of Contact Precautions for Acute-Care Settings (2017)
• CDC: 2007 Guidelines for Isolation Precautions: Preventing Transmission of Infectious Agents in Healthcare Settings
• WSHA: Isolation Precautions
  • Isolation Precautions Signage: High Level Containment
  • Isolation Precautions Signage: Airborne Contact
  • Isolation Precautions Signage: Airborne Respirator (e.g. Tuberculosis)
  • Isolation Precautions Signage: Airborne Respirator Contact Precautions (e.g. Measles)
  • Isolation Precautions Signage: Contact (e.g. MRSA)
  • Isolation Precautions Signage: Contact Enteric (e.g. Clostridioides difficile)
  • Isolation Precautions Signage: Droplet (e.g. Influenza)
  • Isolation Precautions Signage: Standard

• • Patient and Family Education: Airborne Respirator Precautions
  • Patient and Family Education: Contact Enteric Precautions
  • Patient and Family Education: Contact Precaution
  • Patient and Family Education: Droplet Precautions
  • Patient and Family Precautions: Airborne Contact Precautions

Core Infection Prevention and Control Practices

• Core Infection Prevention and Control Practices for Safe Healthcare Delivery in All Settings – Recommendations of the Healthcare Infection Practices Advisory Committee

CRE (carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae)

• CDC: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in Healthcare Settings
• AHRQ: Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) Control and Prevention Toolkit

Critical Access Hospitals

• CDC: Core Elements for Small and Critical Access Hospitals (antimicrobial stewardship)

Disinfection & Sterilization

• CDC: Guidelines for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities (2008)
• William Rutala: Disinfection & Sterilization

Suggested Resources:

• High-Level Disinfection and Sterilization Audit Checklist
• CDC Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities
• Selection of the Ideal Disinfectant
• FAQ: Contact time for disinfectants used on non-critical items
• Disinfection Risk Assessment
• EPA-Registered Antimicrobial Products
• UNCHC Endoscope Reprocessing Competency Checklist
• IC Inpatient Audit Tool

• ICAP (Nebraska Medicine):
• What is the recommendation for cleaning the brushes used when cleaning equipment in the sterile
• What is the recommendation for alcohol purge and forced air drying after endoscope reprocessing?
• What factors should be considered when developing a protocol or policy for cleaning and disinfection of blood glucose meters used on multiple patients?
• Is it sufficient to clean shared nail clippers with alcohol?
• What are the requirements for storing sterile items?
• Should gait belts be assigned per aide/therapist, and used on several residents, or should they be dedicated to one resident, and only used for that resident?
• Are there specific resources for reprocessing of flexible endoscopes?

Education – Patient & Family

• For Our Patients and Their Visitors: Help Prevent Infections
  • Endorsed by SHEA, IDSA, CDC, APIC, AHA, The Joint Commission

Endotracheal Tubes

• Joint Commission FAQ: How to clean, disinfect and store

Environmental Services

• CDC “EVS and the Battle Against Infection” is an interactive graphic novel illustrating

the important role of EVS personnel in the prevention of healthcare-associated

infections.

• APIC Environmental Services Training Modules and Tools
• Modules include
• Basic Principles of Infection Control for EVS Technicians
• PPE and EVS: Keeping EVS Team Members, Patients, and Caregivers Safety
• Chemical Safety for EVS
• Surface Cleaning and Disinfection Procedures and Techniques in EVS

• Minnesota Hospital Association: Environmental Services Cleaning Guidebook
• ICAP (Nebraska Medicine)
• What should NOT be stored under sinks?
• Where can I find a list of the cleaning/disinfecting products effective for killing bacteria and viruses?
• Is it true that when a facility has patients/residents with Clostridium difficile or Norovirus, a special type of disinfectant is required after cleaning?

Epidemiology (Principles of) – Self-study course

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  • This self-study course is based upon the printed text: Principles of Epidemiology in Public Health Practice, An Introduction to Applied Epidemiology and Biostatistics, updated 2012.

ERAS (enhanced recovery after surgery)

• ERAS Society Guidelines
• ERAS is a multimodal perioperative care pathway designed to achieve early recovery for patients undergoing major surgery.
• ERAS represents a paradigm shift in perioperative care in two ways. First, it reexamines traditional practices, replacing them with evidence-based best practices when necessary. Second, it is comprehensive in its scope, covering all areas of the patient’s journey through the surgical process.
• Reduce care time by more than 30 percent
• Reduce complications by up to 50 percent (ERAS Society Guidelines)

Fecal Transplantation

• British Society of Gastroenterology and Healthcare Infection Society: Fecal Transplantation Clinical Practice Guidelines (2018) (Medscape summary)
• Stanford Medicine Fecal Microbiota Transplant: Openbiome Infusate Therapy Guideline
• Article: Low Cure Rates in Controlled Trials of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis, Clinical Infectious             Diseases, April 2019; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciy721

Glucometer Cleaning

• ICAP (Nebraska Medicine)
• Glucometer Cleaning Protocol Template

Hand Hygiene

• CDC Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings, 2002
• WHO Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care, 2009
• Full Guidelines
• Summary of Guidelines
• SHEA: Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections through Hand Hygiene, 2014
• Briefing on Hand Hygiene Auditing

Hospital Improvement Innovation Networks (HIINS)

How Long Do Organisms Survive on Surfaces

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1564025/

Humidity Levels

• Joint Communication: Guidance on humidity levels in the operating room (2015)

Infection Preventionists

• APIC Professional Practice: Developmental Path
• APIC Professional and Practice Standards (AJIC, 2016)
• APIC Roadmap for the Novice Infection Preventionist
• APIC Prevention Strategist: Onboarding a Novice IP

Infectious Diseases Society of America

• IDSA Practice Guidelines
  • Practice guidelines are systematically developed statements to assist practitioners and patients in making decisions about appropriate health care for specific clinical circumstances.

Injection Safety

• CDC: Injection Safety
• Downloadable materials
• FAQs Regarding Safe Practices for Medical Injections (including info on multi-dose vials)
• CDC: Safe Injection Practices to Prevent Transmission of Infections to Patients
• Joint Commission
• ICAP (Nebraska Medicine)
  • Should I verify the competency of the healthcare workers who are performing assisted blood?
  • What factors should be considered when developing a protocol or policy for cleaning and disinfection of blood glucose meters used on multiple patients?
• Blunt-Tip Surgical Suture Needles Reduce Needlestick Injuries & the Risk of Subsequent Bloodborne Pathogen Transmission to Surgical Personnel
• Sharps Safety for Healthcare Settings: Brochure, Workbook, PowerPoint slides, and Posters
• Use of Blunt-Tip Suture Needles to Decrease Percutaneous Injuries to Surgical Personnel (2008-101)
• CDC/NIOSH – Stop Sticks Campaign

Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI)

• How-to Guide: Prevent Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (includes vent bundle)
• Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA)

Isolation Guidelines

• CDC 2007 Guidelines for Isolation Precautions: Preventing Transmission of Infectious Agents in Healthcare Settings (2007)
• SHEA Expert Guidance: Duration of Contact Precautions for Acute-Care Settings

See also

• CDC Management of Multidrug-Resistant Organisms in Healthcare Settings, 2006

Isolation Precautions

• WSHA: Isolation Precautions
  • Isolation Precautions Signage: High Level Containment
  • Isolation Precautions Signage: Airborne Contact
  • Isolation Precautions Signage: Airborne Respirator (e.g. Tuberculosis)
  • Isolation Precautions Signage: Airborne Respirator Contact Precautions (e.g. Measles)
  • Isolation Precautions Signage: Contact (e.g. MRSA)
  • Isolation Precautions Signage: Contact Enteric (e.g. Clostridioides difficile)
  • Isolation Precautions Signage: Droplet (e.g. Influenza)
  • Isolation Precautions Signage: Standard
  • Patient and Family Education: Airborne Respirator Precautions
  • Patient and Family Education: Contact Enteric Precautions
  • Patient and Family Education: Contact Precaution
  • Patient and Family Education: Droplet Precautions
  • Patient and Family Precautions: Airborne Contact Precautions

Joint Commission, The (TJC)

• New scoring revisions for IC.02.02.01 now in effect (Sept. 2018)

Helpful places on their website (no membership required):

• Main TJC Page
• Infection Prevention and HAI Portal
• Standards Interpretation FAQs (you can also sign up for alerts on new FAQs)
• If your question is not found in the FAQs, ask TJC a question here.
• Search by chapter [e.g. Infection Prevention and Control (IC) and Medication Management (MM – antimicrobial stewardship)]
• Resource: The JC Big Book of Policies and Procedures for Hospitals – $299 eBook
• Speak Up™ To Prevent Infection
• A new patient safety campaign from The Joint Commission, offers free materials for health care facilities and staff to download and provide to patients and their families, so they can become active in their own care.

Linen/Laundry

• The Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC)
  • Accreditation Standards for Processing Reusable Textiles
    • Note: you can send a question to HLAC off the main page
  • HLAC Standards Checklist – excellent tool to use when visiting or assessing a healthcare laundry facility
• Association for Linen Management
• Joint Commission FAQ: Does the JC require employers to commercially launder surgical scrubs and other surgical attire?
• ICAP (Nebraska Medicine): I have been cited for having linen stored inappropriately. What is the recommendation for storing linen?
• Laundering C. difficile patient items
• Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA) o Video: The Six Cs – Handling Soiled Linen (order free flash drive at trsa.org/soiledlinen)
• Joint Commission – Standards FAQs

Medical Waste (waste management)

• Washington Biohazard Waste Regulations
• OSHA: Hazardous Waste
• Stericyle (medical waste management company):
• Knowledge Center
• Webinar: Medical Waste Segregation 101
• Webinar: OSHA 101: Understanding Regulations and Avoiding Penalties

Medication Preparation

• What is a “splash zone” and what is the guidance associated with it?

NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)

• Healthcare Respiratory Protection Resources

NHSN (National Healthcare Safety Network)

• 2018 NHSN Patient Safety Component Manual (definitions for all HAIs reported into NHSN)
• Acute Care Hospitals

There are sections for each of the following:

• BSI – Surveillance for bloodstream infections
• UTI – Surveillance for urinary tract infections
• MDRO/ C. diff– Surveillance for C. difficile, MRSA, and other Drug-resistant Infections
• SSI – Surveillance for Surgical Site Infection Events
• VAE – Surveillance for Ventilator-associated Events
• Surveillance for Healthcare Personnel Vaccination

• National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Newsletters
• NHSN Training Videos
• NHSN Self-Paced Interactive Trainings
• Guide to the SIR – 2019

Operating Room Attire (ear and hair coverage)

• A Statement from the Meeting of ACS, AORN, ASA, APIC, AST and TJC

OSHA (Occupational Health and Safety Administration)

• Bloodborne Pathogens Standard
• Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (1910.1030)
• Standard Interpretations
• Tuberculosis Standards (overview)
• OSHA: Healthcare-Wide Hazards – Tuberculosis (excellent, easy to use resource)
• Safety and Health Topics

Outbreak Response Guidance

• SHEA Expert Guidance: Outbreak Response and Incident Management: SHEA Guidance and Resources for Healthcare Epidemiologists in United States Acute-Care Hospitals
• SHEA Outbreak Response Training Program (four free tool kits)
• The CDC Field Epidemiology Manual

PDSA (see IHI)

Policy Review

• ICAP (Nebraska Medicine)
• How do I go about reviewing infection control policies and bringing them up to date?

Preop Antibiotic Guidelines

• Clinical practice guidelines for antimicrobial prophylaxis in surgery
  • Developed jointly by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), the Surgical Infection Society (SIS), and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA).

Principles of Epidemiology – Self Study Course

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): This self-study course is based upon the printed text: Principles of Epidemiology I Public Health, updated 2012.

Psychiatric Hospitals

• The Joint Commission
• Behavioral Health Care HAI Portal
• CMS
• State Operations Manual (SOM): Appendix AA – P Psychiatric Hospitals – Interpretive

Quality Improvement

• Institute for Healthcare Improvement – IHI’s Quality Improvement Essentials includes the tools and templates you need to launch and manage a successful improvement project. Each of the ten tools in the toolkit includes a short description, instructions, an example and a blank template.

Respiratory Protection

• New study on gaps in respiratory protection guidance
• Opportunities to bridge gaps between respiratory protection guidance and practice – ICHE
• Respiratoy Fit Test FAQs

Return on Investment, IPC program

• APIC
  • Infection Prevention-The Unappreciated Return on Investment: Patient Lives and the Bottom Line
• Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority
• Demonstrating Return on Investment for Infection Prevention and Control

Sepsis  (Link to Sue’s website)

• WHO: How to prevent sepsis infographic
• Sepsis Alliance
• CDC: Clinical Resources for Sepsis

Sharps Safety (see Injection Safety)

SHEA (The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America)

• For Our Patients and Their Visitors: Help Prevent Infections
• Endorsed by SHEA, IDSA, CDC, APIC, AHA, The Joint Commission
• Compendium of Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections in Acute Care Hospitals
• SHEA Guidelines and Expert Guidance Documents

Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM)

 

SSIs (surgical site infections)

• AHA: Guidance on humidity levels in the operating room (2015)
• AHRQ Toolkit to Promote Safe Surgery
• AHRQ Toolkit to Improve Safety in Ambulatory Surgery Centers
• APIC Infection Preventionist’s Guide to the OR (2018)
• APIC Guide to Elimination of Orthopedic and Mediastinitis SSIs (2010)
• CDC Guideline for Prevention of SSIs (2017)
• SHEA Strategies to Prevent SSIs in Acute Care Settings (2014)
• SHEA Guidance: Infection Prevention in the Operating Room Anesthesia Work Area
• CDC HAN Alert – Contaminated Heater-Cooler Devices Using During Surgery (2016)
• CMS SSI Reporting: Operational Guidance for Fulfilling Hospital Inpatient IQR
• 7S Bundle for Reducing SSIs
• Air Contamination and SSI Risk – Resources from presentation by Maureen Spencer, 2018

Staffing and HAIs, Hospital

• TJC: Hospital Staffing and HAIs – A Systematic Review of the Literature, 2018
• AJIC: A Systematic Approach to Quantifying Infection Prevention Staffing and, 2018

Statistics

• Online Statistics Education: A Multimedia Course of Study, Project leader David M. Lane, Rice University.
• p Value, Type I and Type II Errors
• Standard Deviation, Normal Distribution
• Correlation
• Morbidity Frequency Measures: incidence/attack rates, point/period prevalence
• Statistics Definitions – Matching Activity
• sensitivity and Specificity
• Sensitivity and Specificity Explained Clearly (Biostatistics) (12 minutes)
• Medical Statistics: Calculating Sensitivity and Specificity Using a 2×2 Table (< 2 minutes)
• Sensitivity & Specificity (Biostatistics) – Made Extremely Easy to Recall (snout and spin) (1 minute)
• CDC: Risk Ratios

Tools and Forms

• ICAP (Infection Control Assessment and Promotion Program), Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
  • The Nebraska ICAP team develops new tools for IPs or provides resources of tools and forms that are already available. They have compiled popularly used tools and forms on their website.  These include:
    • CDC Infection Control Self-Assessment Tools
    • CLABSI Prevention
    • CMS Audit Tools
    • Device Disinfection/Sterilization
    • Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection
    • Environmental Rounding
    • Hand Hygiene
    • Indwelling Urinary Catheters
    • Infection Control Committee resource
    • Infection Surveillance
    • Infection Safety
    • Medication Administration
    • Observation Tools
    • Outbreaks
    • Personal Protective Equipment
    • Staff audit documentation tool
    • Surveillance
    • Transfer Form
    • Visitor Screening
    • And, others

VAE (ventilator-associated event)

• AHRQ Toolkit to Improve Safety for Mechanically Ventilated Patients
• AHRQ: Daily Care Processes Guide for Reducing VAEs
• AHRQ: CUSP Guide for Reducing Ventilator Associated Events in Mechanically Ventilated Patients
• ICU Liberation ABCDEF Bundle
• IHI: How-to Guide: Prevent Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (includes vent bundle)
• SHEA Patient Education Guide
• SHEA Strategies to Prevent VAP in Acute Care Settings

Waste Management (see Medical Waste)

Water Management

• CMS: Requirement to Reduce Legionella Risk in Healthcare Facility Water Systems to Prevent Cases and Outbreaks of Legionnaires’ Disease (LD)
• CDC: Legionella
• CDC: Healthcare-associated Legionnaires’ Disease
• CDC: Toolkit: Developing a Water Management Program to Reduce Legionella Growth and

Spread in Buildings

• CDC: Special Considerations for Healthcare Facilities
• APIC: What You Need to Know about Legionnaires’ Disease
• ASHRAE: Guidance on Reducing the Risk of Legionella
• The Joint Commission: Accountability Measures
• Article: Preventing Waterborne Pathogen Transmission, Infection Control Today, March 2019

WHO (World Health Organization)

• WHO Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care (2009)
• WHO Infection Prevention and Control
• Guidelines on core preventions of infection prevention and control programmes at the national and acute health care facility level.
• WHO provides:
  • Evidence, guidelines, and publications
  • Implementation tools and resources
  • Campaigns
  • News and events