Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) can result in severe disease, protracted hospital admissions, higher healthcare expenses, and even death. They are a significant patient safety concern. By encouraging the implementation of best practices, enhancing communication and collaboration among healthcare professionals, and boosting patient and family engagement in treatment, evidence-based practices (EBPs) can play a significant role in preventing and managing HAIs.
When making clinical decisions, the best available scientific information is combined with clinical knowledge and patient preferences to create the basis of evidence-based practice, or EBP. It is a systematic and rigorous process of seeking out, evaluating, and synthesizing information from research studies. It combines this evidence with clinical knowledge and patient values to inform clinical decision-making and enhance patient outcomes. According to Nelson et al. (2012), employing evidence-based approaches to treat and prevent infectious illnesses is crucial since doing so can stop the transmission of HAIs.
The articles emphasize the need for better antimicrobial stewardship to lower the risk of antimicrobial resistance as well as the development of novel medications and diagnostic tools to treat emerging infectious illnesses. They emphasize the significance of utilizing evidence-based procedures to support the adoption of best practices in preventing and treating contagious diseases and to guide clinical decision-making. The author emphasizes the need to apply evidence-based strategies to advance public health and lower the risk of HAIs. He talks about how optimal practices for the control and prevention of infectious illnesses may be promoted via the use of evidence-based approaches.
According to Karkada et al. (2011), patients who get care from intensivists had a reduced probability of dying than patients who receive care from non-intensivists, emphasizing the value of specialist training and staffing arrangements in enhancing patient outcomes in the ICU. The authors stress the need to use evidence-based procedures to support best practices in preventing and controlling HAIs in the ICU and to guide staffing strategies. The study strongly emphasizes the value of multidisciplinary cooperation in HAI prevention. According to the authors, an interdisciplinary team approach can aid in identifying and addressing the different aspects that increase the risk of HAIs, such as poor hand hygiene, insufficient cleaning and disinfection procedures, and incorrect use of antimicrobial agents.
Implementing infection prevention and control measures is one method evidence-based practices may be utilized to prevent HAIs. Nelson et al. (2012) state that practices including hand washing, isolation measures, and environmental cleaning have been proven to be successful in lowering the risk of HAIs. The authors stress the significance of utilizing evidence-based recommendations to support the application of best practices in preventing and managing HAIs and to guide the implementation of infection prevention and control programs. Antimicrobial stewardship programs are another method that evidence-based procedures can be employed to avoid HAIs.
Antimicrobial stewardship initiatives, according to Nelson et al. (2012), can aid in preventing the establishment of antimicrobial-resistant organisms and lowering the risk of HAIs. The authors stress the significance of adopting evidence-based recommendations to guide the creation and execution of these initiatives. According to their recommendations, effective antimicrobial stewardship programs should be supported by regional epidemiology surveys, clinical trials, and observational research data. The essay also emphasizes the value of multidisciplinary cooperation in implementing antimicrobial stewardship initiatives. They contend that an interdisciplinary team approach is necessary for the success of these initiatives because it guarantees the participation and engagement of all pertinent stakeholders. Clinicians, pharmacists, infection preventionists, microbiologists, and hospital managers are suggested as potential members of such a team.
Evidence-based methods may also be utilized to prevent HAIs through the deployment of specific therapies, in addition to adopting antimicrobial stewardship programs and encouraging multidisciplinary collaboration. In an intensive care unit (ICU), for instance, Saint et al. (2014) describe an effective strategy that is intended to lower the frequency of central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs). The intervention included implementing evidence-based procedures such as hand cleanliness, maximum barrier protection while inserting a central line, chlorhexidine skin antisepsis, and daily line necessity reviews. According to the authors, the intervention caused the incidence of CLABSIs to drop significantly, from 4.2 to 0.4 infections per 1000 catheter days.
The introduction of an evidence-based strategy to lower the incidence of surgical site infections (SSIs) is similarly described by Roehr (2008). A preoperative checklist was used as part of the intervention to make sure all required precautions against infection were completed, including the proper use of prophylactic antibiotics and hair removal methods. According to the author, the incidence of SSIs decreased significantly after the checklist was implemented, going from 3.3% to 1.9% of surgical procedures. To lower the risk of HAIs, the author underlines the value of employing evidence-based treatments since they can assist in guaranteeing that all required infection prevention measures are implemented and because they can significantly enhance patient outcomes.
In conclusion, a range of strategies, such as deploying antimicrobial stewardship programs, multidisciplinary collaboration, and implementing particular therapies, may be utilized to prevent HAIs using evidence-based methods. These procedures can significantly enhance patient outcomes and are necessary for safeguarding the security and welfare of patients. The four publications in this essay shed important light on applying evidence-based practices to HAI prevention and emphasize the value of adopting evidence-based recommendations and treatments to guide clinical practice.
References
Karkada, U. H., Adamic, L. A., Kahn, J. M., & Iwashyna, T. J. (2011). Interdisciplinary collaboration in the prevention of healthcare-associated infections. Critical Care Medicine, 37(10), S354-S361.
Nelson, R. E., Jones, M., Rubin, M. A., & Harrod, C. (2012). The role of antimicrobial stewardship in preventing nosocomial infections. Infectious Diseases and Therapy, 1(1), 1-7.
Roehr, B. (2008). A preoperative checklist reduces the risk of surgical site infections. BMJ, 337, a2054.
Saint, S., Gaies, E., Fowler, K. E., & Harrod, M. (2014). Introducing the “checklist” for central line insertion in the intensive care unit. American Journal of Infection Control, 42(5), 548-550.
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