Day 3 of the APIC conference was very informative and enjoyed by the many hygiene professionals in attendance!   It was very interesting to be able to speak with a lot of the Infection Preventionist attendees while at my booth during exhibiting hours.  I love to hear what topics and workshops they needed to learn about in order to increase their infection control numbers.  Topics that were discussed by attendees today included risk assessments, patient surveillance and how to deal with Environmental Cleaning issues.

In relationship to environmental cleaning issues, it was very surprising to see how many kits were sold at our booth today.  We had a record trade show sales amount and have kept our offices busy at home. 

Since the workshops yesterday, many attendees have been in search of the Surface Detection Gel that helps Infection Preventionists verify that their cleaning staff is doing a good job.  Attendees were very excited to find out how the fluorescent gel can be placed at certain points around the room and then can be checked with a UV black light to see if it is clean. 

Further, the IPs loved that they could provide scores and collect data depending on how many fluorescent spots remain (i.e. "the environmental cleaning staff erased 7 out 10 spots in the room for a 70% compliance rate") after the cleaning was completed.  Once your data is collected, you can start comparing past numbers (and individual employees) and benchmarking other facility compliance numbers.  Contact us for more information or for other ideas for fluorescent trainings.

The following briefings from workshops that were attended by OUTFOX Prevention will help give you some helpful information.  If you would like a copy of the handouts given out at the workshops or more detailed information then please email us!  info@OUTFOXprevention.com

Workshop- Session 2101: Infection Prevention Risk Assessment; the Starting Place for Your IP Program

Presenter: Terrie Lee, RN, MS, MPH, CIC
What a great workshop!  Terrie was very professional and very informative about conducting risk assessments for your organization.  She passed out a sheet that gave a good outline and plan of action in order to conduct an effective risk assessment.  Some of the factors that were being recommended include: Geographic & Environmental, Population Characteristics, Area Endemic Infections, Medical Care Characteristics, Services Provided.  

Terrie worked on getting to a number of Potential Risks/Problems that might occur in a health care setting.  Those factors included: Diseases (MRSA, C diff., VRE, etc.), Prevention Activities (lack of hand hygiene, lack of patient immunization, etc.), Isolation Activities (lack of Standard Precautions... Airborne, Contact, Droplet, etc.), Policy and Procedure, Preparedness and Healthcare Acquired Infections. The three sections of assessment that were calculated to give each risk a score included: Probability, Risk Impact and the current state of preparedness for the facility (for the respective risk).  Please email if you would like a copy of the example assessment.

The tendency for Infection Preventionists to try to use the risk assessments of other facilities should be squandered.  Nothing replaces hard work, deep thought and team collaboration inside each facility.  Risk assessments can really only reduce risks and increase compliance when everyone in the organization is working together.  Terrie stressed that getting a member of each department or team to meet together and discuss the assessment is essential.  If some health care members cannot make it- you need to meet with them individually.  It's that important in order to have an effective assessment!

Workshop- Session 2104: How to Develop an Infection Surveillance Program in Long-Term Care

Presenters: Lona Mody, MD, MSc; Nimalie Stone, MD, MS
This is such a tough infection control subject but very needed for facilities across the world! The timing and details of surveillance can make all the difference in the impact of an outbreak.

The case studies handed out were very helpful as each group worked through the issues to find the relevance and importance of surveillance.  We can provide you with these infection control case studies if desired.

Some key points about surveillance that were made include:
-"Data collection of infections should be performed by individuals who understand the surveillance definitions and process measures
-"Develop a data collection tool to fit a given surveillance objective (process vs. outcome)
-"Collaborate with IT and use IT resources to support surveillance activities when possible
-"Develop standard processes and tools to perform surveillance to ensure consistency and comparability of the data over time
-"Linking surveillance data with prevention efforts is the ultimate goal in infection control"

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