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re known to survive on non-antimicrobial inanimate 'touch' surfaces (e.g.
, bedrails, over-the-bed trays, call

buttons, bathroom hardware, etc.) for extended periods of time. [24][25] This can be especially troublesome in
hospital environments where patients with immunodeficiencies are at enhanced risk for contracting nosocomial
infections. [citation needed]
Products made with antimicrobial copper alloy (brasses, bronzes, cupronickel, copper-nickel-zinc, and others)
surfaces destroy a wide range of microorganisms in a short period of time.[26] The United States Environmental
Protection Agency has approved the registration of 355 different antimicrobial copper alloys and one synthetic
copper-infused hard surface that kill E. coli O157:H7, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
aureus (MRSA), Staphylococcus, Enterobacter aerogenes, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in less than 2 hours
of contact. Other investigations have demonstrated the efficacy of antimicrobial copper alloys to
destroy Clostridium difficile, influenza A virus, adenovirus, and fungi.[26] As a public hygienic measure in addition
to regular cleaning, antimicrobial copper alloys are being installed in healthcare facilities in the UK, Ireland,
Japan, Korea, France, Denmark, and Brazil. The synthetic hard surface is being installed in the United States
as well as in Israel.[27]
Vaccination of health care workers

[edit]
Health care workers may be exposed to certain infections in the course of their work. Vaccines are available to
provide some protection to workers in a healthcare setting. Depending on regulation, recommendation, the
specific work function, or personal preference, healthcare workers or first responders may receive vaccinations
for hepatitis B; influenza; measles, mumps and rubella; Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis; N. meningitidis;
and varicella.[28]
Surveillance for infections

[edit]
Main article: Disease surveillance
Surveillance is the act of infection investigation using the CDC definitions. Determining the presence of a
hospital acquired infection requires an infection control practitioner (ICP) to review a patient's chart and see if
the patient had the signs and symptom of an infection. Surveillance definitions exist for infections of the
bloodstream, urinary tract, pneumonia, surgical sites and gastroenteritis. [citation needed]
Surveillance traditionally involved significant manual data assessment and entry in order to assess preventative
actions such as isolation of patients with an infectious disease. Increasingly, computerized software solutions
are becoming available that assess incoming risk messages from microbiology and other online sources. By
reducing the need for data entry, software can reduce the data workload of ICPs, freeing them to concentrate
on clinical surveillance. [citation needed]
As of 1998, approximately one third of healthcare acquired infections were preventable.[29] Surveillance and
preventative activities are increasingly a priority for hospital staff. The Study on the Efficacy of Nosocomial
Infection Control (SENIC) project by the U.S. CDC found in the 1970s that hospitals reduced their nosocomial
infection rates by approximately 32 per cent by focusing on surveillance activities and prevention efforts. [30]
Isolation and quarantine

[edit]
Main article: Isolation (health care)
Further information: Pandemic § Management, and Epidemiology § Population based health management
In healthcare facilities, medical isolation refers to various physical measures taken to
interrupt nosocomial spread of contagious diseases. Various forms of isolation exist, and are applied
depending on the type of infection and agent involved, and its route of transmission, to address the likelihood of
spread via airborne particles or droplets, by direct skin contact, or via contact with body fluids. [citation needed]
In cases where infection is merely suspected, individuals may be quarantined until the incubation period has
passed and the disease manifests itself or the person remains healthy. Groups may undergo quarantine, or in
the case of communities, a cordon sanitaire may be imposed to prevent infection from spreading beyond the
community, or in the case of protective sequestration, into a community. Public health authorities may
implement other forms of social distancing, such as school closings, when needing to control an epidemic.[31]
Barriers and facilitators of implementing

infection prevention and control guidelines
[edit]
Barriers to the ability of healthcare workers to follow PPE and infection control guidelines include
communication of the guidelines, workplace support (manager support), the culture of use at the workplace,
adequate training, the amount of physical space in the facility, access to PPE, and healthcare worker
motivation to provide good patient care.[32]Facilitators include the importance of including all the staff in a facility
(healthcare workers and support staff) should be done when guidelines are implemented.[32]
Outbreak investigation
[edit]
Further information: Epidemic, Pandemic, and Syndemic
When an unusual cluster of illness is noted, infection control teams undertake an investigation to determine
whether there is a true disease outbreak, a pseudo-outbreak (a result of contamination within the diagnostic
testing process), or just random fluctuation in the frequency of illness. If a true outbreak is discovered, infection
control practitioners try to determine what permitted the outbreak to occur, and to rearrange the conditions to
prevent ongoing propagation of the infection. Often, breaches in good practice are responsible, although
sometimes other factors (such as construction) may be the source of the problem. [citation needed]
Outbreaks investigations have more than a single purpose. These investigations are carried out in order to
prevent additional cases in the current outbreak, prevent future outbreaks, learn about a new disease or learn
something new about an old disease. Reassuring the public, minimizing the economic and social disruption as
well as teaching epidemiology are some other obvious objectives of outbreak investigations.[33]
According to the WHO, outbreak investigations are meant to detect what is causing the outbreak, how the
pathogenic agent is transmitted, where it all started from, what is the carrier, what is the population at risk of
getting infected and what are the risk factors.[citation needed]
Training in infection control and health care epid

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re known to survive on non-antimicrobial inanimate 'touch' surfaces (e.g.

, bedrails, over-the-bed trays, call

Vaccination of health care workers

Surveillance for infections

Main article: Disease surveillance

Isolation and quarantine

Main article: Isolation (health care)

Barriers and facilitators of implementing

Further information: Epidemic, Pandemic, and Syndemic

Training in infection control and health care epid

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