Best Practices In Care: Guidelines & Standards

Implementation of best clinical and infection prevention practices are provided in guidelines and standards published by government organizations, professional associations, and quality groups. The following lists current recommendations, guidelines, suggested approaches, and guiding principles.

American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC)

  • Competency in infection prevention: A conceptual approach to guide current and future practice
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Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI)

  • 2011 Medical Device Reprocessing Summit
    Access materials from the summit, where leaders met to identify, discuss, and formulate strategic initiatives and priorities to improve the safe reprocessing of reusable medical devices.
    VISIT SITE
  • ST41 and ST79 Registry
    ANSI/AAMI ST41, Ethylene oxide sterilization in health care facilities: Safety and effectiveness.
    ANSI/AAMI ST79, Comprehensive guide to steam sterilization and sterility assurance in health care facilities.
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Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)

  • ASTHO is working with HHS, CDC, and the Keystone Center to determine the role of state health officials in decreasing and preventing HAIs, specifically addressing priorities, challenges, and solutions at the state and regional level.
    VISIT SITE

Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN)

  • Guidelines for the location of automatic endoscope reprocessors
    Determining whether the AER is located on the decontamination or the clean side of the SPD or the endoscopy suite reprocessing area will depend on the type of AER being used.
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  • Perioperative Standards and Recommended Practices, 2011 Edition
    Contains the AORN approved standards, recommended practices, guidelines, and guidance statements. These comprehensive documents reflect the perioperative RN’s scope of professional responsibility and provide essential information for the delivery of safe patient care and a safe work environment.
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Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC)

  • Guide to Infection Prevention in Emergency Medical Services
    Guide is designed to help infection preventionists apply current scientific knowledge and best practices to achieve targeted outcomes and enhance patient safety.
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  • On-Demand Webinars
    Access the Webinar Library which provides the most comprehensive healthcare-associated infection reduction strategies, education and training available.
    VISIT WEBSITE
  • Clean Spaces, Healthy Patients
    The Clean Spaces, Healthy Patients project delivers free online tools and resources for infection preventionists and environmental services professionals. Led by a multidisciplinary panel of clinical advisors, Clean Spaces, Healthy Patients brings together existing infection prevention and environmental services education and develops new companion resources.
    VISIT WEBSITE
  • Guide to the Elimination of Methicillin-Resistant Staphyloccus aureus (MRSA) Transmission in Hospital Settings, 2nd Edition.
    Provides current research findings, and updated “level of evidence” guidance are integrated into the best practice recommendations for MRSA surveillance, risk assessment, and the effective hospital MRSA management program.
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  • Guide to the Elimination of Orthopedic Surgical Site Infections.
    The purpose of this guide, developed in collaboration with the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN), is to provide practical tools, strategies and resources for infection preventionists, care providers, surgical staff and quality improvement teams to use in their efforts to eliminate surgical site infections (SSIs) in orthopedic surgery.
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  • Guide To The Elimination of Acinetobacter baumannii.
    This guide provides a summary of the latest studies, outbreak experiences, applicable guidelines and tools to manage and eliminate transmission of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MDR Ab) in healthcare settings.
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  • Guide To The Elimination of CAUTIs.
    This guide is designed specifically to provide the necessary, evidence-based resources for the prevention of CAUTIs in acute and long-term-care settings.
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  • Guide To The Elimination of Clostridium difficile.
    This invaluable resource provides comprehensive, evidence-based guidance for the elimination of CDI in healthcare settings.
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  • Guide To The Elimination of CRBSIs.
    This guide provides step-by-step guidance to facilitate the bedside implementation of relevant clinical evidence and best practices for eliminating Catheter-Related Bloodstream Infections (CRBSIs).
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  • Guide To The Elimination of Hemodialysis.
    The Guide to the Elimination of Infections in Hemodialysis provides evidence-based best practices for keeping hemodialysis patients safe from infection.
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  • Guide To The Elimination of Mediastinitis.
    To help control the far-reaching clinical and financial impacts of mediastinitis, a comprehensive surgical site infection prevention program is imperative. This guide provides the necessary, evidence-based strategies to help infection preventionists in minimizing the risk of mediastinitis following cardiac surgery procedures.
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  • Guide To The Elimination of MRSA in Hospital Settings.
    For decades, MRSA has been the most commonly identified multidrug-resistant pathogen throughout most of the world. Increasing incidence of MRSA is well-documented and continues to have a tremendous impact on patients and their families, as well as hospital bottom lines. This guide was created to address the impact of MRSA and establish policies for eliminating its transmission in hospital settings.
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  • Guide To The Elimination of MRSA in Hospital Settings - California Supplement.
    This document was created to provide California-based hospitals and other healthcare providers with the most recent scientific and regulatory information on the prevention and control of MRSA. Efforts to eliminate MRSA transmission have been the focus of recent legislative activities in California, and planned requirements will require interpretation and guided implementation. New legislation may be introduced in 2009; this document will be updated to reflect any changes that may occur. Topics already addressed in APIC's MRSA Elimination Guide are not repeated in this document.
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  • Guide To The Elimination of MRSA in Long-Term-Care Setting.
    This guide provides comprehensive, evidence-based strategies for eliminating MRSA across the entire spectrum of long-term care facilities.
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  • Guide To The Elimination of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia.
    To reduce risk of associated with Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia, an effective facility-wide infection prevention program is critical. This guide provides evidence-based practice guidance to help eliminate VAP in the healthcare setting.
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ASC Quality Collaboration

  • Environmental Infection Prevention Toolkit
    Includes three essential resources: Environmental Infection Control — What CMS Surveyors Are Looking For, Environmental Cleaning Policy and Procedure Template, Spills Policy and Procedure Template

American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE)

  • Adverse events of upper GI endoscopy. DOWNLOAD
  • Multi-Society Guideline on Reprocessing Flexible Gastrointestinal Endoscopes DOWNLOAD

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

  • National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Report, Data Summary for 2011, Device-associated Module
    VISIT SITE
  • CDC and HICPAC Clarify Guidelines on "Environmental Fogging"
    2003 and 2008 recommendations do not apply to newer technologies involving fogging for room decontamination (e.g., ozone mists, vaporized hydrogen peroxide) that have become available since the 2003 and 2008 recommendations were made. These newer technologies were assessed by CDC and HICPAC in the 2011 Guideline for the Prevention and Control of Norovirus Gastroenteritis Outbreaks in Healthcare Settings.
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  • Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Health-Care Settings: Recommendations of the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee and the HICPAC/SHEA/APIC/IDSA Hand Hygiene Task Force
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  • Guide to Infection Prevention for Outpatient Settings: Minimum Expectations for Safe Care
    This site provides a summary guide of infection prevention recommendations for outpatient (ambulatory care) settings.
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  • Guidelines for Environmental Infection Control in Health-Care Facilities.
    Recommendations of CDC and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC)
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  • Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities
    Presents evidence-based recommendations on the preferred methods for cleaning, disinfection and sterilization of patient-care medical devices and for cleaning and disinfecting the healthcare environment. This document supercedes the relevant sections contained in the 1985 Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Guideline for Handwashing and Environmental Control
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  • Guideline for Prevention of Surgical Site Infection
    Presents the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s recommendations for the prevention of surgical site infections (SSIs), formerly called surgical wound infections. This two-part guideline updates and replaces previous guidelines
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  • Management of Multidrug-Resistant Organisms In Healthcare Settings
    Preventing infections will reduce the burden of MDROs in healthcare settings. Prevention of antimicrobial resistance depends on appropriate clinical practices that should be incorporated into all routine patient care.
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  • Proper Sequence for Donning Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
    Learn the correct order to put on and remove biological personal protective equipment (PPE).
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Cleaning and Disinfection in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

  • British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) Endoscopy Committee DOWNLOAD
  • ESGE and ESGENA Guideline Committee of the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) and the European Society of Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Nurses and Associates (ESGENA) DOWNLOAD
  • Gastroenterological Society of Australia DOWNLOAD
  • Japanese Gastroenterological Endoscopy Technicians Society DOWNLOAD
  • Multi-society Guidline for Reproessing Flexible Gastrointestinal Endoscopes DOWNLOAD
  • Minnesota Department of Health VISIT SITE

European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC)

  • Core competencies for infection control and hospital hygiene professionals in the European Union.
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International Federation of Infection Control (IFIC)

Infection Prevention (UK)

  • NICE Pathways
    Prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs)
    VISIT SITE
  • Infection Control Nurses Association (ICNA)
    Audit Tools for Monitoring Infection Control Guildeines within the Community Setting
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  • The Infection Prevention Society
    The Infection Prevention Society publishes guidance and standards for nurses and other practitioners working in infection prevention and control.
    VIEW NOW
  • National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence
    Infection: prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections in primary and community care.
    VISIT WEBSITE

Joint Commission

  • Improving Patient and Worker Safety: Opportunities for Synergy, Collaboration and Innovation
    This monograph is intended to stimulate greater awareness of the potential synergies between patient and worker health and safety activities.
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  • Improving America's Hospitals
    The Joint Commission's Annual Report on Quality and Safety
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  • Measuring Hand Hygiene Adherence: Overcoming the Challenges
    This monograph identifies promising, practical techniques for measuring adherence to hand hygiene guidelines. It provides a framework to help health care workers make necessary decisions about what, when, why, and how they will measure hand hygiene performance that will best fit their needs.
    DOWNLOAD
  • Health Care-Associated Infections (HAI) Portal
    This website is a rich resource of information related to health care-associated infections that is available from The Joint Commission enterprise.
    VISIT WEBSITE
  • Learning Community.
    JCR's learning community is an online, interactive, educational forum for today's busy healthcare professionals who are concerned about quality and patient safety, but who also need to balance and meet the day-to-day demands of their jobs as care providers.
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Johnson & Johnson

Campaign for Nursing
DiscoverNursing.com brings resources for enabling a rewarding career. It’s where nursing organizations, schools, hospitals and other healthcare groups share information and resources to help provide opportunities for students and nurses alike.
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Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

  • Central Supply Module, Hospital eTool
    This interactive site provides safety and health tips on topics such as Glutaraldehyde and Bloodborne Pathogens processing
    VISIT SITE
  • Enforcement Procedures for the Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens
    This instruction establishes policies and provides clarification to ensure uniform inspection procedures are followed when conducting inspections to enforce the Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens Standard.
    READ MORE
  • Personal Protective Equipment Directives
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The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners

  • Standards for General Practices in Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs)
    Provides key elements of an infection control policy to minimise the risk of healthcare associated infections. VIEW SITE

Society of Gastroenterology and Associates Inc. (SGNA)

  • Infection Prevention Champions Program and Toolkit
    This online toolkit houses resources for Infection Prevention Champions and others who seek to advance their infection prevention knowledge.
    VISIT SITE
  • Standards and Practice Guidelines
    SGNA has compiled multiple standards and guidelines that address issues directly affecting the practice of gastroenterology nursing.
    VISIT SITE
  • Guideline for the Use of High Level Disinfectants and Sterilants for Reprocessing of Flexible Gastrointestinal Endoscopes (2011)
    DOWNLOAD GUIDE
  • Statement on Reprocessing of Water Bottles Used During Endoscopy (2011)
    DOWNLOAD GUIDE
  • Statement on Reprocessing of Endoscopic Accessories and Valves (2011)
    DOWNLOAD GUIDE
  • Standard of Infection Control in Reprocessing of Flexible Gastrointestinal Endoscopes (2012)
    DOWNLOAD GUIDE

Urological Associations (UA)

  • Clinical Guidelines
    Access clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of various urological conditions.
    VISIT WEBSITE
  • Joint AUA/ SUNA White Paper on Reprocessing of Flexible Cystoscopes
    VISIT WHITE PAPER

US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)

  • Prevention of Healthcare–Associated Infections: Revisiting the State of the Science
    Provides strategies to increase adherence to preventive interventions and/or reduce infection rates for central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), surgical site infections (SSI), and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI).
    VISIT AHRQ
  • Patient Safety Tool: Infection Prevention Education for ASCs
    These training modules is designed to help prevent future outbreaks and eduucate clinicians on preventing HAIs in ambulatory surgery centers (ASC).
    VISIT SITE
  • Hospital Compare displays rates for Process of Care measures that show whether or not hospitals provide some of the care that is recommended for patients being treated for a heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, asthma (children only) or patients having surgery.
    VISIT SITE
  • Partnering To Heal is a computer-based, interactive learning tool for clinicians, health professional students, and patient advocates. The training highlights effective communication about infection control practices and what it means to help create a “culture of safety” in healthcare institutions. Trainees follow five main characters and make decisions about preventing HAIs.
    VISIT SITE

World Health Organization (WHO)

  • Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care: First Global Patient Safety Challenge. Clean Care is Safer Care
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  • Guide to Implementation: A Guide to the Implementation of the WHO. Multimodal Hand Hygiene Improvement Strategy
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