What are the control measures to minimize the risks of infection to patients?

Every year, lives are lost because of the spread of infections in hospitals. Health care workers can take steps to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. These steps are part of infection control.

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Prevention and Risk Factors
Related Issues
Videos and Tutorials
Statistics and Research
Clinical Trials
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
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National Institutes of Health
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What are the measures to minimize the risk of infection?
What are 5 infection control practices?
What is the best way to prevent patient to patient spread of infection?

Proper hand washing is the most effective way to prevent the spread of infections in hospitals. If you are a patient, don't be afraid to remind friends, family and health care providers to wash their hands before getting close to you.

Other steps health care workers can take include:

Covering coughs and sneezes
Staying up to date with vaccinations
Using gloves, masks and protective clothing
Making tissues and hand cleaners available
Following hospital guidelines when dealing with blood or contaminated items

Start Here

Facts about Infectious Diseases (ID) (Infectious Diseases Society of America)
Infection Prevention and You
(Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology) - PDF
Patient Safety: What You Can Do to Be a Safe Patient (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Prevention and Risk Factors

CDC Vital Signs: Making Health Care Safer -- Protect Patients from Antibiotic Resistance (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
Top 9 Ways to Reduce the Risk of Pneumonia If You or a Loved One Is Hospitalized (Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology)

CDC Vital Signs: Making Health Care Safer -- Stop Spread of Antibiotic Resistance (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
First Responders: Encourage Your Workers to Report Bloodborne Pathogen Exposures (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)
Hospital-Wide Hazards: Biological Hazards -- Infectious Diseases (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
How Infections Spread (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
How To Be A Good Visitor During Flu Season (Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology)
Infection Control in Dental Settings (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Infectious Disease Specialist: What Is an Infectious Disease Specialist? (Infectious Diseases Society of America)
Patient Safety Threat - Syringe Reuse (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Specifics

Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) Infection (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Diseases and Organisms in Healthcare Settings (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
FAQs about Catheter-Associated Bloodstream Infections (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
FAQs about Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
Frequently Asked Questions about Surgical Site Infections (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
Frequently Asked Questions about Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Healthcare Settings (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
VISA/VRSA (Vancomycin-Intermediate/Resistant Staphylococcus aureus) in Healthcare Settings (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Videos and Tutorials

Clean Hands Count
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Statistics and Research

HAI Data (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Infection Control
(National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Nosocomial (Hospital-Acquired) Infections
(National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Article: Innovation for infection prevention and control-revisiting Pasteur's vision.
Article: First nationwide survey of infection prevention and control among healthcare facilities...
Article: A Cross-Sectional, Questionnaire-Based Survey on Air Infection Control among Romanian People.
Infection Control -- see more articles

Find an Expert

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Also in Spanish
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
World Health Organization

Patient Handouts

After an exposure to sharps or body fluids (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Bloodborne pathogens (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Central line infections - hospitals (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Cleaning supplies and equipment (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Cleaning to prevent the spread of germs (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Isolation precautions (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Personal protective equipment (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Preventing infections when visiting (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Staph infections - hospital (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

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MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

After an exposure to sharps or body fluids
Bloodborne pathogens
Central line infections - hospitals
Cleaning supplies and equipment
Cleaning to prevent the spread of germs
Isolation precautions
Personal protective equipment
Preventing infections when visiting
Staph infections - hospital

Hepatitis
HIV/AIDS
MRSA

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Infection Control is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Other Languages

Find health information in languages other than English on Infection Control

Disclaimers

MedlinePlus links to health information from the National Institutes of Health and other federal government agencies. MedlinePlus also links to health information from non-government Web sites. See our disclaimer about external links and our quality guidelines.