IN CELEBRATION of this year’s National Infection Prevention and Control Week, the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH 7) Health Facility Development Section invited medical experts to speak about preventive measures against infections on July 11, 2023.
Co-presented by Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, the week-long celebration is done as part of the advocacy for the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) program.
Vice Chairman of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), Dr. Daisy Marie Mendoza-Garbo, emphasized the importance of being informed about health care associated infections (HCAIs).
HCAIs are infections that occur while receiving health care, developed in a hospital or other health care facility that first appear 48 hours or more after hospital admission, or within 30 days after having received health care.
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common type of HCAIs.
Garbo said catheter associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) make up most of the reported UTIs when being admitted.
“Among UTIs acquired in the hospital, approximately 75 percent are associated with a urinary catheter, which is a tube inserted into the bladder through the urethra to drain the urine,” she said.
Antiobic treatments are provided as treatment for CAUTIs.
Hospitals should follow the recommendations in the 2009 CDC Guideline for Prevention of Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections, as stated by Garbo.
The guideline emphasized the proper use, insertion and maintenance of urinary catheters in different healthcare settings.
Dr. Gerard Garcia, vice chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine, talked about ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and central-line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI).
VAP develops 48 hours or longer after mechanical ventilation is given by means of an endotracheal tube or tracheostomy.
“VAP and hospital-associated pneumonia (HAP) comprises 22 percent of hospital acquired infections. Now, 22 percent is already a lot, all things considered, so it is concerning,” Garcia said.
The infection has a 10 to 50 percent mortality rate.
Central-line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) are laboratory-confirmed bloodstream infections not related to another site that develops 48 hours of central-line placement.
Complications may include prolonged hospital stay, increased morbidity and mortality.
Prevention can be done through skin antiseptics, dressing changed and proper catheter care.
“We can’t eliminate hospital-acquired infections altogether, but we can make a significant difference in reducing their incidence. Let’s work together to make our hospitals safe for everyone,” Garcia said in his closing remarks.
AC Karl Tañedo, nurse manager for Prevention and Control of Infection Department at Chong Hua Hospital, talked about best practices of hospital-acquired infections (HAI) prevention.
Tañedo shared about Chong Hua Hospital’s 4 strategies on HAI prevention: infection control team, education, surveillance and monitoring and bundles of care.
DOH 7 also promoted during the event its KonsulTayo, a bi-monthly forum to discuss health concerns and provide right and correct information from the right sources to counter fake news. (Miguel Angelu Lumen, CNU Intern)