T
he 40th Annual APIC (Association for Professionals in
Infection Prevention and Epidemiology) Conference was held in Fort Lauderdale,
Florida this past weekend. One of the
privileges of my job is the ability to attend Infection Prevention conferences
around the globe, the downside of course being the travel - which to some may
seem glamorous and fun, but trust me, being on a plane landing as one of the
cells of Hurricane Andrea is hitting the coast of Florida is far from fun.
Infection Prevention and Epidemiology) Conference was held in Fort Lauderdale,
Florida this past weekend. One of the
privileges of my job is the ability to attend Infection Prevention conferences
around the globe, the downside of course being the travel - which to some may
seem glamorous and fun, but trust me, being on a plane landing as one of the
cells of Hurricane Andrea is hitting the coast of Florida is far from fun.
On second thought, I take that back, I LOVE roller
coasters and actually happen to love being on a plane when we hit
turbulence. The torrential rain I could
do without!
coasters and actually happen to love being on a plane when we hit
turbulence. The torrential rain I could
do without!
If you have never been APIC is an amazing conference that
offers a wide scope of educational tracks.
I think even a non-Infection Preventionist could find a session they
would be interested in! This year, the
opening ceremonies kicked off with a celebration of APIC's 40th anniversary by
looking back through the years to see how Infection Prevention has
evolved. Founded in 1972 (yet another
thing younger than me..) by a group of pioneering Infection Preventionists
(IP), the review of how infection control evolved through the '70's, '80's,
'90's and '00's was insightful and entertaining. In the 1970's, infection control was
controversial to the point that one IP was told "the only surveillance
you're going to do in the future is in the checkout lane at a grocery
store". Today, every healthcare
facility has a surveillance program in place with many countries around the
world having laws for mandatory reporting for hospital associated infections.
offers a wide scope of educational tracks.
I think even a non-Infection Preventionist could find a session they
would be interested in! This year, the
opening ceremonies kicked off with a celebration of APIC's 40th anniversary by
looking back through the years to see how Infection Prevention has
evolved. Founded in 1972 (yet another
thing younger than me..) by a group of pioneering Infection Preventionists
(IP), the review of how infection control evolved through the '70's, '80's,
'90's and '00's was insightful and entertaining. In the 1970's, infection control was
controversial to the point that one IP was told "the only surveillance
you're going to do in the future is in the checkout lane at a grocery
store". Today, every healthcare
facility has a surveillance program in place with many countries around the
world having laws for mandatory reporting for hospital associated infections.
The 1980's saw the birth of what we now know as Routine or Standard Precautions. Originally
introduced as Body Substance Isolation or BSI.
Nurses did not wear gloves because of the psychosocial belief taught
during nursing school that gloves would make patients uncomfortable. BSI became the risk assessment tool used to
help limit exposure to body substances and limit the risk of contracting an
infectious disease through contact with body substances.
introduced as Body Substance Isolation or BSI.
Nurses did not wear gloves because of the psychosocial belief taught
during nursing school that gloves would make patients uncomfortable. BSI became the risk assessment tool used to
help limit exposure to body substances and limit the risk of contracting an
infectious disease through contact with body substances.
As society continued to develop and use "state of
the art" devices (think portable cell phones), so too did healthcare
facilities. With technological advancements, new ways of transmitting diseases
were brought to light. The 1990's
ushered in the era of device-associated outbreaks. One of the first published studies in a
medical journal included the review of an outbreak caused by a medical device
and the understanding that investigations need to also include where corners
are being cut whether it be by the device manufacture, the medical personnel
reprocessing the devices or the use of single-use devices.
the art" devices (think portable cell phones), so too did healthcare
facilities. With technological advancements, new ways of transmitting diseases
were brought to light. The 1990's
ushered in the era of device-associated outbreaks. One of the first published studies in a
medical journal included the review of an outbreak caused by a medical device
and the understanding that investigations need to also include where corners
are being cut whether it be by the device manufacture, the medical personnel
reprocessing the devices or the use of single-use devices.
With the arrival of the millennium and of course SARS,
infection prevention in the 2000's finally saw national awareness that HAI's
were preventable and UNACCEPTABLE. We
are now in an era where we are not just looking at evidence-based guidelines to
improve patient outcomes and prevent disease transmission, but focusing on
implementation science to ensure that the "evidence" can be put into
practice by healthcare workers for every patient. IPs are also now understanding that their
role is not only about stopping HAIs, but helping the C-suite to understand
that investing in infection prevention programs, can in fact save money for a
facility.
infection prevention in the 2000's finally saw national awareness that HAI's
were preventable and UNACCEPTABLE. We
are now in an era where we are not just looking at evidence-based guidelines to
improve patient outcomes and prevent disease transmission, but focusing on
implementation science to ensure that the "evidence" can be put into
practice by healthcare workers for every patient. IPs are also now understanding that their
role is not only about stopping HAIs, but helping the C-suite to understand
that investing in infection prevention programs, can in fact save money for a
facility.
In the end, I was among 4000 delegates from around the
world and 295 vendors attending APIC not
just to learn, but to share our experiences to further infection
prevention.
world and 295 vendors attending APIC not
just to learn, but to share our experiences to further infection
prevention.
Bugging Off!
Nicole
