Those of you in the infection prevention world will know
that Saturday June 7th marks the opening of the Annual APIC (Association for
Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology) Conference. The APIC Conference is arguably the largest
event of its kind! This year there will
be 5,000 attendees, including more than 2,500 clinical professionals, 100+
educational sessions, 300 poster presentations, countless networking
opportunities and 200 exhibitors in the largest exhibit hall dedicated to
infection prevention!
For IPAC-Canada I reviewed the key posters and oral
abstract presentations, but with 300 posters it was hard to pick the top
10! Instead I will highlight the key
presentations that will be taking place that relate to cleaning and disinfection
and if you're not able to attend drop me a note as I'll be happy to share what
I learned! Here are the sessions I plan
on attending:
1. Oral Abstracts on Sterilization and Disinfection
a. Reducing the Frequency of Immediate Use Steam
Sterilization: A Strategic and Collaborative Approach
b. Solving the Healthcare Equipment Disinfection
Challenge (can't wait to listen to this one!)
c. Decreasing Autoclave Sterilization in 34 Ambulatory
Clinics: How One Health System Used a Multidisciplinary Team Approach to
Develop Standardization
2. Surfaces Are the Bottom Line in Infection Control is
discussing something near and dear to my heart "If a surface isn't
cleanable, it does not matter what disinfectant you use!" The session is
reviewing what information is needed to
select a proper surface and what cleaning and disinfectant products can be used
on what surfaces.
3. Drilling Down on Infection Prevention in Dental
Practices is looking at how to develop a program and what education,
competencies and monitoring needs to be done.
I HATE dentists...one of those childhood trauma things....but still like
to learn what needs to be done. You never
know...poor infection prevention practices could become a reasonable argument for not going to the dentist!
4. Disinfection and Sterilization: What's New by Dr.
William Rutala is always a must see.
This year he'll be discussing changes related to reprocessing of
critical or semi-critical devices, technologies that will aid in reducing
environmental contamination and new practices that will reduce the role of the
environment in disease transmission.
5. Most Effective Methods for Eliminating Microorganisms
in the Environment will talk about the level of bacterial contamination in the
healthcare environment, the role of the environment in transmission and best
practices for cleaning and disinfection.
The session is being given by Nancy Havill from Saint Raphael Campus
(Yale-New Haven Hospital). Nancy
certainly knows her stuff when it comes to this topic!
6. Behind the OR Doors: What Every Infection
Preventionist Needs to Know will look at the requirements for effective
cleaning and disinfection in the OR.
7. Environmental Cleaning Roles and Responsibilities:
Going Where We've Never Gone Before is going to open Pandora's Box of who is
responsible for cleaning the patient environment and patient equipment and how
to define the roles. It's about time is
all I have to say!
8. What's New with Healthcare Worker Attire and the Role
of the Environment: SHEA and AHE Perspectives and Publications will be
reviewing the evidence around contamination of HCWs attire and the perceptions
of HCWs about their attire and its role in transmission as well as covering
ways to improve current practices and outcomes with respect to environmental
hygiene.
For those of you attending APIC I'd love to catch up or
meet you for the first time! I'll be
tweeting so follow me @nicolecronkenny.
If you're not attending be sure to follow #APIC2014 to keep up with what
is being said! You can find me at booth
#217! Lee & I will be autographing
our Talk Clean To Me Blog book!
Bugging Off!
Nicole
