Hospital acquired infection and infection control and prevention

Details

Title

Hospital acquired infection and infection control and prevention

Type

Stage Two

Module code

HLS234

Requirement

Compulsory

Module objective

By the end of the training period trainees will, in respect of infection management: hospital-acquired infection and infection control and prevention, be able to:

• analyse, synthesise, evaluate and apply knowledge
• perform, adapt and master a range of technical and clinical skills and procedures and
• demonstrate the attitudes and behaviours necessary for professional practice as a consultant clinical scientist dealing with the complexities, uncertainties and tensions of professional practice at this level.

Knowledge and understanding

By the end of the training period the trainee will be able to demonstrate the ability to analyse, evaluate and synthesise relevant knowledge and its application to their professional practice in relation to:

• reservoirs, sources, routes of transmission and portals of entry of common HAIs
  • Interactions between the microbe, the patient risk factors and others in the environment, g. device and antimicrobial exposure
  • importance of the colonised patient and infected or colonised staff
  • epidemiology and control of common and important multi-resistant organisms, e.g. meticillin- resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), glycopeptide-resistant enterococci (GRE), Clostridium difficile , ESBL-producing gram negative bacilli
• processes for disinfection and sterilisation in the hospital and primary care settings including their indications advantages and limitations
• definitions of speciality-based HAIs
  • evidence for current recommendations on management in specific clinical situations, e.g. particular surgical procedures, device-associated infections, adult and neonatal intensive care units, burns units, oncology and transplant units, cystic fibrosis units
  • context in which HAIs occur due to resistant organisms, e.g., MRSA, glycopeptide-resistant enterococcus (GRE), ESBL producers
  • antimicrobial treatment or prophylaxis appropriate to above context
  • use of methods of isolation/cohorting to control specific HAIs or resistant organisms in specialities
• ward, departmental and operating theatre design & layout relevant to infection prevention and control
• interpretation of regulations relating to hospital design and
• role of ventilation in operating theatres and suites, isolation rooms and other areas, e.g. pharmacy and laboratory
  • principles and importance of ventilation, e.g. in surgical site infection, prevention of spread of TB
  • principles of operating theatre air sampling, validation of theatre ventilation commissioning tests and the regulations governing theatre ventilation
  • actions and solutions that may be necessary when ventilation systems do not meet current requirements.
  • measures needed to prevent legionella infection in the health care environment
• patient isolation, cohorting and ward closure are used to control or prevent the spread of infection
  • describe the types of patient isolation, the specific precautions they use and in what circumstance they are used
• requirements and mechanisms for reporting of HAIs within healthcare organisations (e.g. route cause analysis), locally and nationally, including mandatory surveillance and ‘serious untoward incidents’ of infection
  • role of HAI reporting in total quality management, controls assurance, review body inspections, e.g. CQC.

Technical and clinical skills

By the end of the training period the trainee will be able to demonstrate a critical understanding of current relevant research, theory and knowledge and its application to the performance, adaptation and mastery of the following technical procedures and laboratory skills to:

• demonstrate when urgent action is required based on epidemiology
• demonstrate when urgent action is required if disinfection or sterilisation fails
• use antimicrobials appropriately to treat or prevent HAIs
• use isolation/cohorting of patients to prevent HAI spread, including the pragmatic use of bed management
• demonstrate when urgent action is required.

By the end of the training period the trainee will be able to apply knowledge of infection management: hospital-acquired infection and infection control and prevention to perform, adapt and master the clinical skills necessary to:

• liaise with the clinical team, infection control and associated specialties for hospital-acquired infections providing clear and accurate advice.