1 Foundations of Infection Prevention
Learn how infection prevention interrupts transmission through Standard Precautions, timely hand hygiene, risk-based protective practices, and safe handling of care tasks and equipment.
Core prevention principles
reduces the spread of microorganisms and protects patients, healthcare personnel, and others. are the minimum practices used with every patient, at all times, in every healthcare setting—even when infection is not suspected.
These precautions combine consistent routines with risk assessment. Consider the care task, likely exposure, and possible route of transmission, then select appropriate precautions.
The
Infection spreads when each link in the is present. Breaking any one link can interrupt transmission.
Infectious agent: A microorganism capable of causing disease, such as a bacterium, virus, fungus, or parasite.
Reservoir: Where the agent lives or multiplies, such as a person, animal, water, or contaminated equipment.
Portal of exit: How the agent leaves the reservoir, such as through respiratory secretions, blood, wound drainage, or stool.
Mode of transmission: How the agent travels, including direct contact, indirect contact through objects, droplets, or airborne routes.
Portal of entry: How the agent enters another person, such as through the respiratory tract, mucous membranes, broken skin, or an invasive device.
Susceptible host: A person more likely to become infected because protective defenses are insufficient. Vulnerability varies with factors such as age, illness, and immune status.
For example, a worker’s contaminated hands can transmit microorganisms to a patient’s catheter site, which is a portal of entry. before an aseptic task and appropriate can interrupt this chain.
When and how to clean hands
is central to infection prevention. Perform it:
Immediately before touching a patient.
Before an aseptic task or handling an invasive device.
When moving from a soiled body site to a clean site on the same patient.
After touching a patient, the patient’s surroundings, blood, body fluids, or contaminated surfaces.
Immediately after removing gloves.
In most clinical situations, use an approved when hands are not visibly soiled. Apply enough product to cover all hand surfaces and rub until dry, paying particular attention to fingertips, thumbs, and the spaces between fingers. Wash with soap and water when hands are visibly soiled. Follow facility guidance for specific infections or outbreaks, such as suspected or confirmed C. difficile or norovirus during an outbreak. Gloves do not replace .
Risk-based protection and safe care
apply during all care. Assess anticipated exposure to blood, body fluids, secretions, excretions, mucous membranes, nonintact skin, or contaminated items, and choose personal protective equipment (PPE) accordingly. Change or discard PPE between patients and tasks as appropriate, and perform after removing it.
Encourage people with respiratory symptoms to cover coughs and sneezes, dispose of tissues safely, clean their hands, and use a mask when appropriate and tolerated. This supports respiratory hygiene and source control.
Use and safe injection practices: protect clean supplies and key parts from contamination, use a new sterile needle and syringe for each injection, and follow safe medication-preparation practices. Avoid unsafe needle handling, and promptly place used sharps in designated puncture-resistant containers.
Equipment, environment, and materials
Clean and disinfect the environment and reusable equipment, giving particular attention to frequently touched surfaces and equipment near the patient. Follow product instructions and facility procedures, and reprocess reusable items between patients as required.
Handle linen and waste safely. Do not shake soiled linen; contain it at the point of use and follow facility procedures for waste and contaminated materials. Keep hand-hygiene and PPE supplies accessible, follow training and facility protocols, and promptly report exposures or infection risks.
Applying precautions during wound care
Before changing a wound dressing, clean hands and prepare supplies without contaminating them. Select PPE based on expected exposure. After care, discard or contain used materials appropriately, remove PPE safely, and clean hands. Handle reusable equipment and nearby surfaces according to protocol.
These steps put the broader approach into practice: apply to every patient, clean hands at the required moments, assess exposure risks, and consistently use safe aseptic, respiratory, sharps, environmental-cleaning, and equipment-reprocessing practices.