Abstract

This book Hospital Infection Control Guidelines: Principles and Practice aims to provide comprehensive, acceptable, implementable and effective guidelines on Infection Control in various healthcare facilities. The book deliberates on all aspects of infection control in healthcare facilities including prevention, processes, infrastructure and training. Analyses the existing guidelines on infection control and recommends micro- and macro-guidelines appropriate to healthcare facilities at various levels, i.e. primary, secondary and tertiary. As per the World Health Organization statistics, at any point of time, more than 1.4 million people worldwide suffer from infections in hospitals. The incidence of healthcare associated infections (HAIs) is anywhere between 10 and 30%. In intensive care, healthcare associated infection affects about 30% of patients and the attributability mortality may reach up to 44%. Amongst the important variables which may guide healthcare professions to achieve reduction in healthcare associated infections is the availability and implementation of standard guidelines to control these infections. There have been significant initiatives at governmental and professional levels to formulate guidelines on Infection Control. The book which is a multi-author and multidisciplinary will be a ready-reckoner for administrators, clinicians, academicians and practitioners in healthcare facilities for policy-making, formulation of standard operative procedures, implementing techniques and processes for infection control.