Healthcare-associated infections are common adverse events in healthcare settings, causing significant morbidity and mortality. There has been a significant increase in the commitment to Infection Prevention and Control worldwide in recent years. This important role and responsibilities are relying on the infection prevention and control practitioners (IPCPs). The competencies of IPCP is thus critical to the success of infection surveillance, prevention, and control program. IPCPs must ensure that they are competent in addressing the challenges they face and are equipped to be competent in fulfilling their duties. Core competencies and professional development of IPCP differ among countries while some are more progressive than the others. This review is aiming to be a reference to develop IPCP core competencies framework and professional development conducive for Asia Pacific region.
Coronavirus disease 2019 has been widespread in Hubei province since the beginning of 2020. Many medical teams went to aid Hubei from the whole country. The medical team of West China Hospital of Sichuan University arrived in Jianghan district of Wuhan on January 25, 2020. As one of the earliest teams arriving Hubei, we explored the measures for infection prevention and control of resident, in order to reduce the risk for infection of medical team. The infection prevention and control experiences on the establishment of infection control team, process management, behavior management, clean disinfection, infection monitoring and emergency response and emergency response to exposure of the medical team of West China Hospital were summarized in this article.
Objective To evaluate the current status of human resources in healthcare-associated infection prevention and control (infection control) in Jiangxi Province, and explore the impact of emergency public health events on the human resources of infection control professionals in various levels and types of medical institutions. Methods From October 1st to 31st, 2023, questionnaire and on-site interviews were conducted to investigate the human resources situation of infection control professionals in various levels and types of medical institutions in Jiangxi Province. Three stages were selected for the investigation: before the outbreak of COVID-19 (before the event, December 2019), during the event (June 2022), and after the transition of COVID-19 (after the event, June 2023), focusing on the characteristics of human resources between before the event and after the event by the comparative analysis. Results Finally, 289 medical institutions were included. There was a statistically significant difference in the number of infection control professionals in medical institutions among 2019, 2022, and 2023 (χ2=189.677, P<0.001). The number of infection control professionals in 2019 was lower than that in 2022 (P<0.001) and 2023 (P<0.001), but there was no statistically significant difference between 2022 and 2023 (P=0.242). The number of infection control professionals per thousand beds in 2019, 2022, and 2023 was 4.40, 6.16, and 5.76, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between 2019 and 2023 in terms of professional titles, gender, educational level, or professional background (P>0.05). Conclusion Emergency public health events have promoted the increase in the number of infection control professionals, but there is no statistical significance in the professional titles, educational level, or professional background of infection control professionals.
Objective To observe the relationship between the suturing patterns to close the scleral incision and postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) in 23G minimally invasive vitrectomy. Methods Eighty eyes of 80 patients with vitreoretinal diseases, who were treated with primary 23G minimally invasive vitrectomy, were enrolled in this prospective clinical study. Patients with poor closed scleral incision which need suturing were excluded from this study. The corrected visual acuity ranged from hand movement to 0.2. The IOP ranged from 7.9 to 19.8 mm Hg (1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa), with the mean of (13.9plusmn;1.8) mm Hg. The eyes were randomly divided into three groups: group A (20 eyes), suturing all three scleral puncture after vitrectomy; group B (20 eyes), suturing only two upper scleral puncture, but not the lower infusion puncture after vitrectomy; group C (40 eyes), no suturing for all 3 scleral puncture after vitrectomy. All patients underwent 23G vitrectomy only. The corrected visual acuity and IOP were observed after surgery. Results The corrected visual acuity were 0.1 -0.3, 0.2- 0.5, 0.3 -0.8 in one, seven and 14 days after surgery, respectively. No one in group A, B experienced hypotony in one, three, seven and 14 days after surgery. Thirteen (32.5%), five (12.5 %), two eyes (5.0%) in group C experienced hypotony in one, three and seven days after surgery. Seven eyes (17.5%) experienced severe hypotony (＜5 mm Hg) in 14 day after surgery in group C. The difference was statistically significant compared the incidence of hypotony in group C with group A, B respectively at different time points after surgery (chi;2= 16.82,P=0.007). The difference was statistically significant compared the incidence of hypotony in group C at different time points after surgery (chi;2=11.64,P=0.003). The difference was no significant compared the IOP between group A and B at different time points after surgery (F=1.618,P=0.205). Compared the IOP of group C to group A and B, the difference was statistically significant in one and three days after vitrectomy (F=9.351,P=0.000); but not statistically significant in seven and 14 days after vitrectomy(F=0.460,P=0.633). Conclusions Whether or not suturing the scleral punctures is closely related to postoperative hypotony in 23G vitrectomy. Suturing only the two upper scleral punctures can reduce the occurrence of postoperative hypotony.
Objective To provide baseline data for the Special Healthcare Program of Comprehensive Reform for Coordinated and Balanced Urban-rural Development in Chengdu. Methods We selected 7 township/community health institutions and 6 village health posts /street clinics using stratified sampling to take account of the levels of economic development and the distance from the centre of Chengdu We then performed on-site surveys and secondary research. Data were analyzed by using Epidata or Excel. Results The utilization of health institutions was generally good. The number of visits and number of inpatients in medical institutions increased steadily. The utilization rate of hospital beds and doctors’ workload were higher than the national average. The average medical expense per outpatient /inpatient was far lower than the national level. The overall condition of the health institutions that close to the centre of Chengdu was better. Conclusion We should persist in taking advantage of the rural hospitals’ construction to improve village health posts /street clinics and strengthen the national and governmental compensating mechanism for township /community health organizations (village health posts /street clinics), so as to make the basic condition of current township/ community health organizations (village health posts /street clinics) better.
Targeted initiatives of West China Hospital of Sichuan University to cope with coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic in three stages were summarized, including “three reconstructions” to mobilize in pre-epidemic stage, “three earlies” strategy to precisely treat critically ill patients in epidemic stage, and “three orderlies” to resume hospital operation in post-epidemic stage. The development of comprehensive hospitals in China after the epidemic was also discussed. It’s recommended to continuously strengthen the role of emergency response, early warning, comprehensive treatment, high-level talent training, international exchange, regional leadership, and collaborative innovation, in response to the shortcomings exposed in the epidemic.
Objective To investigate and analyze the epidemic characteristics and factors of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) to provide foundation and make prevention and treatment policy. Methods Statistical analysis was conducted to analyze the current existing PTB prevention and control data in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Zhushan County and corresponding prevention and treatment policy was proposed. Results Since 1997 when PTB was included into B infectious diseases in Zhushan County, 4 431 cases of PTB had been reported by the end of 2009. Annual reported incidence rate was 74.73 per 100 000 and the disease was found in 17 towns. All seasons witnessed the incidence but winter and summer had more sufferer. The youngest patient was 4 months whereas the oldest was 86 years old. The majority of the patients were from 20 to 59 years old, peasants were the main patients, and the incidence of male was higher than that of female. The use of chemotherapy resulted in a significant decline of PTB death rate. Poor immunity of elder group, population flow caused by poverty, low detection rate of patients and AIDS were the major causes to PTB epidemic. A lack of prevention and treatment in the grassroots hospital and difficulty to fully implement the Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course (DOTS) strategy in remote areas were also bottlenecks to PTB control process. Conclusion The followings should be performed to improve the quality of DOTS strategy implementation: strengthen the government’s commitment, provide policy and funding safeguard, conduct health education and health promotion widely, reinforce management according to the law, fully implement the DOTS strategy, and fortify the prevention and control construction.
Peripheral inserted central catheter (PICC) is the most commonly used central venous catheter in hospitalized patients, and catheter-related bloodstreams infection (CRBSI) is one of the most serious complications during PICC retention, which can affect patient prognosis and treatment. Reducing the incidence of intravascular CRBSI is one of the goals of medical quality and safety management, which continues to attract the attention of domestic and foreign experts and scholars. Authoritative institutions at home and abroad have successively issued a series of prevention and control guidelines and expert consensus, and related research on risk assessment of CRBSI is also rapidly developing. This article reviews the risk assessment, prevention and control measures, and information monitoring and feedback of PICC-related bloodstreams infection, in order to provide reference for building a PICC-related bloodstreams infection prevention and control system.
ObjectiveTo construct a rapid screening tool for the donor of heart dead organ donation (donation after circulatory death, DCD) in the background of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infection.MethodsBased on literature analysis and core group discussion, two rounds of expert consultation were carried out by Delphi method to establish dimension and index.ResultsThe screening tool included 3 dimensions, including epidemiological history, hospital exposure history, and clinical manifestations, with 15 entries. The mean of the two rounds of expert authority coefficient was 0.757 and 0.768, and the effective recovery rate of the expert consultation questionnaire was 88% and 100%, respectively. The second round dimension and index coordination coefficients was 0.417 and 0.319, respectively. The content validity of the questionnaire was 0.91.ConclusionsThe DCD liver transplant donor's new rapid screening tool for SARS-CoV-2 infection is scientific and reliable. During the epidemic period, the DCD liver transplant donor risk screening tool is of great significance to the prevention and control of liver transplantation risk.
Candida auris is an emerging multidrug-resistant fungus that has become a significant global public health threat due to its strong resistance to antifungal agents and its ability to spread within healthcare facilities. This paper reviews the global epidemiological trends of Candida auris and the current status of existing prevention and control systems, focusing specifically on pathogen epidemiological characteristics, domestic and international epidemic situations, current prevention and control frameworks, and the construction of prevention networks. In response to the challenges posed by the international spread of Candida auris , China’s fungal disease prevention system should advance towards a more systematic and scientific direction. By integrating resources from medical institutions, disease control agencies, and research institutes, and combining multidisciplinary knowledge and technologies, China should establish a multi-level coordinated prevention and control mechanism to improve its monitoring, prevention, and treatment systems. In the future, China’s fungal disease prevention and control system needs to further strengthen talent cultivation, improve surveillance networks, promote technological innovation, and build a comprehensive, multi-level modern prevention and control system.