Dhs What Are Basic Healthcare Continuing Care

The resources below are intended to connect health care facility infection preventionists (IP) with education materials to support their role in preventing, detecting, and responding to healthcare-associated infections.

IPs play an essential role in facility infection prevention policy development, surveillance, and risk assessment.

IPs serve as a resource to other staff and programs within their facilities.

In addition to the state in-person trainings and online references below, there are a number of links to trusted education resources, including the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).

The IP Starter Kit provides Infection Preventionists a brief background and resources for some of the many infection prevention-related responsibilities within health care facilities.

---

The long-term care (LTC) education series provides education presentations on topics that include infection prevention, HAIs, antibiotic stewardship, disease surveillance, and outbreak response for staff at skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, local health departments, and other LTC stakeholders. Each session features a new, timely topic presented by DHS program staff, HAI Infection Preventionists, partner organizations, or other external subject matter experts.

View the full library of education sessions. Note: All 2021 education sessions can be found by visiting the full library.

The infection preventionist lunch and learn series is an opportunity for IPs from all care settings to come together to discuss introductory infection prevention and control (IPC) topics, as well as share information, network, and ask questions. Each session focuses on a different basic IPC topic area and includes a brief overview with resources and time for attendees to ask questions and share tips and tricks. IPs newer to their role will especially benefit from the information shared.

The Wisconsin HAI Prevention Program has partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to roll-out a new infection control basics training program aimed at frontline health care workers across health care settings. The content is designed so that frontline health care worker can understand and confidently apply infection control principles and protocols necessary to protect themselves, their facility, their families, and their community from infectious diseases, such as COVID-19. Visit CDC's Project Firstline webpage for more infection control content.

Access CDC's Project Firstline training videos below to learn more about infection control and COVID-19.

Access CDC's Project Firstline educational resources to learn more about where germs live in health care settings and how to recognize the risk of spread.

---

The information below is intended to provide selected infection prevention and control considerations related to environment of care; it is not intended to provide all-inclusive guidance to meet regulatory requirements. Instead, it provides tips and "thinking points" on topics that contribute to infection prevention. These topics may be things that the Department of Health Services (DHS) Infection Preventionists (IP) have witnessed during on-site visits, received questions about, or noted while working in past facility-based IP positions. Many of these considerations were covered in the DHS Long-Term Care (LTC) Education Series, but most topics extend well beyond LTC into any health care setting.

Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) should be checked routinely according to the the manufacturer's instructions for use. It is a patient safety risk when routine checks are not completed.

Some general AED standards and requirements to consider:

• Have the manufacturer's instruction for use easily accessible when it is time for routine checks. The industry standard is to routinely, weekly or monthly, inspect these devices to ensure that they "pass" or "fail."
• Most AED devices are set to do a "self test" on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. If a problem is detected, a status indicator will appear. Ensure "self tests" are happening.
• Batteries should be checked to ensure they work. AED batteries generally have a shelf life of 1-5 years.
• Check the expiration date on the electrode pads. Any opened or used electrode pads should not be reused as they are considered compromised.
• After use, the AED should be cleaned and disinfected prior to putting it away.
• AEDs should not be obstructed. Ensure that there is nothing blocking access to the AED; in case of emergencies staff must have ready access to the AED.

• Occupation Health and Safety: Is your AED Ready to Shock?
• American Heart Association: Implementing an AED Program
• OSHA Automated External Defibrillators
• A Comprehensive Guide to Defibrillators

Similar to AEDs, crash carts are important in medical emergencies. Ensuring crash carts are equipped and checked regularly is important for patient safety.

Some general crash cart standards and requirements to consider:

• Crash carts should be stocked with all necessary medications. Medications with similar names should be kept away from each other to avoid medication errors or mix-ups.
• Check to ensure no equipment or medications are expired.
• Check to ensure all needed supplies are in the cart on a routine basis.
• Ensure all items stored on the crash cart are clean.
• Do quality checks to ensure all equipment on the crash cart is working properly.
• The crash cart should be covered and put away in a secure location.
• Clean crash cart on a routine basis.
• Ensure all staff are familiar with what is in the crash cart and that they know how to use it.

• The Joint Commission: Crash Cart Preparedness
• Crash Cart Supply and Equipment Checklist
• The Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) Crash Cart Requirements: What You Need to Know
• What is in a Crash Cart?

In a health care setting, emergency plumbed or potable eyewash stations are typically found in areas where work is done with corrosive or caustic chemicals or where corrosive or caustic chemicals are mixed and used, such as housekeeping areas. Blood and body fluids are not considered corrosive or caustic. A risk assessment should be conducted to determine the need for a plumbed or potable eyewash stations.

Some general eyewash station standards and requirements to consider:

• Eyewash stations must be in accessible locations that require no more than 10 seconds or 55 feet to reach. It should be located on the same level as the corrosive or caustic chemicals and the path of travel should be free from obstructions.
• Eyewash stations should be identified with a highly visible sign that is positioned to be visible within the area served by the eyewash station.
• Eyewash stations should be connected to a supply of flushing fluid. They should produce the required spray pattern for a minimum period of 15 minutes.
• Eyewash stations should be temperature controlled for hot and cold.
• Eyewash stations must be inspected, checked for cleanliness/debris, and flushed weekly. The eyewash station should be flushed for a period of time in order to verify flushing fluid is in an even, steady stream and clear. Ensure the unit is unobstructed and activates easily with one hand, meaning the flow removes the eye piece covers on its own. This inspection process must be documented.

Secondary wall mounted bottles of saline would not be suitable for areas that have corrosive or caustic chemicals, but would be suitable in care areas for potential unanticipated blood/body fluid splashes. Expiration must be routinely checked and replacement saline bottles must be on hand.

CDC Environmental Infection Control Guidelines, page 63 – brief mention about eyewash station flushing
CMS State Operations Manual, LTCFs, page 679 – Infection Control Policies and Procedures
University of Wisconsin, Environment, Health, and Safety Department, additional resources and information on eyewash stations, including links to Wisconsin code and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

Linen management is important because it can be a source of pathogen transmission. CMS guidelines require that staff handle, store, process, and transport all linens and laundry in accordance with accepted national standards in order to produce hygienically clean laundry and prevent the spread of infection to the extent possible. Follow all CMS guidelines for handling, storing, processing and transporting processes.

Some general linen storage standards and requirements to consider:

• Ensure that portable linen carts are routinely cleaned and inspected. The cover must always be down and other items should not be placed on top of or in the linen carts.
• Consider the placement of portable linen carts that are in shower or spa rooms. They should not be near a water source or toilet.
• When considering where linens will be stored, inspect the closet or room. Linens should be stored in a designated, clean space with a door. The space should not be shared.
• If possible, linens should be covered. There should never be open ceiling or large vents above or around the linens. If there are vents, assess what type and if there is risk of dust and debris coming out of these vents on to the linens.

CDC Environmental Infection Control Guidelines, pages 113-119 – laundry, pages 153-154 – tags and references
CMS State Operations Manual, LTCFs, pages 695-696 – linens, page 679 – Infection Control Policies and Procedures

---

Infection Control Assessment and Response (ICAR) calls or on-site visits are educational discussions that cover a range of infection prevention and control topics that can impact the spread of COVID-19 within a facility. The "ICAR Lessons Learned" series of messages were shared in 2020 to highlight common recommendations and clarifications our team of infection preventionists make during these calls or visits.

Note that some guidance and recommendations shared in these messages may have changed, it is important to stay current with CDC and DHS guidance. Visit the ICAR Tool for Nursing Homes Preparing for COVID-19 webpage for more information on ICARs.

• Topic 1: Infection Prevention When Residents Leave Their Long-term Care Facility for Appointments
• Topic 2: PPE Use and Optimization
• Topic 3: Environmental Cleaning
• Topic 4: Screening and Symptom Monitoring for Healthcare Personnel
• Topic 5: Donning and Doffing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Topic 6: Staying Safe in Break Rooms
• Topic 7: Use of Face Shields

---

• Hand Hygiene Observations, F-02475(PDF)
• Hand Hygiene and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Observations, F-02726(PDF)
• Preventing and Managing COVID-19 Outbreaks in Assisted Living Facilities and Skilled Nursing Facilities, P-02897(PDF)
• COVID-19: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC)
• CDC Healthcare-Associated Infections
• The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA)
• Infection Prevention Education Videos, Oregon Safety Commission
• Workplace COVID-19 Consulting, Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH)
• Respiratory Protection Program Requirements for COVID-19, WSLH
  • Pre-Fit Testing Checklist
  • You can request a free fit testing kit per the information available on the DHS Stockpile webpage. Please indicate in your email to dhsstockpile@dhs.wisconsin.gov that you are requesting a fit testing kit.

• Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and Fan Considerations for Long-term Care during COVID-19, Minnesota Department of Health
  • Important Notes: Fans are considered last resort. If the decision is made to use fans, they must be visibly clean at all times and on a routine cleaning schedule. All of the recommendations in the ventilation guidance document above should be done in consultation with the facility infection preventionist, and also ideally with an experienced HVAC professional

---

The Wisconsin HAI Prevention Program has experienced Infection Preventionists working in all regions of the state. If you or your facility has specific infection prevention and control questions or training needs, contact us!

robertsablets1978.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/hai/ip-education.htm

Share this post