Infection Control at PVH
March 2, 2010
 Penobscot Valley Hospital is taking more steps than ever to prevent the spread of infection at the Lincoln hospital. Patients and visitors will most likely notice an increase in the number of hand sanitization stations placed strategically around the facility, along with signs asking people to frequently wash or use gel to sanitize their hands.
PVH’s efforts to keep infections from spreading go far beyond hand washing. One of the chief concerns around the country these days is the type of infection which stems from central lines or IVs (Intravenous Therapy). PVH is committed to using the following methods to ensure patients and visitors stay safe:
- Implementing rigorous hand hygiene practices, making sure clinicians clean their hands before and after providing care to a patient, as well as before and after having any contact with a patient’s environment or room.
- Using barrier precautions such as gloves, gowns, masks, caps, etc.
- Separating patients with serious infections from other patients to avoid transmission.
- Demanding the highest level of sterilization of surgical equipment used for patient care, as well as proper disinfection of the patient’s skin prior to any medical or surgical procedures.
- Encouraging staff to bring attention to any shortcomings in infection control so they can be addressed immediately.
- Cleaning and decontamination of equipment often touched or used by patients such as bedrails, tables, and portable equipment.
- Providing frequent staff education on best practices to prevent infections.
- Supplying regularly updated education on prevention infections such as central-line bloodstream infections and the spread of resistant organisms such as MRSA (Methicillin Rresistant Staphylococcus Aaureus) and C. Diff (Clostridium Difficile).
- Sharing information with patients so that they understand the importance of infection control both in the healthcare setting and at home.
The hospital has a coordinated and extensive set of practices in place to protect everyone who comes into the facility. The rules dictating these measures have come down from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
PVH is encouraging those who stop by to see patients in the hospital to be sure to use hand sanitizer or wash their hands before and after their visits. Non-clinical employees of PVH are also instructed to sanitize their hands frequently throughout the day. Along with hand gel, many of the hand hygiene stations also have tissues and surgical masks, so people with a cough can cover their mouths and further prevent the spread of viruses.
Sherry McCafferty, Infection Control Officer for PVH asserts, “We take infection prevention very seriously at PVH. We’ve posted new signs to remind people to use good hand hygiene and to help prevent the spread of the flu, and the hospital has set procedures to make sure patients with serious infections are kept away from others to prevent transmission of the infections.”
McCafferty says the employees at PVH are committed to make sure everyone is protected from infection—including patients, visitors, families, and clinicians. “This is something that is everyone’s responsibility, and we all need to take those few extra steps each day to wash our hands regularly.”
|