INFECTION PREVENTION
2019 Infection Prevention Buyer’s Guide Pain, progress in the prevention process
by Valerie J. Dimond
nfection preventionists (IPs) are key to the many efforts that hospitals must make to keep patients safe before, dur- ing and after treatment. Each day they work diligently across departments sharing best practices and guideline updates, tracking infections rates, interfacing with regulatory agencies and educating those who work on the frontlines. Most patients are probably unaware of how important these experts are to achieving positive clinical outcomes – in fact most are probably unaware that “infec- tion preventionist” is a job title. Paradoxically, however, is that many healthcare leaders in the C-suite also seem unaware of just how crucial and far-reaching an IPs’ contributions are to their system’s overall success – or if they do, they fall short on letting their IPs know. Last year, when HPN surveyed IPs and asked them if their C-suite appreciates and understands the role they play, less than half thought they did, and more than 14 percent said they didn’t know. But this could be changing. In this year’s annual infection prevention salary survey, perceived C-suite support inched up five percentage points with percent of respondents reporting that they believed these executives viewed them as an important member of the team. But maybe it shouldn’t be a surprise as healthcare systems everywhere are grappling with increasing numbers of disease epidemics and drug-resistant infections, including the current measles outbreak, which continues to spread, and Candida auris, an emerging fungus that the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions now cautions is a serious global health threat.
I “Diseases now travel as quickly as we do.
It is not what the next outbreak will be, but when,” said Lorene Campbell BSN, RN, CIC, Infection Specialist, Valley Children’s Hospital, Madera, CA. “We no longer live in a time where the spread of diseases moves slowly. As infection preventionists, we have been taught that we should always be prepared and ready for possible outbreaks. Identify-Isolate-Inform was the motto we learned from Ebola, and it is still one of the most important things we can do today.” We’re also well-into a new era of value- based care where clinical outcomes, in-
fection rates, readmissions and patient satisfaction are tied inextricably to reim- bursement outcomes. “The one constant in healthcare is there is always change. We cannot change the legislation, but we can look at our processes to see if there is a bet- ter, more economical way to do something,” said Campbell, adding that hand washing is a constant priority at her facility. “I believe everyone who works in health- care does so because they want to help others. No one intentionally forgets to wash their hands. That is why we promote a team ap- proach. In our facility we celebrate the wins. The focus makes all the difference in how the regulations are viewed. We recently cel- ebrated National Hand Hygiene Day by passing out lifesavers to staff when Hand Hygiene was observed. We acknowledged the action and added ‘Thank you for being a Lifesaver.’”
Choosing the best products and services are also part of the infection prevention equation. HPN asked a handful of suppliers that are known for providing cutting-edge IP solutions two questions about their products: 1. How does your infection prevention solu- tion make a direct impact on reducing the spread of pathogens in hospital and other healthcare settings?
2. Why is it a good investment (show us some real figures, strong outcomes data and other information to support your claims)? What follows are the responses we re- ceived, including a brief showcase of what they are selling to help organizations protect patients from HAIs.* We’ve also included HPN’s annual Infection Prevention Buyer’s guide, a vendor-packed directory featuring a variety of products and services developed with infection prevention in mind.
Direct patient protections PDI Healthcare: Joan Hebden, Clinical Li- aison, explains how the company’s Profend Nasal Decolonization Kit is a valuable tool for defending patients against infections. “Up to 30 percent of adults are nasally
38 June 2019 • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS •
hpnonline.com
colonized with S. aureus and/or MRSA. S. aureus and MRSA account for over 30 percent of SSIs and are also a key contribu- tor to other HAIs such as CLABSIs (Central line-associated bloodstream infections) and VAP (Ventilator-associated pneumonia). Nasal colonization with these bacteria increases the patient risk of developing an SSI by nine times. To help reduce this risk, Povidone-Iodine is used as it is a broad- spectrum antiseptic that has been proven effective in reduc- ing both S. aureus and MRSA. It offers an added advantage over the widely-used nasal antibiotic, mu- pirocin, in that there is no known bacte- rial resistance to it,
thereby supporting antibiotic stewardship within the healthcare environment. By of- fering the Profend Nasal Decolonization Kit, you are ensuring that customers receive the product they need to help support their SSI and other HAI reduction goals. “Since S. aureus is the top ranked pathogen for surgical site infections (SSI) and S. aureus carriers are two to nine times more likely than non-carriers to have SSIs, perioperative nasal decolonization has been instituted and studied as an SSI prevention strategy. By preventing an SSI, a hospital can allocate the dollars saved towards necessary supplies, equipment, and staff. For a hospital to offset the cost of a single SSI, an additional 41 to 76 total joint replacement surgeries would have to be booked and billed.” Mölnlycke: Peter Gross, Sr. Marketing Manager describes how Hibiclens antiseptic skin cleanser reduces bacteria, viruses, and fungi on the skin. The chlorhexidine glu- conate (CHG) in Hibiclens kills germs on contact but also has a persistent effect and continues to kill 99 percent of pathogens for up to 24 hours. The unique formula- tion is ideally balanced to deliver infection prevention benefits but gentle enough to minimize skin irritation and deliver better patient satisfaction and encourage bathing compliance.
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