CDC Updates Guidelines

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today issued updated guidelines for preventing the spread of infection in health care settings. The document updates and expands guidelines issued for hospitals in 1996 to include new issues such as SARS and avian flu and health care settings other than hospitals. Part I reviews the scientific literature that supports the recommended prevention and control practices. Part II updates information on the basic principles of hand hygiene, barrier precautions, safe work practices and isolation practices, with new emphasis on administrative involvement in developing and supporting infection control programs. It also addresses surveillance of healthcare-associated infections. Part III provides guidance for applying precautions developed by CDC and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee in various health care settings. This information was taken from the AHA News NOW - Daily Report 6/26/07.