 One: Focuses on the top six high priority HAIs:
- Surgical site infections
- Central line-associated bloodstream infections
- Ventilator-associated events
- Catheter-associated urinary tract infections
- Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infections
- Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections
- Phase Two: Expands infection control efforts outside hospitals to outpatient settings including end-stage renal disease facilities and ambulatory surgical centers. Phase two also promotes better influenza vaccination rates among healthcare providers.
- Phase Three: Further expands efforts to include long-term care facilities like nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, and skilled-nursing facilities.
- Phase Four: Reviews federal antibiotic stewardship efforts in various healthcare settings, and highlights the importance of stewardship in the prevention of HAIs.
Most healthcare facilities also have their own policies and procedures for infection control. It is up to those working in these environments, however, to follow policies and procedures that will prevent HAIs and sepsis.
Sepsis Specific Guidelines
Several organizations also have specific guidelines for preventing and treating sepsis in hospitals. Many of these guidelines are similar to that of HAIs, but they address more specific factors associated with sepsis in hospitals, including factors related to the environment, patient condition, and prevention policies.
CMS guidelines are titled “Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock Early Management Bundle”. These guidelines were established in 2015 with the goal of preventing sepsis, identifying infections earlier, and ensuring that treatment is initiated as soon as possible.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also has guidelines for managing sepsis in healthcare settings. The Surviving Sepsis Campaign is one of the most widely-accepted sets of guidelines. Created in collaboration between the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine, the guidelin