As the infection control nurse in an acute care hospital, which action will you take to most effectively reduce the incidence of health-care-associated infections?
A. Develop policies that automatically start antibiotic therapy for clients colonized by multi-drug resistant organisms.
B. Screen all newly admitted clients for colonization or infection with MRSA.
C. Require nursing staff to don gowns to change wound dressings for all clients.
D. Ensure that dispensers for alcohol-based hand rubs are readily available in all client care areas of the hospital.
Correct Answer: D. Ensure that dispensers for alcohol-based hand rubs are readily available in all client care areas of the hospital.
Because the hands of healthcare workers are the most common means of transmission of infection from one client to another, the most effective method of preventing the spread of infection is to make supplies for hand hygiene readily available for staff to use.
Option A: Because administration of antibiotics to individuals who are colonized by bacteria may promote the development of antibiotic resistance, antibiotic use should be restricted to clients who have clinical manifestations of infection.
Option B: Although some hospitals have started screening newly admitted clients for MRSA, there is no evidence that this decreases the spread of infection. Although results of MRSA screening are not intended to guide empirical treatment, they may offer an additional benefit among patients in whom clinical infection with S. aureus develops.
Option C: Wearing a gown to care for clients who are not on contact precautions is not necessary. They must be worn when undertaking all direct care procedures with patients when there is a likelihood of contact with blood, secretions, excretions, or body fluids (Loveday et al, 2014).