The initiative of this year’s International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW) stands as a testament to the foundational significance of essential infection prevention practices against the backdrop of menacing threats such as Candida auris (C. auris). The 2023 guiding principle is titled ‘Celebrating the Fundamentals of Infection Prevention,’ and is being promulgated by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). This year’s theme magnifies the vital role that core infection prevention strategies play in ensuring public health and reducing health-related expenditures.
Since 1986, the IIPW has commemorated the relentless efforts of infection preventionists in shielding global communities from infectious threats including surgical site and other healthcare-associated infections. As Benjamin D. Galvan, MLS(ASCP), CIC, CPH, Director of Infection Prevention at two HCA Florida Healthcare hospitals, asserts, staying abreast of such emergent threats has never been more crucial.
The rise of C. Auris in the community is a cause for concern, as its incipient resistance to multiple drugs often used to treat it, coupled with its ease of transmission and colonization, similar to MRSA, poses severe challenges. According to the CDC’s latest information on C. auris, heightened adherence to standard infection prevention protocols, particularly in environmental cleaning and disinfection, halts unintended transmission of such multi-drug resistant organisms.
The meticulous execution of infection prevention fundamentals, including cleaning and disinfection of surroundings and equipment, proper utilization of PPE in surgical arenas, and engagement in effective hand hygiene, are being emphatically endorsed by APIC and Galvan for this year’s IIPW.
APIC extends commendable support through the provision of pre-generated materials and resources for facilities desiring to echo the significance of infection prevention to their teams and communities. Among their resource suite, they offer a promotional toolkit with sample social media pieces, ideas for appreciating infection prevention specialists, and an array of downloadable infographics, logos, and web buttons.
Echoing APIC’s central message, Galvan affirms the relevance of this year’s IIPW theme, stressing the importance of reverting to the basics in controlling the spread of any new infectious threat, C. auris included. The emergence of more multidrug-resistant organisms is inevitable, implying potential risk to all patients and emphasizing the enduring need for robust infection control practices. Galvan highlights the possible necessity for the integration of new screening measures for certain populations to identify potentially colonized patients.
Source: https://www.aorn.org/outpatient-surgery/article/be-fundamentally-sound-to-prevent-infections