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March 25, 2002

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Infection Control Reminders Still Necessary"

American Medical News (www.amednews.com) (03/18/02) Vol. 45, No. 11, P. 26; Landers, Susan J.

Many of the lessons learned during last year's bioterrorist attack include techniques useful to office-based doctors. For example, the California Medical Association developed a number of pointers for doctors following the terrorist attacks that can be used not only to control the spread of anthrax, but also the spread of hepatitis B, the flu, or any of the numerous diseases that are becoming resistant to treatment with the antibiotics normally used.  According to Dr. Elaine Larson, a professor at Columbia University's School of Nursing and School of Public Health in New York, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that most infections are spread by a health care professional touching a patient.  Accordingly, the guidelines developed for doctors include practicing appropriate hand hygiene; correctly prescribing antibiotics; maintaining phone numbers for the infection control office at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the state health department, the local public health office, and the local hospital; and vaccinating all employees in the office as vaccines become available.  Another idea is to create separate waiting rooms for sick and healthy patients.

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