Hospital-Acquired Infections: (HAI)

Hospital-acquired infections (HAI) are one of the most severe health problems in the western world, with 5% to 10% of hospitalized patients developing an infection. HAI’s are associated with several organizational burdens, such as the extended duration of hospitalization, excess mortality, and high costs. Most infections can be prevented by improving the direct care of the patient, the hospital environment, and the proper use of medical devices and equipment.

Today, there is a global expectation that hospitals maintain a zero-tolerance approach to HAI, with the prevention of HAI being a critical aspect of providing safe and quality patient care.

To acquire knowledge of infectious diseases and the methods of preventing their transmission in healthcare institutions.

To provide structured tools for monitoring and screening for infections and compliance with the guidelines for infection prevention amongst the medical teams.

Ilana Tal – Nursing Infection Control Lead

Sheba Medical Center is committed to providing to every patient quality medical treatment in a clean and safe hospital environment, while ensuring the same safe environment for the medical team. The Infection Control Program (ICP) is responsible for identifying objectives and methods to control hospital infections by preventing the spread of epidemiological elements, preventing and treating employee exposure, and preventing environmental hazards.

Main Responsibilities of the Infection Control Coordinator Include:

• To be an active member of the institutional infection control committee: an inter-departmental committee that forms and approves the ICP. The ICP aims to maintain a system that ensures communication and coordination between relevant parties
• Advising hospital administration regarding infection control protocols and the necessary resources to implement the program
• Determining the method and scope with which hospital infections will be monitored.
• Receiving continuous reports on the findings of infection-monitoring efforts and obstacles of infection control, as well as actions taken and their results
• Confirming local directives to prevent infections
• Determining responsible parties and deadlines for implementing the committee’s decisions
• Advising hospital administration regarding the development of infection control programs

• History of infection prevention
• Basic microbiology of nosocomial infections
• The interface between the clinical microbiology laboratory and nursing teams
• Clinical microbiology of the screening process in the laboratory
• Hand hygiene and routine precautions
• Special infection precautions
• Environmental cleanliness
• Sterilization services
• Antibiotic groups and informed antibiotic treatment
• Pneumonia and the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP)
• Prevention of urinary tract infections associated with urinary catheters
• Prevention of surgical wound infections
• CPE – methods of diagnosis and isolation, outbreaks and epidemiological investigation
• Prevention of CLABSI
• HIV
• Tuberculosis – diagnosis and treatment
• Geographic medicine
• Routine vaccinations for healthcare workers
• Biological terrorism
• Pandemics and epidemics.
• Seasonal flu and COVID-19
• Medical treatment for COVID-19 patients
• COVID-19 pandemic: what have we learned about the virus?
• Integration of an infection “champion” in every clinical department