CDC Releases Guide to Infection Prevention in Outpatient Settings

The CDC has released a Guide to Infection Prevention in Outpatient Settings: Minimum Expectations for Safe Care. The transition of healthcare from acute care hospitals to outpatient (ambulatory care settings), along with ongoing outbreaks associated with breakdowns in basic infection prevention, has prompted the need for this guidance. Three-quarters of all operations in the U.S. are performed on an outpatient basis, and more than 1 million cancer patients receive OP chemotherapy, radiation therapy or both. It is critical that all of this care be provided under conditions that minimize or eliminate risks of healthcare-associated infections. The new guide distills existing infection prevention guidance from the CDC and Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) recommendations and provides links to full guidelines. Specific sections are devoted to resources needed, staff education and training, monitoring and reporting of HAIs, as well as adherence to standard precautions including hand hygiene, personal protective equipment, injection safety, and cleaning and disinfection of environment and medical equipment.