Hospital Infection Prevention and Control

Hospital infection prevention and control, or IPC, is the organised effort to prevent infections among patients, healthcare workers and visitors in healthcare facilities. It interrupts the transmission of healthcare-associated infections through institutional systems, surveillance, safe clinical practices and environmental controls.

Institutional programme and surveillance

Effective IPC requires clear responsibility, trained personnel and continuous measurement rather than isolated cleanliness drives.

• A multidisciplinary infection control committee should establish policies, allocate responsibilities and support a trained infection control team.
• Written standard operating procedures, regular staff training and ready access to supplies are essential for consistent practice.
• Surveillance should use standard case definitions, microbiology support and analysis of infection trends to identify healthcare-associated infections and outbreaks.
• Compliance audits, outcome monitoring and feedback help facilities correct gaps and improve performance.

Standard precautions for all patient care

Standard precautions apply to every patient, irrespective of whether infection is known or suspected.

• Hand hygiene must be performed at appropriate points before and after patient contact or aseptic procedures.
• Personal protective equipment should be selected according to the anticipated exposure to blood, body fluids, droplets or contaminated surfaces.
• Safe injection practices, sharps management and aseptic technique reduce procedure-related transmission.
• Cleaning, disinfection or sterilisation of equipment, together with environmental cleaning, linen handling and biomedical waste segregation, breaks indirect transmission pathways.

Additional controls and enabling systems

When a pathogen's route of spread is known or suspected, standard precautions are supplemented by contact, droplet or airborne precautions.

• Early triage, patient isolation or cohorting, appropriate ventilation and controlled movement reduce cross-infection.
• Microbiology-guided antimicrobial stewardship limits inappropriate antimicrobial use and supports control of resistant organisms.
• Worker immunisation, exposure reporting and post-exposure management form part of occupational health protection.
• Adequate staffing, bed spacing, clean water, sanitation, ventilation and uninterrupted supplies make safe practice feasible.