Antibiotic Resistance

CAUTI

CLABSI

C. diff

CRE

Hepatitis B

Hepatitis C

MRSA

Norovirus

SSI

VRE

VISA

VRSA

VAP

N.C. HAI Prevention Program

 

Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs)

Information for Individuals & Families

To help patients and their families better understand HAIs and how to protect themselves, these resources provide information on the risks and best prevention practices to look for in a healthcare setting for several types of infections.

• Alerts & Hot Topics
• Disease Prevention & Guidance
• Support Services
• Tools & Websites

Alerts & Hot Topics

• Latest Reports on Healthcare-Associated Infections in North Carolina
• One and Only Campaign - North Carolina - North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has joined the Safe Injection Practices Coalition (SIPC) One and Only Campaign to raise awareness among patients and healthcare providers about safe injection practices.

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Disease Prevention & Guidance

• Basic Prevention Measures
• CDC: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) Infection: Patient FAQs
• Common Types of HAIs:
  • Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI)
  • Central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI)
  • Clostridium difficile (C diff.)
  • Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
  • Surgical site infection (SSI)
  • Vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA)
  • Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE)
  • Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA)
  • Ventilator-associated Pneumonia (VAP)
• Glossary of HAI Terms & Acronyms
• Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC): Top Ten Ways to Prevent Infection in the New Year
• CDC: Healthcare-Associated Infections - Information for patients and healthcare personnel.
• CDC: Patient Safety – Ten Things You Can Do to Be a Safe Patient
• CDC: Prevention & Control of MRSA and other Bacterial Skin Infections
• HAI Watch: Patient's Guide to Hand Hygiene - Developed with support from Kimberly-Clark and HAI Watch partners.
• The Joint Commission: Speak Up: Five Things You Can Do to Prevent Infection - The Joint Commission is a nonprofit organization that evaluates health care quality and safety.
• Journal of the American Medical Association: Wound Infections
• National Patient Safety Foundation: Preventing Infections in the Hospital - What You Can Do
• One and Only Campaign: Information for Patients - Questions to ask your healthcare provider about injection practices. From the injection safety campaign led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Safe Injection Practices Coalition (SIPC).
• Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America: Patient Guides on Healthcare-Associated Infections - Frequently asked questions and answers about common HAIs. Includes CDC-approved patient guides for common HAIs.

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Support Services

• HAIs in North Carolina: Quarterly Reports for Healthcare Consumers (Facts & Figures)
• File a Home Health or Health Care Complaint: The North Carolina Division of Health Service Regulation is available to receive complaints regarding the care and services provided to patients/residents/consumers by health care facilities/agencies/homes licensed by the Division.
• Local Health Departments by County : Contact your local health department for information on services, programs and groups in your community.
• Medicare.gov Resource Locator : Compare the quality of hospitals, dialysis centers and nursing homes in your area and get information on healthcare professionals.

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Tools & Websites

• CDC: Hand Hygiene Saves Lives: Patient Admission Video
• HHS: "Partnering to Heal: Teaming Up Against HAIs" - Free online interactive video simulation training for families, healthcare professionals, and healthcare students on working together to reduce infection risks. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with APIC (Association for Professionals in Infection Control).
• CDC Vital Signs: Making Healthcare Safer - Stopping C. difficile Infections (March 2012) - Includes fact sheet and audio podcast.

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