Infection Prevention and Control Flashcards

What is the purpose of an antibiotic stewardship program in a healthcare facility?

Answer: To optimize antibiotic use to improve patient outcomes, reduce antimicrobial resistance, and decrease healthcare-associated infections

Antibiotic stewardship programs optimize prescribing to ensure the right drug, dose, and duration while reducing unnecessary use that drives resistance.

What is the significance of the surgical site infection surveillance window?

Answer: The defined post-operative surveillance period during which an infection is attributed to the surgical procedure

The SSI window is the defined period after surgery (30 or 90 days depending on procedure) during which infections are classified as procedure-related.

Which sterilization method is most commonly used for heat-stable surgical instruments?

Answer: Steam sterilization (autoclaving)

Steam sterilization using autoclaves is the most common, reliable, and cost-effective method for heat-stable surgical instruments.

What does healthcare-associated infection (HAI) specifically refer to?

Answer: An infection acquired during healthcare treatment that was not present or incubating at admission

HAIs are infections that develop during healthcare delivery and were not present or incubating at admission.

What is the purpose of performing environmental cultures in a healthcare facility?

Answer: To investigate suspected environmental sources during outbreaks or to validate disinfection processes

Environmental cultures are used during outbreak investigations and to validate cleaning and disinfection effectiveness.

What is a bundle approach in infection prevention, such as the central line insertion bundle?

Answer: A small set of evidence-based practices that when implemented together consistently result in better outcomes than individually

Care bundles are structured groups of 3-5 evidence-based interventions that produce significantly better outcomes when implemented together and consistently.