Keith S. Kaye, MD, MPH, Editor
Sorabh Dhar, MD, Editor
Infection prevention and control has grown and changed significantly since it first became nationally recognized in the early 1970s. Initially, infection control was focused on occupational health and infection surveillance in the hospital. More recently, there has been a growing emphasis on prevention and process in the hospital and other types of health care settings. Over the past several years, there has been increasing recognition of the quality and cost implications associated with health care–associated infections (HAIs) and the value of infection control. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, infection prevention has been at the forefront of global health care, thrust into the spotlight with regards to patient and health care worker safety, financial accountability, and regulatory readiness. While individual textbooks, articles, and other resources are available to address specific questions and issues pertaining to infection prevention and control, this issue (as well as the prior issue, Infection Prevention and Control in Health Care, Part I) of Infectious Diseases Clinics of North America serves as an inclusive, relatively concise, and focused primer on infection control.
This issue focuses on the epidemiology and prevention of different types of infections in the health care setting, which is one of the overarching and critical functions of the infection prevention department in a hospital. While the most recent 2019 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention progress report indicates reductions for several types of HAIs, recent publications indicate that there has been a relative increase in some HAIs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Multiple factors may be associated with these increases (shortages of personal protective equipment, disinfectants and medical equipment, staff, and host factors associated with increased infections), highlighting the need for continued vigilance in prevention practices. Various topics are covered, including prevention of device-associated infections, surgical site infection, infections due to multidrug-resistant pathogens, and prevention of other types of HAIs.
This issue is intended to serve as a useful reference and primer for infection prevention and control, particularly with regards to key components and strategies to prevent infection acquisition in the hospital. We want to thank the authors who have contributed valuable time and effort to this issue. We hope that you will enjoy it and find it to be a wonderful resource for helping to optimize infection prevention efforts in health care settings and to improve the safety and hospital experience for patients.