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Expanding the infection control team: development of the infection control liaison position for the neonatal
Judy Wright1, Beth H Stover, Shirley Wilkerson
1Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Kosair Children's Hospital, Louisville , Kentucky, USA.
Insights
Neonatal survival has improved, but extremely premature infants face high infection risks. An infection control liaison role was established to improve communication and reduce nosocomial infections in a neonatal intensive care unit.
Area of Science:
- Neonatology
- Infectious Diseases
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- Neonatal survival rates have increased over 30 years.
- Decreasing limits of viability present challenges in infant care.
- Nosocomial infections pose a significant threat to extremely premature infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the role of an infection control liaison.
- To evaluate the impact of this role on infection control in a NICU.
Main Methods:
- Established an infection control liaison role.
- Focused on communication between NICU staff, neonatologists, and infection control teams.
- Monitored infection control program in a large NICU from 1995-1999.
Main Results:
- The infection control liaison facilitated communication.
- The role aimed to reduce infection risks in a fragile population.
- Impact on the overall infection control program was assessed.
Conclusions:
- The infection control liaison serves as a vital link.
- Improved communication can enhance infection control strategies.
- Specialized roles are crucial for managing complex NICU care.
Abstract:
Neonatal survival has risen progressively during the past 30 years. As the limits of viability continue to decline, the challenges of providing care to infants at the lowest extremes of gestational age and birth weight continually increase. Nosocomial infections in this very fragile population can be devastating. The complexity of care of these premature infants requires specialized knowledge of the neonate, infectious disease processes, and methods to reduce infection risks in the neonatal intensive care unit. The role of infection control liaison has been established in our institution as an adjunct to meeting this challenge by providing a line of communication between staff, neonatologists, and the infection control team. This article describes the role of the infection control liaison and its overall impact on the infection control program in an 87-bed level II, III, and IV neonatal intensive care unit from 1995 to 1999.
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