Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures01:22

Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures

Essential infection prevention measures are based on the knowledge of the infection chain, the modes of transmission in healthcare settings, and the use of the best practices in all healthcare settings. Compulsory public reporting of healthcare-associated infection rates is needed to allow individuals and the community to make informed choices regarding selecting a healthcare facility.
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...
Hand hygiene01:23

Hand hygiene

Asepsis is the practice of preventing or breaking the chain of infection. The nurse employs aseptic techniques to prevent the spread of microorganisms and reduce the risk of diseases. Hand hygiene is the cornerstone of aseptic techniques and is classified into medical and surgical asepsis. Medical asepsis includes hand hygiene and the use of gloves. Surgical asepsis, or the sterile technique, refers to practices that render and keep objects and areas free of microorganisms.
Hand washing...
Standard Precaution01:26

Standard Precaution

Standard precautions are the minimum infection control safeguards used while caring for all patients, irrespective of their disease condition. They help prevent the spread of common infectious microorganisms to healthcare workers, patients, and visitors in all healthcare settings.
Hand hygiene is the most crucial means to prevent the transmission of disease. Employers are legally required to provide their workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) to minimize exposure or contact with...
Infection01:20

Infection

When a pathogen enters the body and reproduces, it can cause an infection, damage body cells, and cause illness symptoms that eventually lead to disease. Therefore, its prevention requires breaking the chain of infection.
The chain begins with pathogens: bacteria, viruses, fungi, prions, or parasites such as protozoa helminths. These can be present on the skin as transient or resident flora, or they can be acquired from the environment. Identifying and treating the type of infection and...
Transmission-based Precautions II: Airborne and Protective Environment01:25

Transmission-based Precautions II: Airborne and Protective Environment

Transmission-based precautions are for patients infected or suspected to be infected (or colonized) with organisms posing a significant risk to others. The transmission precautions include airborne and protective environment precautions.
Airborne precautions:
Use airborne precautions when treating patients known or suspected to have diseases that spread through the air—for example, tuberculosis or measles. These organisms are present in smaller droplets expelled by an infected person and...
Transmission-based Precautions I: Contact, Enteric, and Droplets01:17

Transmission-based Precautions I: Contact, Enteric, and Droplets

Transmission-based precautions are for patients known to be infected or suspected to be infected or colonized with organisms that pose a significant risk to others. Some transmission-based precautions include contact, enteric, and droplet.
Contact Precautions:
Contact precautions are the measures taken to prevent the transmission of infectious agents, especially epidemiologically important microorganisms such as MRSA or influenza, primarily transmitted through direct or indirect contact with an...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Metagenomic next-generation sequencing in pediatric infectious disease diagnosis: A comprehensive systematic literature review and meta-analysis.

Diagnostic microbiology and infectious disease·2026
Same author

Beyond the Virus: The Collateral Impact of COVID-19 on Antimicrobial Consumption, Microbial Resistance, and Pharmacoeconomics.

Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland)·2025
Same author

Quality of hand hygiene performance: A systematic literature review.

American journal of infection control·2025
Same author

Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing for the Diagnosis of Infectious Uveitis: A Comprehensive Systematic Review.

Viruses·2025
Same author

Cost-effectiveness analysis of implementing a field hospital in a soccer stadium during a pandemic.

Frontiers in public health·2025
Same author

COVID-19 Reinfections in the City of São Paulo, Brazil: Prevalence and Socioeconomic Factors.

Open forum infectious diseases·2025
Same journal

Interferon-Gamma Release Assays versus Tuberculin Skin Test for latent tuberculosis infection positivity among healthcare workers and first responders: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases·2026
Same journal

Overlooked risk factors for European autochthonous strongyloidiasis, Paris, France.

International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases·2026
Same journal

Multicentre validation and update of a Legionella prediction score to guide microbiological testing in community-acquired pneumonia.

International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases·2026
Same journal

Brucella Periprosthetic Joint Infection: Epidemiology, Precision Diagnosis, and Management-A Comprehensive Review and Proposed Clinical Framework.

International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases·2026
Same journal

Screening for tuberculosis in prisons: efficacy of a breath-based diagnostic approach in a high prevalence setting.

International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases·2026
Same journal

From Emergence to Resurgence: Evolutionary Dynamics of Chikungunya Virus in Bangladesh, 2008-2025.

International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Isolation of Single Intracellular Bacterial Communities Generated from a Murine Model of Urinary Tract Infection for Downstream Single-cell Analysis
07:34

Isolation of Single Intracellular Bacterial Communities Generated from a Murine Model of Urinary Tract Infection for Downstream Single-cell Analysis

Published on: April 16, 2019

Infection control: the case for horizontal rather than vertical interventional programs.

Richard P Wenzel1, Michael B Edmond

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1101 East Broad Street, PO Box 980663, Richmond, VA 23298, USA. rwenzel@mcvh-vcu.edu

International Journal of Infectious Diseases : IJID : Official Publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases
|September 21, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Horizontal infection control programs should be foundational. Vertical programs targeting specific organisms should demonstrate their added value beyond these broad strategies.

More Related Videos

Microbial Control and Monitoring Strategies for Cleanroom Environments and Cellular Therapies
09:30

Microbial Control and Monitoring Strategies for Cleanroom Environments and Cellular Therapies

Published on: March 17, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Isolation of Single Intracellular Bacterial Communities Generated from a Murine Model of Urinary Tract Infection for Downstream Single-cell Analysis
07:34

Isolation of Single Intracellular Bacterial Communities Generated from a Murine Model of Urinary Tract Infection for Downstream Single-cell Analysis

Published on: April 16, 2019

Microbial Control and Monitoring Strategies for Cleanroom Environments and Cellular Therapies
09:30

Microbial Control and Monitoring Strategies for Cleanroom Environments and Cellular Therapies

Published on: March 17, 2023

Area of Science:

  • Infection control and hospital epidemiology.
  • Public health strategies.
  • Microbiology and infectious diseases.

Background:

  • Infection control interventions are crucial for reducing healthcare-associated infections.
  • Existing strategies can be broadly categorized into horizontal and vertical approaches.
  • A clear framework is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of different intervention types.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To define and differentiate between horizontal and vertical infection control interventions.
  • To propose a strategic approach for implementing infection control programs.
  • To establish a framework for assessing the value of vertical interventions.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual analysis and definition of infection control intervention types.
  • Literature review on existing infection control strategies.
  • Development of a strategic recommendation for program implementation.

Main Results:

  • Two distinct types of infection control interventions are identified: horizontal (broad-spectrum) and vertical (organism-specific).
  • Horizontal interventions aim to reduce all infections across any site.
  • Vertical interventions focus on targeting specific pathogens or infection types.

Conclusions:

  • Horizontal infection control programs should serve as the fundamental basis for all infection control efforts.
  • The primary consideration for adopting new vertical programs should be their incremental value compared to existing horizontal strategies.
  • A systematic evaluation of added benefits is essential before implementing specialized, vertical infection control measures.