Infection Prevention and Control in the Intensive Care Unit: Preventing the Spread of Multi-Drug-Resistant Organisms

Antimicrobial resistance is a growing threat to human health and especially relevant in critical care settings. Intensive care unit patients are particularly vulnerable to multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) because of characteristic immunosuppression, reliance on medical devices, treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics, and exposure to the hospital environment. Nurses play a critical role in preventing the spread of MDROs by leading coordinated, multimodal interventions including antibiotic and laboratory stewardship, passive and active pathogen surveillance, implementation and de-escalation of isolation precautions, and evidence-based hygiene measures. Collectively, these team-based interventions can foster a culture of safety that protects individual patients and the wider community.