Control and prevention of infection on hemodialysis units

The maintenance hemodialysis unit, an area of special infection control concern, was discussed. An approach was presented which illustrates that effective control and prevention measures evolve from an organized method of identifying the pertinent data, defining the problems, creating workable and reasonable control measures, implementing the measures, and then evaluating their effectiveness. Nurses represent the largest percentage of direct patient care practitioners. Since infection control and prevention measures affect them directly, nurses must assume a predominant role in the development, application, and evaluation of these measures.