Chapter 4: Infection prevention and control
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Infection prevention and control
Definitions
Infection prevention and control
‘Infection prevention and control’ has been defined as the clinical application of microbiology in practice (RCN [103]); it is a collective term for activities intended to protect people from infection. Such activities may form part of everyday life, such as washing hands after using the toilet or before preparing food. However, the term is most often used in relation to healthcare, with reference in particular to avoiding patients acquiring preventable infections.
Healthcare‐associated infection
A healthcare‐associated infection (HCAI) is any infection acquired as a result of healthcare contact. It has replaced the term ‘hospital‐acquired infection’ to recognize that not all healthcare is given in a hospital. Such infections are also known as ‘nosocomial’ infections.
