Special Issue: Infection prevention and control in healthcare, part II: management of infections. (Special Issue: Infection prevention and control in healthcare, part II: management of infections.)

ABSTRACT

This special issue (as well as the prior issue, Infection Prevention and Control in Health Care, Part I) serves as an inclusive, relatively concise, and focused primer on infection control. This issue containing 10 articles focuses on the epidemiology and prevention of different types of infections in the health care setting, which is one of the overarching and critical functions of the infection prevention department in a hospital. While the most recent 2019 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention progress report indicates reductions for several types of HAIs, recent publications indicate that there has been a relative increase in some HAIs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Multiple factors may be associated with these increases (shortages of personal protective equipment, disinfectants and medical equipment, staff, and host factors associated with increased infections), highlighting the need for continued vigilance in prevention practices. Various topics are covered, including prevention of device-associated infections, surgical site infection, infections due to multidrug-resistant pathogens, and prevention of other types of HAIs. This issue is intended to serve as a useful reference and primer for infection prevention and control, particularly with regards to key components and strategies to prevent infection acquisition in the hospital.