The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) has expanded its Targeting Zero initiative for 2009 to offer comprehensive education and guidance to prevent the most common and fatal healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).
Targeting Zero features Webinars, conferences and practical tools such as HAI elimination guides. APIC’s evidence-based elimination guides translate CDC recommendations into straightforward infection prevention strategies for healthcare workers.
In 2009, APIC will publish a new elimination guide for ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), the leading cause of death from HAIs. VAP is a type of pneumonia occurring in people being assisted by mechanical ventilators. In addition to VAP, APIC will also publish elimination guides for catheter-associated urinary tract infections (UTIs), catheter-associated bloodstream infections, MRSA in long-term care settings and Acinetobacter baumannii, an antibiotic-resistant bacterium causing infections in wounded military personnel.
“APIC will continue to provide direction and guidance for healthcare workers through clearly outlined implementation strategies for reduction of HAIs,” said APIC’s CEO, Kathy Warye. “Our expanded offering has been developed in response to infection preventionists and healthcare leaders who are under increased pressure to improve outcomes and preserve healthcare dollars. As we have since 1973, APIC will help institutions bring the science of HAI reduction to the bedside.”
In addition to the new elimination guides, APIC will conduct a 2009 follow-up survey to its MRSA Prevalence Study, first released in 2007. The purpose of the survey will be to gain a better understanding of changes in MRSA prevalence as well as current interventions and their impact.
