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Basic Infection Control And Prevention Plan for Outpatient Oncology Settings
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December 2011
[PDF-1.68 MB]
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Description:cdc:11638
An estimated 1.5 million new cases of cancer were diagnosed in the United States in 2010[1]. With improvements in survivorship and the growth and aging of the U.S. population, the total number of persons living with cancer will continue to increase [2]. Despite advances in oncology care, infections remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality among cancer patients[3-5]. Increased risks for infection are attributed, in part, to immunosuppression caused by the underlying malignancy and chemotherapy. In addition patients with cancer come into frequent contact with healthcare settings and can be exposed to other patients in these settings with transmissible infections. Likewise, patients with cancer often require the placement of indwelling intravascular access devices or undergo surgical procedures that increase their risk for infectious complications. Given their vulnerable condition, great attention to infection prevention is warranted in the care of these patients. In recent decades, the vast majority of oncology services have shifted to outpatient settings, such as physician offices, hospital-based outpatient clinics, and nonhospital-based cancer centers. Currently, more than one million cancer patients receive outpatient chemotherapy or radiation therapy each year[6]. Acute care hospitals continue to specialize in the treatment of many patients with cancer who are at increased risk for infection (e.g., hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients, patients with febrile neutropenia), with programs and policies that promote adherence to infection control standards. In contrast, outpatient oncology facilities vary greatly in their attention to and oversight of infection control and prevention. This is reflected in a number of outbreaks of viral hepatitis and bacterial bloodstream infections that resulted from breaches in basic infection prevention practices (e.g., syringe reuse, mishandling of intravenous administration sets)[7-10]. In some of these incidents, the implicated facility did not have written infection control policies and procedures for patient protection or regular access to infection prevention expertise.
basic-infection-control-prevention-plan-2011.pdf
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