ABSRACT FOR IPC CONFERENCE

By :Betty Chemutai Koech BScn ,RN

Kenyatta National Hospital

Prime care center

THEME: Infection control for the safer today and tomorrow

SUBTHEME: IPC a key pillar in safe and quality healthcare

Title: Role of infection prevention and control practices in safety on Neutropenic patients in Kenyatta National Hospital, Prime care Center

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Introduction

• Neutropenic precautions are put in place as soon as a client is confirmed to have very low neutrophils hence compromised immunity. Standard IPC measures and neutropenic precautions help minimize or prevent exposure to infectious agents hence improved patient outcomes.

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Objectives

• This study aims to point out the clinical outcomes of adhering to IPC and neutropenic precautions in reducing infection rates among neutropenic patients in KNH, Prime care center.

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Methods

• As KNH prime care center, we implemented the standard IPC precautions emphasizing on hand hygiene, antimicrobial stewardship,enviromental sanitation and continuous medical edication on IPC practices to staff.
• All confirmed neutropenic clients were placed under neutropenic precautions, nursed in private rooms. KNH,primecare center has private or semi private rooms that were utilized when need arose. Client under neutropenic precautions had their consumable supplies placed inside their rooms for example gloves, masks and their own thermometers, we had challenge with Blood pressure machines because they had to be shared but we made sure they were sanitized before using on neutropenic clients.
• Visitors were controlled and family members educated on the reasons for the restrictions. No flowers, no food from outside , no uncooked foodstuff even fresh fruits since they may harbour infectious agents.
• Data on infection rates, patient outcomes and adherence to IPC measures were collected and analyzed over a period of six months,

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Results

• The measures taken resulted in significant reduction in infection rates among neutropenic clients, resulting in a good turnaround time as stipulated in our service delivery charter and hence reduction of financial burden on the family or client and a motivated staff. Hand hygiene audit carried out by the hospital had one of our wards in prime care center as the overall winner and that was ward 9D,NBU and overall our department had improved by 48.3% compared to a previous audit

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PATIENT EDUCATION ON DISCHARGE

�1. Avoid working in the garden or working with house plants to minimize exposure to soil which might harbour infectious agents�2. To avoid drinking fluids that have been sitting exposed for more than 1 hour that might have microorganisms �3. To avoid crowded places �4. Avoid uncooked food

Conclusion

• Our Neutropenic precautions and IPC standard precautions reduced infection rates and led to impressive patient outcomes.
• IPC can and does inform best practices in healthcare settings.

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• THANK YOU