Every year, lives are lost because of the spread of infections in hospitals. Health care workers can take steps to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. These steps are part of infection control. Proper hand washing is the most effective way to prevent the spread of infections in hospitals. If you are a patient, don't be afraid to remind friends, family and health care providers to wash their hands before getting close to you. Other steps health care workers can take include: - Covering coughs and sneezes
- Staying up to date with vaccinations
- Using gloves, masks and protective clothing
- Making tissues and hand cleaners available
- Following hospital guidelines when dealing with blood or contaminated items
Start Here- Facts about Infectious Diseases (ID) (Infectious Diseases Society of America)
- Infection Prevention and You (Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology) - PDF
- Patient Safety: What You Can Do to Be a Safe Patient (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Prevention and Risk Factors- CDC Vital Signs: Making Health Care Safer -- Protect Patients from Antibiotic Resistance (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
- Top 9 Ways to Reduce the Risk of Pneumonia If You or a Loved One Is Hospitalized (Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology)
- CDC Vital Signs: Making Health Care Safer -- Stop Spread of Antibiotic Resistance (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
- First Responders: Encourage Your Workers to Report Bloodborne Pathogen Exposures (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)
- Hospital-Wide Hazards: Biological Hazards -- Infectious Diseases (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
- How Infections Spread (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- How To Be A Good Visitor During Flu Season (Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology)
- Infection Control in Dental Settings (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Infectious Disease Specialist: What Is an Infectious Disease Specialist? (Infectious Diseases Society of America)
- Patient Safety Threat - Syringe Reuse (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Specifics- Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) Infection (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Diseases and Organisms in Healthcare Settings (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- FAQs about Catheter-Associated Bloodstream Infections (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
- FAQs about Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF
- Frequently Asked Questions about Surgical Site Infections (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
- Frequently Asked Questions about Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Healthcare Settings (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- VISA/VRSA (Vancomycin-Intermediate/Resistant Staphylococcus aureus) in Healthcare Settings (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Videos and Tutorials- Clean Hands Count (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Statistics and Research- HAI Data (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Clinical Trials- ClinicalTrials.gov: Infection Control (National Institutes of Health)
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Nosocomial (Hospital-Acquired) Infections (National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)- Article: Innovation for infection prevention and control-revisiting Pasteur's vision.
- Article: First nationwide survey of infection prevention and control among healthcare facilities...
- Article: A Cross-Sectional, Questionnaire-Based Survey on Air Infection Control among Romanian People.
- Infection Control -- see more articles
Find an Expert- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Also in Spanish
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
- World Health Organization
Patient Handouts- After an exposure to sharps or body fluids (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Bloodborne pathogens (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Central line infections - hospitals (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Cleaning supplies and equipment (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Cleaning to prevent the spread of germs (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Isolation precautions (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Personal protective equipment (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Preventing infections when visiting (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Staph infections - hospital (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Stay Connected Sign up for the My MedlinePlus newsletter What's this? GO MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA- After an exposure to sharps or body fluids
- Bloodborne pathogens
- Central line infections - hospitals
- Cleaning supplies and equipment
- Cleaning to prevent the spread of germs
- Isolation precautions
- Personal protective equipment
- Preventing infections when visiting
- Staph infections - hospital
National Institutes of HealthThe primary NIH organization for research on Infection Control is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Other LanguagesFind health information in languages other than English on Infection Control DisclaimersMedlinePlus links to health information from the National Institutes of Health and other federal government agencies. MedlinePlus also links to health information from non-government Web sites. See our disclaimer about external links and our quality guidelines.
What is the most important factor in preventing the spread of infection?
Hand hygiene is the most important aspect of infection prevention and control activities because it reduces the burden of microorganisms on the hands and minimizes the chance of transmission to other people. Hand hygiene can be performed by using soap and water or, alternatively, an alcohol-based hand rub.
What is the easiest and most important way to prevent infection?
Hand washing is one of the simplest, most effective ways to prevent the spread of many types of infection and illness, including foodborne illness.
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