Infection Prevention and Control Guidelines
Guidelines and recommendations related to infection prevention. HAIs are currently one of the top ten leading causes of death in the United States. Healthcare professionals have an important role in HAI prevention.
On this page:
General Guidelines and Recommendations
- Hand Hygiene
- Environmental Cleaning/Disinfection
- Isolation Precations
- Injection Safety
- Antimicrobial Stewardship
-
Healthcare Personnel
Infection Specific Recommendations
- Multidrug-Resistant Organisms (MDRO)
- Clostridium difficile Infection
- Surgical Site Infections (SSI)
- Catheter-associated Bloodstream Infections
- Catheter-associated Urinary Tract Infections
- Healthcare-associated Pneumonia
Long-term Care Facilities
Outpatient (Ambulatory) Care Facilities
General Guidelines and Recommendations
Hand Hygiene
- Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Health-Care Settings (CDC)
Recent developments in the field have stimulated a review of the scientific data regarding hand hygiene and the development of new guidelines designed to improve hand hygiene practices in healthcare facilities. Attention: Non-MDH link
- WHO Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care
Hand hygiene guidelines for health care settings developed by the World Health Organization (WHO). Attention: Non-MDH link
- Hand Hygiene in Outpatient and Home-based Care and Long-term Care Facilities
World Health Organization guide to the application of the WHO multimodal hand hygiene improvement strategy and the “My Five Moments For Hand Hygiene” approach for use in outpatient, home-based care, and long-term care facilities. Attention: Non-MDH link
- Hand Hygiene for Health Professionals
MDH hand hygiene information, research, and guidelines for health care workers.
Environmental Cleaning/Disinfection
- Guidelines for Environmental Infection Control in Health-Care Facilities
2003 CDC compilation of recommendations for the prevention and control of infectious diseases that are associated with healthcare environments. Attention: Non-MDH link
- Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities, 2008
2008 CDC guideline for cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization of patient-care medical devices and the healthcare environment. Attention: Non-MDH link
Isolation Precations
- 2007 Guideline for Isolation Precautions: Preventing Transmission of Infectious Agents in Healthcare Settings
CDC guidelines for infection prevention staff, healthcare epidemiologists, healthcare administrators, nurses, other healthcare providers, and persons responsible for developing, implementing, and evaluating infection control programs for healthcare settings across the continuum of care. Attention: Non-MDH link
Injection Safety
- Safe Injection Practices to Prevent Transmission of Infections to Patients
Excerpt of the 2007 Guideline for Isolation Precautions: Preventing Transmission of Infectious Agents in Healthcare Settings. Attention: Non-MDH link
Antimicrobial Stewardship
- Guidelines for Developing an Institutional Program to Enhance Antimicrobial Stewardship
Recommendations by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) for developing a program to enhance antimicrobial stewardship in the hospital setting to improve the quality of care. Attention: Non-MDH link
Healthcare Personnel
- Guidelines for Infection Control in Healthcare Personnel, 1998 (PDF: 1.04MB/66 pages)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Public Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Includes infection control issues for health care personnel and recommendations for prevention of infections. Attention: Non-MDH link
Infection Specific Recommendations
Multidrug-Resistant Organisms (MDRO)
- Management of Multidrug-Resistant Organisms In Healthcare Settings, 2006
CDC guidelines to prevent and control MDROs such as MRSA and VRE in healthcare facilities. Attention: Non-MDH link
- MRSA Guidelines and Resources
Guidelines, publications, and resources to prevent MRSA transmission in health care facilities.
- MRSA Recommendations
MDH recommendations for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) control in acute care settings.
- CRE Guidelines and Resources
Guidelines, publications, and resources to prevent CRE transmission in health care facilities.
- Recommendations for the Management of Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) Acute and Long-term Acute Care Hospitals
MDH recommendations for the prevention and control of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) or carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in acute and long-term acute care facilities.
- Guidance for Control of Infections with Carbapenem-Resistant or Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae in Acute Care Facilities
CDC recommendations for the prevention and control of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) or carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in acute care facilities. Attention: Non-MDH link
Clostridium difficile Infection
- C. Difficile Guidelines and Recources
Guidelines and resources to prevent CDI transmission in health care facilities.
Surgical Site Infections (SSI)
- SSI Guidelines and Resources
Guidelines and resources for SSI prevention.
Catheter-associated Bloodstream Infections
- Guidelines for the Prevention of Intravascular Catheter-Related Infections, 2011
CDC guidelines to reduce the incidence of intravascular catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSI). Attention: Non-MDH link
Catheter-associated Urinary Tract Infections
- Guideline for Prevention of Catheter-associated Urinary Tract Infections 2009
CDC guideline for the prevention of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) in all healthcare facilities caring for patients that require urinary catheterization. Attention: Non-MDH link
Healthcare-associated Pneumonia
- Guidelines for Preventing Health-Care--Associated Pneumonia, 2003
CDC guidelines to reduce the incidence of healthcare-associated pneumonia and other severe, acute lower respiratory tract infections in acute-care hospitals and other healthcare settings (e.g., ambulatory and long-term care institutions) where healthcare is provided. Attention: Non-MDH link
Long-Term Care Facilities
- Guideline for the Management of Antimicrobial Resistant Microorganisms in Minnesota Long-Term Care Facilities
MDH recommendations for the prevention and control of antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms in long-term care facilities.
- Minimum Criteria for Initiation of Antibiotics in Long-Term Care Residents
Poster with minimum criteria for initiation of antibiotics in Long-Term Care residents.
- Recommendations for the Management of CRE in Long-term Care Facilities
MDH recommendations for the prevention and control of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) or carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in long-term care facilities.
- SHEA/APIC Guideline: Infection Prevention and Control in the Long-Term Care Facility
SHEA/APIC recommendations for long-term care infection control programs. Recommendations cover the structure and function of the infection control program, including surveillance, isolation precautions, outbreak control, resident care, and employee health. Attention: Non-MDH link
Outpatient (Ambulatory) Care Facilities
- Guide to Infection Prevention for Outpatient Settings: Minimum Expectations for Safe Care
CDC infection prevention recommendations for outpatient (ambulatory care) settings. Ambulatory care includes facilities where patients do not remain overnight (e.g., hospital-based outpatient clinics, non-hospital based clinics and physician offices, urgent care centers, ambulatory surgical centers, public health clinics, imaging centers, oncology clinics, ambulatory behavioral health and substance abuse clinics, physical therapy and rehabilitation centers). Attention: Non-MDH link
- Recommendations for Preventing Transmission of Infections Among Chronic Hemodialysis Patients
CDC infection prevention recommendations for hemodialysis facilities. Attention: Non-MDH link
- CDC’s Core Interventions for Dialysis BSI Prevention (PDF: 289 KB/1 page)
A recommended set of interventions to prevent bloodstream infections (BSI) in hemodialysis patients developed by the CDC. Attention: Non-MDH link
- ASGE-SHEA Guideline: Multisociety Guideline for Reprocessing Flexible GI Endoscopes: 2011 (PDF: 547 KB/1075 pages)
Multisociety guideline for endoscope reprocessing for use by all health care facilities where endoscopic procedures are performed. The guideline includes critical reprocessing steps (including cleaning and drying) and reprocessing issues for various endoscope attachments. Attention: Non-MDH link
- Basic Infection Control and Prevention Plan for Outpatient Oncology Settings
CDC recommendations for developing a basic infection control and prevention plan in outpatient oncology facilities. Attention: Non-MDH link
Dental
- Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings --- 2003
This report consolidates previous recommendations and adds new ones for infection control in dental settings. Recommendations are provided regarding educating and protecting dental health-care personnel; preventing transmission of bloodborne pathogens; hand hygiene; personal protective equipment; contact dermatitis and latex hypersensitivity; sterilization and disinfection of patient-care items; environmental infection control; dental unit waterlines, biofilm, and water quality; and special considerations (e.g., dental handpieces and other devices, radiology, parenteral medications, oral surgical procedures, and dental laboratories). Attention: Non-MDH link
EMS
Spotlight
Hand Hygiene
Information about washing/cleaning your hands.
Cover Your Cough Poster for the Community
Stop! Protect Our Patients/Residents Posters
Posters to be posted in clinics and hospitals or residential facilities and long term care facilities asking ill people not to visit.
If you have questions or comments about this page, use our IDEPC Comment Form or call 651-201-5414 for the MDH Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention and Control Division.
