PLUS 1112

Preface This is the first edition of CSA's Handbook on Infection Control in Office-Based Health Care and Allied Services (PLUS 1112). A comprehensive guideline on infection control, it can be used in all disciplines of health care or allied services, in particular, office-based health care. It is the first single text on infection control practices written for practitioners in office-based health care in North America. In the preparation of this handbook we had several aims in mind. First, the handbook had to be written so that it could be used by people who do not have a health care background, such as cleaning and maintenance staff, receptionists and providers of esthetic services. At the same time, it had to be technical enough to have credibility with health care practitioners, such as physicians or nurses. Second, it had to be based on the standards and practices used by hospitals for their own infection control. And third, it had to be practical, which meant taking the theories of a large institution (ie, a hospital) and adapting them to a small office-based practice. Therefore, we intend this handbook to be useful to all those responsible for the assurance of infection control in a health care practice. This handbook is designed to answer general questions common to all health care practices: How do I process an instrument after I have used it on a patient or client? What kind of disinfectant should I use? How do I know that the disinfectant I am using is the correct one for the purpose? What kind of sterilizer should I use and do I really need one? How do I dispose of a contaminated article? What should I do with needles and sharps? How do I store soiled instruments safely until they can be cleaned and sterilized? What precautions should I take? How can I protect my staff and myself without compromising my patient? It also provides direction on barrier precautions and o ccupational health, and describes some concerns within specific disciplines. The importance of infection control cannot be over-emphasized. The impact of a transmitted infectious disease can be devastating, not to mention costly. As health care and service providers, we are responsible for ensuring that the patient or client is not at risk.