‘Moving the Needle on Infection Prevention’: Infection Prevention Week 2024

Posted: 14/10/2024

International Infection Prevention Week is this week, from 13 - 19 October 2024. The purpose of the event is to raise awareness and educate people about preventing infection. Infection Prevention Week started in 1986 and takes place every year. The theme for 2024 is ‘Moving the Needle on Infection Prevention’, by breaking the chain of infection. The idea behind this year’s theme is to focus on the actions that healthcare professionals can take to reduce the instances and severity of infections.

Infection is an important focus for all healthcare workers. It can arise in any area of medicine and preventing it, or treating infections quickly and effectively, is imperative to keep patients, their families and the healthcare professionals themselves safe. 

The term infection refers to when a pathogen (bacteria, virus, fungus or parasite) enters the body and causes illness. Usually, the immune system can stop the pathogen from multiplying but, if not, infection can spread and worsen quickly. Infections can lead to very serious illness, and even death, if they are not treated. 

Infections can be spread in different ways. Some viruses spread via small respiratory droplets (such as colds and flu). This means that they can be passed between people without direct contact. Other infections require direct contact with the infected area of another person’s body, or via contact with a contaminated surface (such as scabies or ringworm). Gastro-intestinal infections are often transferred from contaminated food or objects (such as norovirus). There are also blood-borne viruses that are spread by contact with bodily fluids via infected needles or sexual intercourse (such as HIV). 

Certain groups of people are at increased risk of infection. Some people are immunosuppressed due to medical conditions and/or the treatment for these; this means that their immune system is not as strong as normal, and they may be at more risk of catching illnesses. Pregnant women, older people, cancer patients, people on certain medications and young children may all be at higher risk of infections. 

Reducing the spread of infection is an important part of the role of any healthcare professional, as hospital patients are often at higher risk than the general population due to their compromised health. Hospitals are also, by their nature, more likely to hold high numbers of people with infectious illnesses.

As clinical negligence lawyers, we often see the severe consequences when infections take hold. It is sometimes the case that an infection arises without any negligent treatment, as infection can be a recognised risk of many procedures. However, prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment is extremely important, and this is sometimes where we see failings that lead to an infection becoming much more difficult to control, which can lead to life-changing injury (such as amputation), or death. 

There are many ways of reducing the risk of infection. Increased ventilation, keeping the environment clean, and careful personal hygiene reduces the spread of pathogens. Good infection prevention and control measures also protect healthcare workers from contracting illnesses at work. The importance of prompt diagnosis means that any symptoms of infection, especially in more vulnerable groups, should be reported straightaway, and appropriate treatment, such as antibiotics, can be commenced. Hopefully, Infection Prevention Week will be a helpful reminder to us all to be mindful of spreading infection, and aware of how to reduce the risks to ourselves and others. 

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