AHA’s role in infection control
Through the decades, American Hospital Association guidance and publications addressed a wide variety of infection control topics, including the following:
1940s
• disinfection after contagion
• ultraviolet rays as a sterilizing agent
1950s
• hospital preparation for ’Asian” influenza
• prevention and control of staphylococcal infections
1960s
• debut of infection control textbook (four editions appeared from 1962-1980)
1970s
• microbiologic contamination control in hospitals
• care of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis
• smallpox vaccination of workers
• managing workers with hepatitis B virus infection
• catheter-related urinary tract infections
• microbiologic sampling in hospitals
1980s
• rubella control
• hepatitis B (HBV) vaccine for health care workers
• prevention of perinatal transmission of HBV
• reuse of disposable medical devices
• cost-effective infection control management
• management of HIV infection in the hospital
• AIDS facts, financial implications, and communication strategies
• AIDS/HIV health care practices and public policy
• needlestick prevention
1990s
• shaping state and local regulation of medical and hazardous waste
• universal precautions to prevent HIV and HBV
• multimedia universal precautions train-the-trainer program
• guidelines for implementation of OSHA’s bloodborne pathogen standard
• adopting safer needle devices
• preventing patient infections during construction
• immunization of patients, workers, and community
• TB control in hospitals
• preventing transmission of antibiotic-resistant organisms
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