Survey Shows Inadequate Infection Prevention Practices in Long-Term Care Facilities

A new study has identified gaps in long-term care facility (LTCF) infection prevention and control policies that may contribute to the spread of human norovirus.

Researchers from Clemson University, SC, interviewed directors of 26 LTCFs in South Carolina about their facilities’ infection prevention and control practices. Most medical directors of the LTCFs had little knowledge of proper sanitizing and disinfecting products, and few had written procedures in place for the cleaning of bathrooms or contaminated soft surfaces in the facility. Other gaps in infection control practices were cited after vomit-fecal events: using the wrong products for pathogen removal, failing to remove other individuals from the area during cleaning, and failing to clean a large enough surrounding area.

The survey also revealed inadequate practices to prevent the spread of infection from sick residents in the facilities. The majority of directors said that specific staff members were not assigned to care for sick residents (69%), that specific toilets were not designated for sick residents (61%), and that visitation was not restricted during outbreaks of illness (58%). The findings were published in the American Journal of Infection Control (2015;43(12):1276–1280).

The authors, led by Angela Fraser, PhD, concluded that the practices identified in the survey were likely to contribute to an increased risk of human norovirus outbreak in LTCFs. Although the sample was limited to a single area in South Carolina, practices in LTCFs across the country may be similar.—Kara Rosania