The article "Handwashing and Glove Use in a Long-Term-Care
Facility -- Maryland, 1992," stated that no national guidelines
exist
for infection-control practices in long-term-care facilities
(LTCFs). However, the Association for Practitioners in Infection
Control, Inc., a national organization of infection-control
practitioners, has written guidelines for infection prevention and
control in LTCFs and for the use of topical anti-microbial agents
(1,2). The guideline for infection prevention and control
underscores the need for handwashing and glove use but does not
recommend a specific policy for determining when handwashing or
glove use is necessary in long-term-care settings. The guideline
for use of topical antimicrobial agents suggests a ranking scheme
that could be used in LTCFs and other health-care settings to
determine when handwashing and/or glove use are needed.
References
Smith PW, Rusnak PG. APIC guideline for infection prevention and
control in the long-term care facility. Am J Infect Control
1991;19:198-215.
Larson E. Guideline for use of topical antimicrobial agents. Am
J Infect Control 1988;16:253-66.
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