Purpose of Communicable Disease Investigation
Communicable diseases in a healthcare facility are becoming common, increasing morbidity and mortality rate, especially among infants. Investigations are necessary to understand the source of the diseases and the various modes of transmission from patient to patient or a patient to providers. The main reasons for investigating infectious diseases in healthcare facility include preventing further transmission from cases to those expected to contract. Also, it minimizes chances of reinfections after the patient is treated in the same healthcare facility. Investigation allows identification of the source of infections so that it is easy to curb the rate of infections in hospitals. Investigation enables researchers to identify other cases so that they can be diagnosed to prevent reinfections and further transmission of communicable diseases. The investigation guide surveillance and allow medical providers to supervise the care given to patients so that they can achieve expected patient outcome.
General Principles for Preventing Hospital infections Transmission
Hospital infections transmission is conventional and the best ways to avoid them is by employing relevant principles for preventing transmission. The two stated principles are case management and contact management. During case management, the first involved is verification of diagnosis, and this is made possible by identification of the primary agent responsible for disease transmission. It can be contacted with contaminated surfaces or contact with a patient with the communicable disease. The next step is a determination if the case is infectious or can cause infections to other patients. If the case is infectious, the patient can be separated from the rest of the patients to avoid transmission. If the case is infectious, the duration for case infectivity is minimized, and the patient is treated to avoid transmission. During contact management, the risk of infection to contact is established, and the provider determines if the contact has been ill or is a result of infection. Susceptibility to illness is controlled, and the patients who have contracted the infections are treated.