Tool to cut hospital infections in Fife
Fife's health staff are aiming to cut hospital infections through early identification of patients at increased risk.
- By Claire Warrender
- Published in the Courier : 28.07.10
- Published online : 28.07.10 @ 12.13pm
A system known as the Kettering tool is being trialled by NHS Fife's infection control team and nursing staff.
The tool categorises patients using a traffic light system, which makes it easy for staff on the wards to see.
It considers the age of the patient, their exposure to antibiotics, previous hospital admissions, whether invasive devices such as drips or catheters are being used and where the patient was admitted from.
Also taken into account are any underlying medical conditions, any previous infections and whether there are any wounds such as surgical wounds, pressure sores or leg ulcers.
Each consideration is given a score of between one and four and is then added together.
Anyone with a total score of 20 or more is said to be at very high risk of acquiring an infection and their care plan is coloured red. A score of 10-19 suggests the patient is at high risk and their plan is coloured amber, while a score of 0-9 is at risk, and green.
Patients with a red care plan must be isolated into a single room and not moved, with increased cleaning around the bed space. Amber and green care plans also need extra intervention, but the patient does not need to be isolated.
The Kettering tool is still being tested and staff are working to see if it would be of benefit in Fife's hospitals.
Director of nursing Caroline Inwood said, "We are trying to identify those risk factors and incorporate them into what may one day be a single tool. This Kettering tool has been used in Kettering for some years now and we have sourced it to help identify those at risk of having an infection."
Photo used under Creative Commons licence courtesy of Flickr user Horia Varlan.
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