Infection Prevention and Control: Simple Measures, Challenging Implementation

The intensive care unit (ICU) is the hospital’s hot zone for healthcare-associated infection (HAI), especially ventilator-associated pneumonia, central line-associated bloodstream infection, catheter-associated urinary tract infection and surgical site infection. Evidence-based guidelines to prevent these Big Four are widely available, but healthcare professionals’ compliance is recognised as limited. This chapter discusses the basics of HAI prevention and proposes strategies to improve adherence to evidence-based prevention guidelines to promote a timely and successful ICU discharge by prevention of complications.