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Immunocompromised Patients

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Evidence Based Practices for Infection Control in Immunocompromised Patients
Diane Scott
My rationale for choosing this subject is since many people in the hospital have a compromised immune system and they need to be protected from opportunistic infections. As a nursing student, I am responsible for making sure that I do not cause cross contamination. My question is “What are evidence based methods to prevent opportunistic infections in patients with a compromised immune system?”
Since one of my sources addresses neutropenia, it is necessary to explain the disorder and how it relates to my question. Information about neutropenia was obtained from an article named Neutropenia: A Diagnostic Approach from the Western Journal of Medicine. The two authors are doctors and this article is based on evidence-based case review. Neutropenia is a somewhat common condition in which the level of neutrophils in the blood is abnormally low (Montgomery and Munshi, 2000, para. 1). An immune system becomes compromised when it does not have an adequate number of neutrophils and my question concerns patients who have a compromised immune system. Some causes of neutropenia include chemotherapy, viral or bacterial infections, adverse drug reactions and autoimmune disorders, such as AIDS (Montgomery and Munshi, 2000).
Another source is a peer reviewed article named Neutropenia: State of the Knowledge Part II. The main author of this article is Nirenberg, but she had input from five other authors. This article is from the Oncology Nursing Forum which is property of the Oncology Nursing Society. The Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) is a professional oncology association composed of registered nurses and other health care practitioners. The ONS website states that “The Society offers useful information and opportunities for nurses at all levels, in all practice settings, and in all subspecialties” (Oncology Nursing Society 2009). Even though this article refers to neutropenia caused by chemotherapy, some of the recommendations can still be applied to neutropenia of different origins.
The next source is another peer reviewed article titled HAI Prevention: The Power is in Your Hands. The author is Douglas Houghton is a critical care nurse practitioner who works in a trauma ICU. The article was published in Nursing Management. According to its website:
With a circulation of 80,000, Nursing Management is the leading monthly source for practical, educational, cutting-edge information for nurse leaders. Each issue presents peer-reviewed articles that range from legal and ethical aspects of nursing leadership to personnel management, recruitment and retention, budget issues, product selection, and quality control. In addition, Nursing Management provides regular features, columns, continuing education, staff development education, and more (Nursing Management 2009).
The recommendations in Houghton’s article are evidenced-based and are taken from CDC guidelines and research articles. This article relates to my question because it concerns infection control.
According to Neutropenia: State of the Knowledge Part II, the authors guidelines are based on strong evidence from “review of primary literature, meta-analyses, available systematic reviews, clinical practice guidelines and the discussions at the State of the Knowledge on Neutropenia Symposium” (Nirenberg et. al, 2006, p. 1202). Skin is the first line of defense against bacteria so skin is covered with it. Therefore, the authors highly recommended that both health care providers and patients frequently wash their hands or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer (Nirenberg et. al, 2006, p. 1204). If hands are visibly soiled, then they must be washed with soap and water. Otherwise, hand washing or alcohol-based get is acceptable. There is a contradiction when there has been possible contact with Bacillus anthracis or Clostridium difficile because alcohol, along with chlorhexidine and other antiseptic agents, are not effective against them (Houghton, 2006, p. 2). Hands must be washed if there has been potential exposure to either Bacillus anthracis or Clostridium difficile (Houghton, 2006, p. 2). Houghton (2006) writes, “The physical friction associated with soap and water hand washing at least decreases the contamination level” (p. 2).
Numerous resources state that after applying water and soap, hands should be washed for at least fifteen seconds. Hands need to be dried after washing to prevent bacteria growth. The authors of Neutropenia: State of the Knowledge Part II write:
Observational studies on hand washing by healthcare workers showed that the duration of hand washing ranges from 6.6–24 seconds, with the majority of studies revealing average times of 12.5 seconds or less (Nirenberg et. al, 2006, p. 1204).
The evidence for practicing good hand hygiene to prevent infection is stronger than the evidence for commonly used guidelines concerning patients with neutropenia (Nirenberg et. al, 2006, p. 1204). Houghton (2006) concludes:
It’s become quite apparent that the key to prevention of many infections rests with our ability as clinicians to protect our patients by practicing good hand hygiene (p.6 ).
Further evidence-based guidelines from Neutropenia: State of the Knowledge Part II in regards to patients with chemotherapy-induced neutropenia are health care practitioners need to wear gowns when the patient is producing respiratory secretions and visitors with a respiratory infection should not be allowed to visit (Nirenberg et. al, 2006, p. 1202). In addition, nurses need to provide accurate education about neutropenia and reducing the chance of acquiring an opportunistic infection to their patients (Nirenberg et. al, 2006, p. 1203). However, the authors do admit that there is a lack of evidence based standards to guide nurses on patient education of neutropenia (Nirenberg et. al, 2006, p. 1203). Using not only on the sources I have used for this paper, but also on several articles that I have read online, I have come to a best practice conclusion. The best practice method in preventing opportunistic infections in immune compromised patients is practicing good hand hygiene. When hands are visibly soiled or there is possible exposure to either Bacillus anthracis or Clostridium difficile, they need to be washed with soap and water. After soap and water have been applied to the hands, wash them for at least fifteen seconds. Dry them thoroughly after washing. Alcohol-based hand gel can be used when hands are not visibly, soiled and there has not been potential exposure to certain bacteria. In addition to proper hand hygiene, hospital protocols need to be followed at all times.

`Works Citied
Houghton, Douglas. (2006). HAI Prevention: The Power is in Your Hands. Nursing
Management, May.
Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2048/ehost/pdf?vid=65&hid=9&sid=51e6c392-98cf-4e58-81b6-3751bf8f9be4%40sessionmgr4 Montgomery, R.B. & Munshi, H.G. (2000). Neutropenia: A Diagnostic Approach. Western
Journal of Medicine, April.
Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1070837/
Nirenberg, A., Bush, A.P., Davis, A., Friese, C.R., Gillespie, T.W., & Rice, R.D. (2006). Neutropenia: State of the Knowledge Part II. Oncology Nursing Forum, 33 NO 06. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2048/ehost/pdf?vid=70&hid=9&sid=51e6c392-98cf-4e58-81b6-3751bf8f9be4%40sessionmgr4 Nursing Management
Retrieved from http://journals.lww.com/nursingmanagement/pages/default.aspx The Oncology Nursing Society
Retrieved from http://www.ons.org/about

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