| خلاصه مقاله | Introduction: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) pose a
significant risk to patient safety, leading to increased morbidity,
mortality, and healthcare costs worldwide. Effective infection control
strategies, including hand hygiene, personal protective equipment
(PPE), environmental cleaning, and antimicrobial stewardship, are
critical in mitigating the spread of infectious diseases in healthcare
settings. Despite the widespread implementation of these
interventions, their effectiveness varies across regions and healthcare
systems. This systematic review evaluates and compares the
effectiveness of different infection control strategies, .focusing on
evidence from recent studies between 2018 and 2024
Materials and Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, a
comprehensive search of PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and
ResearchGate was conducted. Search terms included 'infection
control,' 'healthcare-associated infections,' 'hand hygiene,' 'PPE,'
'antimicrobial stewardship,' and 'environmental cleaning.' Of the
2,500 articles initially identified, 50 studies met the inclusion criteria,
which required peer-reviewed articles published in English and
reporting measurable outcomes in healthcare settings. Data were
extracted on study design, interventions, outcomes, and limitations.
Results: Hand hygiene and PPE were the most effective interventions,
significantly reducing HAIs. Hand hygiene compliance reduced
infection rates by up to 50%, while adherence to PPE protocols reduced
transmission by 40%. Environmental cleaning, especially in high-risk
areas like intensive care units (ICUs), reduced infections by 35%, and
antimicrobial stewardship programs decreased multidrug-resistant
organisms (MDROs) by 20%. However, success was often dependent on
staff compliance, resource availability, and institutional support.
Conclusion: This review emphasizes the importance of infection
control strategies, particularly hand hygiene and PPE, in reducing HAIs.
Environmental cleaning and antimicrobial stewardship also play
critical roles, though their success hinges on overcoming challenges like
inconsistent compliance and limited resources. Healthcare facilities
must invest in training, provide sufficient resources, and foster a culture
of safety to enhance the effectiveness of infection control programs and
improve patient outcomes. Future research should focus on addressing
these barriers to optimize infection prevention efforts. |