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Hospital Infection Prevention and Control Issues Relevant to Extensive Floods

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Anucha Apisarnthanarak ,
Linda M. Mundy ,
Thana Khawcharoenporn  and
C. Glen Mayhall
Anucha Apisarnthanarak*
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases, Thammasat University Hospital, Pratumthani, Thailand, 12120
Linda M. Mundy
Affiliation:
WWEpidemiology, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania 19426
Thana Khawcharoenporn
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases, Thammasat University Hospital, Pratumthani, Thailand, 12120
C. Glen Mayhall
Affiliation:
Department of Healthcare Epidemiology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555
*
Division of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Thammasat University Hospital, Pathumthani, Thailand, 12120 (anapisarn@yahoo.com)
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Abstract

The devastating clinical and economic implications of floods exemplify the need for effective global infection prevention and control (IPC) strategies for natural disasters. Reopening of hospitals after excessive flooding requires a balance between meeting the medical needs of the surrounding communities and restoration of a safe hospital environment. Postflood hospital preparedness plans are a key issue for infection control epidemiologists, healthcare providers, patients, and hospital administrators. We provide recent IPC experiences related to reopening of a hospital after extensive black-water floods necessitated hospital closures in Thailand and the United States. These experiences provide a foundation for the future design, execution, and analysis of black-water flood preparedness plans by IPC stakeholders.

Type
Review Article
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 34 , Issue 2 , February 2013 , pp. 200 - 206
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2013 

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