Professional Practice

Home > Professional Practice > Practice Guidance Committee Activities

Practice Guidance Committee Activities

The Practice Guidance Committee is charged with compiling, assessing, developing and influencing guidelines and standards related to the practice of infection prevention and control. This committee provides a means within APIC to guide and inform the membership on practice issues and recommends official positions on standards, guidelines and other pertinent documents affecting the practice of infection prevention and control. APIC’s Practice Guidance Committee is often invited to provide review and comment on a number of documents and resources. The following are a list of documents and resources for which the committee has provided comment on behalf of APIC and its members. For questions related to this and other activities of the Practice Guidance Committee, contact CRPI@apic.org

2019

Date Requesting Organization Title of Resource Comments
June 2019 Association of periOperative Registered Nurses

SGNA Updated Standard of Infection Prevention in the Gastroenterology Setting.
April 2019 Society of Gastroenterology

SGNA Updated Standard of Infection Prevention in the Gastroenterology Setting.
March 2019 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI)

ANSI/AAMI ST 91: Flexible and Semi-Rigid Endoscope Processing in Healthcare Facilities- draft

ANSI/AAMI ST 79: Comprehensive Guide to Steam Sterilization and Sterility Assurance in Healthcare in Healthcare Facilities

AAMI ST 58: Chemical Sterilization
February 2019 Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN)

Update to Guideline for OR Attire

2018

Date Requesting Organization Title of Resource Comments
October 2018 CDC HICPAC

Draft Update to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee Recommendation Categorization Scheme for Infection Control and Prevention Guideline Recommendations. Draft Update to Infection Control in Healthcare Personnel: Infrastructure and Routine Practices for Occupational Infection Prevention and Control Services
May 2018 National Quality Forum (NQF)

National Quality Partners Playbook: Antibiotic Stewrdship in Post Acute and Long Term Care Facilities
  • Comments focused on bi-directional communication of MDRO status
May 2018 National Quality Forum (NQF)

National Quality Partners Playbook: Antibiotic Stewrdship in Post Acute and Long Term Care Facilities
  • Comments focused on bi-directional communication of MDRO status
April 2018 Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (SDMS)

Guidelines for Infection Prevention and Control in Sonography: Reprocessing Ultrasound Transducers
  • Comments focused on liquid sterilants and procedures
April 2018 The Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA)

SHEA NICU White Paper Series: Practical Approaches to Clostridium Difficile Prevention
  • Environmental cleaning and hand hygiene compliance. Additional comments on testing and culturing
March 2018 Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN)

AORN Guideline for Design and Maintenance of Surgical Suite

AORN Patient Safety Guidelines
  • Comments related to cleaning equipment and resusable patient equipment
March 2018 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI)

ANSI/AAMI ST 91: Flexible and Semi-Rigid Endoscope Processing in Healthcare Facilities- draft
  • Comments related to hand hygiene, PPE compliance, personnel training
February 2018 The Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA)

SHEA Expert Guidance:Infection Prevention in the Operating Room Anesthesia Work Area
  • Focused comments on hand hygiene compliance

2017

Date Requesting Organization Title of Resource Comments
September 2017 World Health Organization (WHO)

WHO Preferred Product Characteristics for

Personal Protective Equipment for the Healthcare Worker on the Frontline Responding to Ebola Virus and Hemorrhagic Fever Outbreaks in Tropical Climate-draft
  • Suggested adding basics of infection prevention in the environment and reiterating proper donning and doffing protocols as well as suggestions for disposal
September 2017 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) ANSI/AAMI ST 91: Flexible and Semi-Rigid Endoscope Processing in Healthcare Facilities- draft
  • Comments focused on sterilization of scopes that touch sterile tissue or mucous membranes and sterilization of long scopes, room configuration and inspection/visualization of scopes were added.
August 2017 Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) AORN Guideline for Manual Chemical High-Level Disinfection-draft
  • Committee reviewed and had no suggested edits
August 2017 The Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) SHEA Expert Guidance: Duration of Contact Precautions for Acute Care Settings-Draft
  • Comments focused on clarifying definitions of extensive resistance and clarifying room cleaning following cdiff contact precaution discontinuation
July 2017 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) Checklist for Preventing Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIS)
  • PGC reviewed draft document for accuracy
July 2017 The Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) Outbreak Response and Incident Management: Guidance and Resources for Healthcare Epidemiologists in US Acute Care Hospitals-draft
  • PGC comments included more explicit references to the role of infection preventionist in outbreak response
June 2017 Academy of Dietetics and Nutrition Infant Pediatric Feeding: Guidelines for Preparation of Human Milk and Formula in Healthcare Facilities, Chapter 12 Microbiology and Infection Prevention-draft
  • PGC comments focused on references to hand hygiene and transmission of infection
June 2017 Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) Medication Safety Guideline-draft
  • PGC comments focused on ensuring that draft language consistent with safe compounding guidelines
  • Anticipated publication later 2017
January 2017 American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) ASHRAE Proposed Addendum to Standard 170-2013 Ventilation of Health Care Facilities
  • Risk assessment of HVAC system and potential airborne infectious disease transmission should be included in the design phase
  • Airborne risk assessment team should include interdisciplinary participation and administration support
January 2017 Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Draft Update of CDC Recommendations on Use of Chlorhexidine-Impregnated Dressings for Prevention of Intravascular Catheter-Related Infections
  • HICPAC voted to approve recommendations May 2017
January 2017 American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) AIHA: The Health and Safety Professional’s Role in Infection Prevention-draft
  • Committee reviewed references to modes of HAI transmission, factors impacting surface disinfection and environmental culturing. Publication planned for late 2017/early 2018

2016

Date Requesting Organization Title of Resource Comments
December 2016 Facilities Guidelines Institute (FGI) 2018 Draft Guidelines
  • Committee added comments and edits related to hand washing stations andhand scrub facilities
  • Final Guidelines planned release 2018
August 2016 CDC and APIC Leadership Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) New Recommendations Aim to Redefine Definition and Enhance Diagnosis of Sepsis, Septic Shock
  • Committee reviewed Application of standard definitions, bundle implementation and administrative issues such as Transfer of patients from small facilities to higher level of care
July 2016 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) ANSI/AAMI ST 91: Flexible and Semi-Rigid Endoscope Processing in Healthcare Facilities draft
  • PGC members participate in workgroup and provide IP perspective
  • ST91 will be availalble for public review September 2017