As a member of Medical Council of India, I recommend this book for the undergraduate medical course, postgraduate students of microbiology, general surgery, anesthesia and hospital management. In addition this book is also useful for the under- graduate (BSc, Nursing) and postgraduate (MSc, Nursing) nursing students and for diploma and graduate paramedical courses like BSc, Medical Lab Technology, BSc, Microbiology. This book deserves a place at all the libraries of medical colleges, private and corporate hospitals, nursing colleges, paramedical institutions and colleges offering BSc, and MSc, Microbiology and Medical Lab Technology courses. In addition the hospital administrators of government as well as private will find lot of practical points from this book that helps them in day-to-day administration.

I congratulate the author for his excellent work in bringing out the book of “Hospital Infection Control”.

This attempt has been made with an object to meet the requirement of common infection control methodology for day-to-day need in each and every department of hospital. The notes has been assigned in small clarified parts to make it easier for the students of medical, paramedics, nursing students and guidelines for hospitals. The chapters adequately illustrated with simple language and explanations with departmental policies, procedures and simple techniques for infection control in addition line sketch diagrams are stipulated wherever it is necessary, wherever required the important definitions and terminologies are illustrated. The entire approach is such as to attract and inspire the students and hospital managers for a duper aliver in the subject of “Hospital Infection Control”.

It is quite possible that there are errors of omissions and commission in this mostly single-handed first attempt. I would be grateful to all the readers of this book for their suggestions to improve the book from all angles.

I had tried to put all my experience as hospital administrator to confine in single handbook, the material and chapters are arranged for the understanding purpose of nonmedical personnels also like hospital administrators.

In this book I tried to highlight the American standards of infection control to suit Indian system as well as international system.

I express my gratefulness to my mother and then thankful indeed to my wife, daughter Sanya Khan and my son Mohd Sadathullah Khan for assisting in this successful attempt with lot of patience and encouragement.

I am grateful to authors and institutions whose knowledge has been utilized. It is my duty to thank Dr Ramesh Babu, Cardiologist and Managing Director, Medwin Hospitals and Al-Hammadi Group of Hospitals in KSA for inspiration and encouragement.

Special thanks to Mr Rashid (Microbiologist and Research Schola) for his contributions apart from his busy schedule. I must thank to the staff of Medwin Institute of Medical Sciences (Medwin Hospitals) for their supportive contribution. Special thanks to Mr Hanuman Prasad, Miss Chinni, and Mr Mohd Siraj Ahmed and Mr Praveen Kasani for their wholehearted assistance.

There are so many other contributions behind this pioneering effort. I am thankful to M/s Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers Pvt Ltd., who approached and convinced to write this book with all their encouragement.

Government of India enacted the Environment Act in 1986 then notified the rules for the management and handling of biomedical waste in 1998 to reduce the rate of error produced infection.

Without the proper precautions, health care facility can actually cause the spread of infections and diseases. When providing health services, it is essential to prevent the transmission of infections at all times through standard procedures.

A safe procedure in medical, nursing or laboratory procedures is that limits the risk of infection to the patient.

Each and every patient's visit is of three-fold importance.

Among the above, for the right treatment, right investigation and proper diagnosis is compulsory. They are supposed to undergo certain examinations for diagnostic purpose before treatment is prescribed.

While undergoing for investigations, the level of getting infected depends upon the type and nature of investigation. Some of these investigations carry a very low percentage of infection, e.g. estimation of the blood pressure and counting the pulse rate. Others, such as blood tests and bladder catheterization even simple use of thermometer from patient to patient are much more hazardous because of high percentage risk of infection.

Patients undergoing surgery are especially at maximum level of risk nearly 20 to 30 percent of infections are postoperative and it is common practice among Health care takers that prophylactic antibiotics is routine.

This book presents some safe ways to undertake a number of frequently performed procedures. If these guidelines are followed closely, the risk of the patient becoming infected through the faulty techniques will be reduced to a minimum.

Each and every hospital, nursing home, clinic, dispensary, veterinary institution, animal house, pathological laboratory and blood bank should have their effective, programme of surveillance prevention and control of nosocomial infection, it should be made applicable to all patient care and supportive service departments, which should have written policies and procedures, which define the infection control responsibilities and activities.17

The infection control policies should include: