2102-A - Tackling Emerging Infectious Diseases: The Infection Preventionist Role

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

10:15 AM – 10:45 AM

Location: W104 A/B; Orange County Convention Center

CE: 0.5

CNE Credits: 0.5
CME Credits: 0.5

Presenter(s)

Vincent Hsu, MD, MPH (he/him/his)

Hospital Epidemiologist & Executive Director Infection Prevention
AdventHealth
Orlando, Florida

Disclosure(s): Merck Sharp & Dohme: Speaker/Honoraria (Ongoing); Sanofi Pasteur: Speaker/Honoraria (Ongoing); Valneva: Advisory Committee/Board Member (Ongoing)

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Moderator(s)

Nychie Q. Dotson, PhD, MPH, CIC, CPHQ, FAPIC

Assistant Vice President Infection Prevention
HCA Healthcare

Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose

Co-Moderator(s)

Michelle W. King, BS, MT, MPH, CIC (she/her/hers)

Corporate Director of Infection Prevention and Control
McLeod Health System
Hartsville, South Carolina

Disclosure(s): No financial relationships to disclose

Session Description: The COVID-19 pandemic is not over, and yet we are seeing an increase in emerging infectious diseases (EID) that include diseases not previously endemic in the United States such as monkeypox and melioidosis. Prevalence of vector-borne disease and multidrug resistant organisms continue to rise year over year, and we have witnessed re-emergence of common vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles. The actions needed to stem the rise of EID are based on the underlying causes and require a global concerted effort from society, but this presentation focuses on actions that infection preventionists can take in leading a multidisciplinary approach with physicians, pharmacists, laboratory professionals, nurses and administrators. These actions include applying epidemiologic criteria and surveillance mechanisms to help identify EID, continuing to appropriately support antimicrobial prescribing, promoting routine vaccination of the healthcare team and patients, and leading efforts to address healthcare sustainable activities in order to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Learning Objectives:

Describe new and re-emerging infectious diseases along with those trends seen over time.
Discuss the underlying root causes of emerging infectious disease (EID) and provide recent examples to help the infection preventionist recognize & manage potential EIDs using a multidisciplinary approach.
Discuss strategies the infection preventionist can take to help mitigate the impact of EID such as promoting appropriate antimicrobial prescribing, routine vaccination, and addressing factors related to climate change.