title: Developing decontamination strategies and monitoring tools.
abstract: Decontamination within the healthcare setting plays a significant role in reducing the risk of healthcare-associated infections. This article will examine decontamination from hand hygiene to sterilization of instruments and discuss how hazard analysis at critical control points (HACCP) can be used to monitor and record practice, ensuring that consistent standards are based on recommended guidelines, the law and policies.
authors.affiliation: NHS Tayside, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, UK.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bissett
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003663:Decision Trees; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004866:Equipment Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006235:Hand Disinfection / Q000379:methods*; D006797:Housekeeping, Hospital / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D017751:Safety Management / Q000379:methods*; D013242:Sterilization / Q000379:methods*; D013525:Surgical Instruments / Q000382:microbiology