In healthcare, safety is an unshakable foundation, and infection prevention and control (IPC) is its most critical component. A single missed hand hygiene opportunity or a minor deviation in a disinfection procedure can seriously threaten patient recovery and even survival.
With the release and implementation of a series of new standards by the National Health Commission, infection control in medical institutions has entered a new era of refined, systematic, and traceable management. This article interprets the latest standards and outlines practical, actionable strategies to help hospitals strengthen their infection control defenses.
I. Understanding the New Standards: From General Principles to Precise Control
In 2025, China’s hospital infection control standards system underwent a systematic upgrade, shifting from broad management to precise, risk-based control, with three main focuses:
1. More Comprehensive Framework
The General Standards for Infection Prevention and Control in Key Departments of Medical Institutions (WS/T 860-2025) serves as the top-level guideline, complemented by department- and process-specific standards. Together, they form a robust “general principles + specialized requirements” system.
2. More Specific Requirements
The new standards adopt evidence-based practices and introduce more quantitative indicators. For instance, operating room monitoring now requires real-time, continuous surveillance rather than periodic spot checks, enhancing the timeliness of risk detection.
3. Clearer Accountability
The standards mandate a three-tier organizational structure covering decision-making, management, and execution. Responsibilities are assigned to every department and every role, eliminating ambiguity in accountability.
Particularly for high-risk departments—operating theaters, ICUs, and hemodialysis units—the standards specify detailed protocols for air purification, instrument handling, and staff workflows, aiming to minimize infection risk to the lowest achievable level.
II. Common Misconceptions and Practical Challenges
Even with clear standards, implementation often encounters bottlenecks and misunderstandings. Recognizing and addressing these is key to success.
Misconception 1: Hardware compliance equals safety compliance
Many hospitals invest heavily in laminar flow operating rooms and advanced disinfection equipment, yet neglect ongoing supervision of correct procedures. Advanced devices, if misused, can pose higher infection risks than traditional methods.
Challenge 2: The “Knowledge–Belief–Practice” gap in hand hygiene
Although staff are familiar with the “Seven-Step Handwashing Technique,” compliance at critical moments (e.g., between patients, before aseptic procedures) remains low under high-pressure clinical conditions. Effective hand hygiene depends on both training and institutional culture.
Misconception 3: Visual cleanliness ≠ microbiological safety
Cleaning often focuses on surfaces appearing visibly clean, but biofilms formed by drug-resistant organisms are overlooked. New standards promote quantitative assessment tools such as ATP bioluminescence testing to make cleaning effectiveness measurable and accountable.
Challenge 4: The “last mile” of antimicrobial stewardship
Despite hierarchical management systems, empirical and prophylactic antibiotic overuse persists. The core solution lies in embedding infectious disease specialists or clinical pharmacists into clinical workflows to provide real-time, authoritative guidance.
III. Practical Strategies: Building a Closed-Loop Infection Control System
To translate standards into safety, hospitals must establish a closed-loop management system. Key steps include:
Step 1: Combine Top-Level Leadership with Safety Culture
Hospitals should establish or strengthen an infection control committee led directly by the hospital president. Hold quarterly review meetings to evaluate surveillance data and allocate resources. Simultaneously, foster a hospital-wide infection control culture through case studies and recognition of exemplary staff, emphasizing that “everyone is responsible for infection control.”
Step 2: Focus on Key Departments and Critical Processes
- Operating Theaters: Standardize cleaning, disinfection, sterilization, and traceability of instruments, integrating infection risk checks into surgical safety protocols.
- Central Sterile Supply Department (CSSD): Centralize management of reusable instruments with digital traceability for every processing step.
- ICUs and Hemodialysis Units: Monitor catheter-related infections and water quality, and proactively screen and isolate high-risk patients.
Step 3: Strengthen the Monitoring–Feedback–Intervention Loop
Monitoring must go beyond data collection. Implement an information-based surveillance system with automated analysis and alerts. When indicators, such as catheter-related infection rates, rise above thresholds, infection control staff intervene immediately, conduct root cause analysis, and supervise corrective actions until performance normalizes.
Step 4: Ensure Sustainable Capacity Building
Training should be continuous, tiered, and specialty-specific, incorporating simulations and practical assessments. Evaluate training effectiveness by linking hand hygiene compliance and standard precaution adherence to departmental and individual performance metrics, making infection control competency a factor in professional development.
IV. Beyond Compliance: Turning Infection Control into a Core Institutional Strength
Effective infection control delivers value far beyond mere compliance:
- Reduces complications and mortality, directly improving patient outcomes
- Cuts healthcare costs by shortening hospital stays and reducing additional medications and consumables
- Enhances hospital reputation, building patient trust and confidence
Investing in infection control systems is ultimately an investment in a hospital’s most valuable assets—trust and safety.
Conclusion
The ultimate goal of infection control is to transform rigorous standards and complex processes into an invisible yet robust protective barrier for every patient. When each hand hygiene moment is observed and every step is traceable, we safeguard not only individual patients but the integrity and safety of the entire healthcare environment. This is not only regulatory compliance—it is the highest expression of medical professionals’ respect for life.