This unit will provide students with an understanding of the individual and societal risks of healthcare-associated infections (HAI) and the rationale for, and barriers to, their prevention and control (PC). A basic understanding of medical microbiology and communicable disease epidemiology will be assumed. The unit will cover such important concepts as: introduction to healthcare associated infections (what they are, why they are important; fundamentals of infection prevention and control); how infections are transmitted and how can we interrupt this transmission?; hand hygiene theory, practice and evidence; outbreaks, methods to investigate outbreaks, including strain typing and whole genome sequencing, and to contain them; rationales and strategies for implementation of HAI-related policies; antimicrobial stewardship and its importance in the development of multi-drug resistant organisms; and challenges faced with management of emerging infectious diseases and high-consequence infections. Attendance, in person, at workshops is strongly recommended, to enable participation in discussions. However, lectures will be recorded and available online after the workshops. Students who are unable to attend some or all of workshop sessions can view them, but generally not the associated discussions, online. Assessments are online. Students not attending face-to-face teaching will be expected to participate in online discussion.
Unit details and rules
Academic unit | Public Health |
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Credit points | 6 |
Prerequisites
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None |
Corequisites
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None |
Prohibitions
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None |
Assumed knowledge
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basic knowledge of medical microbiology, antimicrobial agents and communicable disease epidemiology and clinical features |
Available to study abroad and exchange students | No |
Teaching staff
Coordinator | Patricia Ellen Ferguson, patricia.ferguson@sydney.edu.au |
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