Section 1255.8 Of Article 1. General From California Health And Safety Code >> Division 2. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 1.
1255.8
. (a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have
the following meanings:
(1) "Colonized" means that a pathogen is present on the patient's
body, but is not causing any signs or symptoms of an infection.
(2) "Committee" means the Healthcare Associated Infection Advisory
Committee established pursuant to Section 1288.5.
(3) "Health facility" means a facility as defined in subdivision
(a) of Section 1250.
(4) "Health-care-associated infection," "health-facility-acquired
infection," or "HAI" means a health-care-associated infection as
defined by the National Healthcare Safety Network of the federal
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, unless the department
adopts a definition consistent with the recommendations of the
committee or its successor.
(5) "MRSA" means Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
(b) (1) Each patient who is admitted to a health facility shall be
tested for MRSA in the following cases, within 24 hours of
admission:
(A) The patient is scheduled for inpatient surgery and has a
documented medical condition making the patient susceptible to
infection, based either upon federal Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention findings or the recommendations of the committee or its
successor.
(B) It has been documented that the patient has been previously
discharged from a general acute care hospital within 30 days prior to
the current hospital admission.
(C) The patient will be admitted to an intensive care unit or burn
unit of the hospital.
(D) The patient receives inpatient dialysis treatment.
(E) The patient is being transferred from a skilled nursing
facility.
(2) The department may interpret this subdivision to take into
account the recommendations of the federal Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, or recommendations of the committee or its
successor.
(3) If a patient tests positive for MRSA, the attending physician
shall inform the patient or the patient's representative immediately
or as soon as practically possible.
(4) A patient who tests positive for MRSA infection shall, prior
to discharge, receive oral and written instruction regarding
aftercare and precautions to prevent the spread of the infection to
others.
(c) Commencing January 1, 2011, a patient tested in accordance
with subdivision (b) and who shows evidence of increased risk of
invasive MRSA shall again be tested for MRSA immediately prior to
discharge from the facility. This subdivision shall not apply to a
patient who has tested positive for MRSA infection or colonization
upon entering the facility.
(d) A patient who is tested pursuant to subdivision (c) and who
tests positive for MRSA infection shall receive oral and written
instructions regarding aftercare and precautions to prevent the
spread of the infection to others.
(e) The infection control policy required pursuant to Section
70739 of Title 22 of the California Code of Regulations, at a
minimum, shall include all of the following:
(1) Procedures to reduce health care associated infections.
(2) Regular disinfection of all restrooms, countertops, furniture,
televisions, telephones, bedding, office equipment, and surfaces in
patient rooms, nursing stations, and storage units.
(3) Regular removal of accumulations of bodily fluids and
intravenous substances, and cleaning and disinfection of all movable
medical equipment, including point-of-care testing devices such as
glucometers, and transportable medical devices.
(4) Regular cleaning and disinfection of all surfaces in common
areas in the facility such as elevators, meeting rooms, and lounges.
(f) Each facility shall designate an infection control officer
who, in conjunction with the hospital infection control committee,
shall ensure implementation of the testing and reporting provisions
of this section and other hospital infection control efforts. The
reports shall be presented to the appropriate committee within the
facility for review. The name of the infection control officer shall
be made publicly available, upon request.
(g) The department shall establish a health care acquired
infection program pursuant to this section.