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Infection Prevention and Control Audit of a Tertiary-Level Care Hospital Hemodialysis Unit in the United Arab Emirates at Times of COVID-19 Pandemic - A Case Study

Background: Infection prevention and control (IPC) in the hemodialysis unit is a multidisciplinary program that makes the healthcare facilities safe from infection for patients and healthcare personnel. In this audit, we evaluate the utility of the CDC hemodialysis unity infection prevention and control assessment tool at a tertiary-level care hospital in the United Arab Emirates. Materials and Methods: The research team performed an audit in March 2021 at a tertiary-level care hospital hemodialysis unit on infection prevention and control using the CDC tool. This tool has eleven items that cover different aspects of infection prevention, which have been used in different studies. Short-term areas of improvement identified were acted upon to resolve. Long-term areas of improvement are recommended to the hospital management. Results: The majority of the CDC IPC items on the checklist were applicable at the study site. Short-term improvements that were already acted upon at the time of audit were additional training and assessment of competencies of HCPs on selected competencies. Educational posters for the patients were displayed using the unit television. Television is there in the patient waiting for areas and for individual HD cabins. Infection control certifications by more nurses at the unit need to be done and more educational videos to be created. More educational posters for patients to be placed in the unit. Conclusion: The dialysis unit at the study site largely follows CDC guidance and policies to prevent and control infections. Some of the recommendations were implemented while auditing; others were recommended for improvements. The CDC audit tool was found to be useful in IPC at the study site even at times of COVID-19.