Cultura

Strengthening Infection Control In Healthcare Systems: A Comprehensive Review Of Multidisciplinary Medical Department Practices And Outcome Impacts

VOLUME 21, 2024

The Role of Targeted Infra-popliteal Endovascular Angioplasty to Treat Diabetic Foot Ulcers Using the Angiosome Model: A Systematic Review

VOLUME 6, 2023

Ahmed Fahad Abdallah Alhuwaymil, Abdulwahab Ibrahim Abdullah Alminqash, Amin Ibrahim Saad Shuqayr, lbrahim Saad Abdulrahman Alfawzan, Sultan Saud Altayyar
Mohammed Abdullah Naseer Alsahli, Muhannad Mohammed Abdulrahman Alhuwaymil, Meshal Abudullah A Alyahya, Bashair Ali Hazazi, Saleh Ali Hussin Alwalah

Abstract

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) remain a major global challenge, contributing to increased morbidity, mortality, prolonged hospital stays, and rising healthcare costs. Traditional infection control efforts have often relied on isolated, department-specific interventions, which have shown limited effectiveness in increasingly complex healthcare systems. This comprehensive review examines infection control as a system-wide responsibility, emphasizing the impact of multidisciplinary medical department practices on patient and organizational outcomes. Drawing on recent evidence from international healthcare settings, the review synthesizes findings on core infection control functions, including surveillance, standard precautions, environmental safety, antimicrobial stewardship, workforce training, and governance mechanisms. Particular attention is given to how coordination, communication, and shared accountability across medical departments enhance compliance, reduce infection transmission, and strengthen patient safety culture. The review also explores the role of digital health technologies and organizational leadership in supporting integrated infection control strategies. Overall, the findings demonstrate that multidisciplinary, system-based approaches are consistently associated with lower HAI rates, improved clinical outcomes, cost efficiency, and enhanced workforce safety. The review concludes that strengthening infection control requires moving beyond siloed practices toward coordinated, evidence-informed frameworks that embed infection prevention into everyday clinical and operational processes across healthcare systems.

Keywords : Infection control; Healthcare-associated infections; Multidisciplinary collaboration; Patient safety; Quality improvement; Health system performance.
Erin Saricilar
Lecture in accounting. University of Basrah, College of Administration and Economics, Department of Accounting.

Abstract

Atherosclerotic disease significantly impacts patients with type 2 diabetes, who often present with recalcitrant peripheral ulcers. The angiosome model of the foot presents an opportunity to perform direct angiosome-targeted endovascular interventions to maximise both wound healing and limb salvage. A systematic review was performed, with 17 studies included in the final review. Below-the-knee endovascular interventions present significant technical challenges, with technical success depending on the length of lesion being treated and the number of angiosomes that require treatment. Wound healing was significantly improved with direct angiosome-targeted angioplasty, as was limb salvage, with a significant increase in survival without major amputation. Indirect angioplasty, where the intervention is applied to collateral vessels to the angiosomes, yielded similar results to direct angiosome-targeted angioplasty. Applying the angiosome model of the foot in direct angiosome-targeted angioplasty improves outcomes for patients with recalcitrant diabetic foot ulcers in terms of primary wound healing, mean time for complete wound healing and major amputation-free survival.
Keywords : Diabetic foot ulcer, angiosome, angioplasty