What is infection control?

Infection control is the process by which health care facilities attempt to limit or eliminate health care-associated infections. Infection control is part of the branch of medicine known as epidemiology, the study of diseases in large populations of people. Among the most common infection control methods today are ensuring that the health care environment is kept clean; using appropriate methods and agents to clean, disinfect, and sterilize equipment; maintaining proper hand hygiene; and wearing and properly disposing of gloves and other personal protective equipment.