Quick Observation Tools (QUOTs) for Infection Prevention
Easy -to-use checklists to assess infection prevention for hospitals and ambulatory care facilities.
To be used by:
- Infection Preventionists
- Healthcare professionals whose primary responsibilities are at specific assessment locations.
Use to:
- Establish a baseline
Collect observations over several days or week. - Maintain performance
Periodically ensure continued vigilance and detect problems. - Performance improvement
In the event performance falls below expectations. - Targeted/Risk-based monitoring
If a problem such as healthcare-associated infections occurs or increases unexpectedly.
These QUOTS for infection prevention and control are the result of a partnership between CDC and Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc (APIC)
APIC information on QUOTS:
Ambulatory Settings
- Cough Courtesy: Waiting Room pdf icon[PDF – 2 pages]
Ambulatory clinic cough courtesy lounge outpatient respiratory etiquette visitor waiting area - Point of Care Testing pdf icon[PDF – 2 pages]
Ambulatory clinic lab outpatient point of care testing
Device-Associated Infections
- Central Venous Catheters pdf icon[PDF – 2 pages]
Bloodstream infection BSI Central Venous Catheter central line CLABSI CVC dressing IV vascular catheter - Urinary Catheters pdf icon[PDF – 2 pages]
CAUTI Foley urinary catheter urinary tract infection UTI - Ventilatorspdf icon [PDF – 2 pages]
Oral care pneumonia VAE VAP ventilator
High-Level Disinfection
- Clean Area pdf icon[PDF – 2 pages]
Central sterile chemical clean cleaning disinfection endoscope equipment PPE reprocessing scope sterilization supply - Dirty Area pdf icon[PDF – 3 pages]
Central sterile chemical cleaning dirty disinfection equipment eyewash MSDS OSHA PPE reprocessing sterilization
Medication Areas
- Centralized Medication Area pdf icon[PDF – 2 pages]
Injection Med medication +/- area or dispensing multi-dose vial pharmaceutical - Portable Medication Systems pdf icon[PDF – 2 pages]
Injection Med medication +/- area or dispensing multi-dose vial pharmaceutical scanner - Vaccine Storage Areas pdf icon[PDF – 2 pages]
Ambulatory clinic Med Medication outpatient pharmaceutical refrigerator vaccine
NICU
- Isolettes / Bassinets pdf icon[PDF – 2 pages]
Basinet disinfectant environment isolette neonate newborn NICU PPE - Neonatal Central Venous Catheters pdf icon[PDF – 2 pages]
Bloodstream infection BSI Central Venous Catheter central line CLABSI CVC dressing IV neonate newborn NICU vascular catheter - Nutritional Preparation Areas pdf icon[PDF – 2 pages]
Breast milk neonate newborn NICU nourishment nutrition refrigerator
Standard Precautions
- Hand Hygiene Provision of Supplies pdf icon[PDF – 2 pages]
Alcohol hand hygiene hand sanitizer hand washing standard precautions - Needlestick Prevention and Care of Laundry pdf icon[PDF – 2 pages]
BBP bloodborne pathogen laundry linen needle needlestick OSHA precautions sharps standard - Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Supply Provision pdf icon[PDF – 2 pages]
Equipment gloves goggles gown mask OSHA personal protective equipment PPE standard precautions
Transmission-Based Precautions (Isolation Rooms)
- Area Exterior to Airborne Isolation Rooms pdf icon[PDF – 2 pages]
Airborne isolation mask MTB negative pressure respiratory protection TB tuberculosis - Area Exterior to Isolation Rooms pdf icon[PDF – 2 pages]
Gloves gown isolation mask PPE precaution transmission based
Visitor Areas
- Visitor Areas pdf icon[PDF – 2 pages]
Ambulatory clinic cough courtesy lounge outpatient inpatient respiratory etiquette visitor waiting area
Ambulatory-Care-Suite (9 checklists)
- Hand Hygiene Provision of Supplies
- Personal Protective Equipment Provision
- Area Exterior to Contact Isolation Rooms
- Area Exterior to Airborne Infection Isolation Rooms
- Needlestick Prevention and Care of Laundry
- Centralized Medication Area
- Cough Courtesy: Waiting Room
- Vaccine Storage Areas
- Point of Care TestingAmbulatory-Care-Suite pdf icon[PDF - 18 pages]
Critical-Access-Hospitals-Suite (12 checklists)
- Central Venous Catheter
- Urinary Catheters
- Hand Hygiene Provision of Supplies
- Personal Protective Equipment Provision
- Area Exterior to Contact Isolation Rooms
- Area Exterior to Airborne Infection Isolation Rooms
- Needlestick Prevention and Care of Laundry
- Centralized Medication Area
- Portable Medication Systems
- Visitor Areas
- Dirty Area
- Clean Area Critical-Access-Hospitals-Suite pdf icon[PDF - 25 pages]
Device-Associated-Infections-Suite (4 checklists)
- Central Venous Catheter
- Urinary Catheters
- Ventilators
- Neonatal Central Venous Catheter Device-Associated-Infections-Suite pdf icon[PDF - 8 pages]
High-Level-Disinfection-Suite (3 checklists)
- Hand Hygiene Provision of Supplies
- Dirty Area
- Clean Area High-Level-Disinfection-Suite pdf icon[PDF - 7 pages]
Intensive-Care-Unit-Suite (11 checklists)
- Central Venous Catheter
- Urinary Catheters
- Ventilators
- Hand Hygiene Provision of Supplies
- Personal Protective Equipment Provision
- Area Exterior to Contact Isolation Rooms
- Area Exterior to Airborne Infection Isolation Rooms
- Needlestick Prevention and Care of Laundry
- Centralized Medication Area
- Portable Medication Systems
- Visitor Areas Intensive-Care-Unit-Suite pdf icon[PDF - 22 pages]
Medical-Surgical-Acute-Care-Suite (12 checklists)
- Central Venous Catheter
- Urinary Catheters
- Hand Hygiene
- Provision of Supplies
- Personal Protective Equipment Provision
- Area Exterior to Contact Isolation Rooms
- Area Exterior to Airborne Infection Isolation Rooms
- Needlestick Prevention and Care of Laundry
- Centralized Medication Area
- Portable Medication Systems
- Visitor Areas Medical-Surgical-Acute-Care-Suite pdf icon[PDF - 20 pages]
Medication-Areas-Suite (3 checklists)
- Centralized Medication Area
- Portable Medication Systems
- Vaccine Storage Areas Medication-Areas-Suite (3 checklists) pdf icon[PDF - 6 pages]
Neonatal-Intensive-Care-Unit-Suite (9 checklists)
- Central Venous Catheter
- Hand Hygiene Provision of Supplies
- Personal Protective Equipment Provision
- Area Exterior to Contact Isolation Rooms
- Needlestick Prevention and Care of Laundry
- Centralized Medication Area
- Isolettes/basinets
- Nutritional Preparation Area
- Visitor Areas Neonatal-Intensive-Care-Unit-Suite pdf icon[PDF - 8 pages]
Post-Anesthesia-Care-Unit-Suite (5 checklists)
- Hand Hygiene Provision of Supplies
- Personal Protective Equipment Provision
- Area Exterior to Contact Isolation Rooms
- Area Exterior to Airborne Infection Isolation Rooms
- Needlestick Prevention and Care of Laundry Post-Anesthesia-Care-Unit-Suite pdf icon[PDF - 10 pages]
Standard Precautions Suite (4 checklists)
- Hand Hygiene Provision of Supplies
- Personal Protective Equipment Provision
- Needlestick Prevention and Care of Laundry
- Visitor Areas Standard Precautions Suite pdf icon[PDF - 8 pages]
Transmission-Based-Precautions-Suite (2 checklists)
- Area Exterior to Contact Isolation Rooms
- Area Exterior to Airborne Infection Isolation Rooms Transmission-Based-Precautions-Suite pdf icon[PDF - 4 pages]
- Central Venous Catheter
- Urinary Catheters
- Ventilators
- Hand Hygiene Provision of Supplies
- Personal Protective Equipment Provision
- Area Exterior to Contact Isolation Rooms
- Area Exterior to Airborne Infection Isolation Rooms
- Needlestick Prevention and Care of Laundry
- Centralized Medication Area
- Portable Medication Systems
- Neonatal Central Venous Catheter
- Isolettes/basinets
- Nutritional Preparation Area
- Visitor Areas
- Dirty Area
- Clean Area
- Cough Courtesy: Waiting Room
- Vaccine Storage Areas
- Point of Care Testing All Infection Prevention QUOTs pdf icon[PDF - 39 pages]
Page last reviewed: February 19, 2019