Post-operative endophthalmitis: the application of hazard analysis critical control points (HACCP) to an infection control problem

Hazard analysis critical control points (HACCP) is a quality assurance syst em widely used in the food industry to ensure safety. We adopted the HACCP approach when conventional infection control measures had failed to solve a n ongoing problem with an increased incidence of postoperative endophthalmi tis, and our ophthalmology unit was threatened with permanent cessation of intraocular surgery. Although time-consuming, the result was an entirely ne w set of protocols for the care of patients undergoing intraocular surgery, the development of an integrated care pathway, and a comprehensive and rob ust audit programme, which enabled intraocular surgery to continue in a new spirit of confidence. HACCP methodology has so far been little used in hea lthcare, but it might be usefully applied to a variety of apparently intrac table infection control problems. (C) 2001 The Hospital Infection Society.