Healthcare Associated Infection HAI News and Research

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bioMerieux announces the upcoming availability of ABxAlert from ICNet International

bioMerieux, a world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics, announced the upcoming availability of ABxAlert® from ICNet International Ltd., a global clinical informatics company, at the 44th American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Midyear Clinical Meeting and Exhibition.

8 Dec 2009

Study reveals that majority of all vaccine preventable deaths occur in those 65 and older

Ninety percent of all vaccine preventable deaths occur in those 65 and older, including residents in nursing homes, according to highlighted studies in the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority's 2009 December Patient Safety Advisory.

4 Dec 2009

Favorable initial results from Novavax' 2009 H1N1 VLP pandemic influenza vaccine Phase II study

Novavax, Inc. today reported favorable initial results from the first stage of a two-stage pivotal Phase II study evaluating the safety and immunogenicity of the company's 2009 H1N1 virus-like particle (VLP) pandemic influenza vaccine. Novavax is conducting this study in collaboration with Avimex Laboratories of Mexico to support registration of the vaccine in Mexico and potentially other countries.

2 Dec 2009

NOVAVAX completes patient enrollment in its trivalent seasonal influenza VLP vaccine Phase II study

Novavax, Inc. announced today it has completed enrollment in the Phase II clinical study of its trivalent seasonal influenza (2008/2009 recommended strains) VLP vaccine candidate in healthy adults 60 years of age or older (older adults). This randomized, double-blind, active-controlled study is comparing the safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of two different doses (15 mcg and 60 mcg) of Novavax's trivalent seasonal influenza VLP vaccine to a commercially available trivalent inactivated vaccine, TIV (Fluzone®).

30 Nov 2009

BD acquires HandyLab for $275 million

BD today announced the completion of its acquisition of HandyLab, Inc., an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based company that develops and manufactures molecular diagnostic assays and automation platforms.

From BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) 20 Nov 2009

Pet therapy can have a positive effect on patients’ physical and psychosocial well being

Adults who use pet therapy while recovering from total joint-replacement surgery require 50 percent less pain medication than those who do not. These findings were presented at the 18th Annual Conference of the International Society of Anthrozoology and the First Human Animal Interaction Conference (HAI) in Kansas City, Mo.

17 Nov 2009

$9M ARRA funds to reduce healthcare-associated infections in ambulatory surgical centers

To reduce healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in stand-alone or same-day surgical centers, the HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the availability of up to $9 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to state survey agencies in 43 states. HAIs are infections some patients acquire when they are in a health care setting such as a hospital or outpatient clinic.

11 Nov 2009

SafetyTies and SafetyScarves of SafeSmart help reduce the spread of H1N1

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), H1N1 - better known as the swine flu - was widespread in 48 states as of Oct. 18-24. The CDC's website offers guidelines, from cough etiquette to keeping sick workers at home, for healthcare professionals and the public on how to minimize spread of the H1N1 influenza.

5 Nov 2009

Patients who acquire SSTIs in healthcare settings may stay longer in hospitals to control the infection

Patients who acquire skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) in a hospital or other healthcare setting may be more likely to receive inappropriate antibiotic therapy at the beginning of their treatment. As a result, they also may have significantly longer hospital stays to control the infection.

31 Oct 2009

New biotechnology research center launched by SHRO

The Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO), a nonprofit research facility located at Temple University, will dedicate a new state-of-the-art biotechnology research center on Tuesday, October 27th, at 2 p.m. SHRO is one of the top three international laboratories, based on number of publications as ranked by the Cell Cycle Registry,

28 Oct 2009

HHS funds projects to combat health care-associated infections

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the award of $17 million to fund projects to fight costly and dangerous health care-associated infections, or HAIs.

28 Oct 2009

HHS funds $17M for fight against costly and dangerous health care-associated infections

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the award of $17 million to fund projects to fight costly and dangerous health care-associated infections, or HAIs.

24 Oct 2009

Winner of first annual Healthcare Administrator Award announced

Deborah Friberg, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of WakeMed Health and Hospitals, Raleigh, North Carolina, has been named the recipient of the first annual Healthcare Administrator Award, presented by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). The award recognizes a healthcare facility's executive team member who has demonstrated significant support for infection prevention and control throughout their facility.

20 Oct 2009

Baxa and SINOPHARM sign distribution agreement

Baxa Corporation, a US-based medical device company in Englewood, Colorado, has signed an exclusive four-year distribution agreement with SINOPHARM, a China National Pharmaceutical Foreign Trade Corporation, to promote sales of its products in China.

19 Oct 2009

Catalyst Health Solutions enters into an amended agreement with Wachovia Bank to extend its credit facility

Catalyst Health Solutions, Inc., a pharmacy benefit management (PBM) company, announced today that it has entered into an amended agreement with Wachovia Bank, N.A., a Wells Fargo Company, to extend and increase its secured revolving credit facility. The new credit facility will mature on October 9, 2012 and has been increased from $50 million to $100 million.

14 Oct 2009

Study demonstrates coexistence of visuospatial and phonological disorders in dyslexics

Chinese-speaking children with dyslexia have a disorder that is distinctly different, and perhaps more complicated and severe, than that of English speakers. Those differences can be seen in the brain and in the performance of Chinese children on visual and oral language tasks, reveals a report published online on October 12th in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication.

13 Oct 2009

Automated SafetySurveillor system to detect healthcare-associated infections

The Premier healthcare alliance today announced that Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center of Midlothian, Va., selected Premier’s SafetySurveillor® Web-based infection tracking and antimicrobial utilization tool. More than 270 hospitals use SafetySurveillor to help prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and optimize antibiotic use, thereby protecting patients more effectively while safely reducing hospital costs.

30 Sep 2009

Also in global health news: Vietnam PEPFAR funding; remote village health care; HIV in India; UNICEF budget; mapping drug shortages

PEPFAR will continue to fund HIV/AIDS programs in Vietnam, Hoang Thanh Hai, a spokesperson, said on Tuesday at a memorial for 100 people who died as a result of complications from the disease, Bernama reports. "Since 2004, PEPFAR has provided $320 million to help Vietnam provide comprehensive services on taking precautionary measures against the disease and care and treatment of HIV" patients, the news service writes (9/2).

3 Sep 2009

Medline Industries' Foley catheter management system helps minimize CAUTI risk

In an effort to help clinicians reduce the risk of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), Medline Industries, Inc. today launched a ground-breaking Foley catheter management system featuring a reengineered catheter tray coupled with an evidence-based clinical education program.

25 Aug 2009

Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority marks one million report milestone

The Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority has collected over one million reports from Pennsylvania healthcare facilities since June 2004. Ninety-six percent of the events are near misses or events that did not cause harm to the patient.

13 Aug 2009