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Open-heart patients may have been exposed to infection-causing bacteria during surgery, York Hospital warns

In an effort to ensure the safety of patients, WellSpan York Hospital recently began notifying approximately 1,300 open-heart surgery patients of possible exposure to bacteria during open-heart surgery procedures performed between Oct. 1, 2011 and July 24, 2015.

27 Oct 2015

Taking steps to prevent, protect against flu

With flu season approaching, parents may be bracing for an outbreak at their children's schools, but adults are also highly susceptible at work and in other public places. Now is the time for families and businesses to take steps to prevent and protect against the flu.

27 Oct 2015

FDA orders three duodenoscope manufacturers in the U.S. to conduct postmarket surveillance studies

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today ordered the three manufacturers of duodenoscopes marketed in the U.S. to conduct postmarket surveillance studies to better understand how the devices are reprocessed in real-world settings.

12 Oct 2015

UV robots help reduce rates of C. diff transmission among cancer inpatients

Robots are capable of all sorts of tasks to help better treat cancer: They connect oncologists to patients remotely, make incisions, staple them shut, deliver "nano" therapies--and they clean rooms. New research from Penn Medicine infection control specialists found that ultraviolet (UV) robots helped reduce the rates transmission of the common bacterial infection known as Clostridium difficile among cancer inpatients - mostly blood cancer patients, a group more vulnerable to hospital-acquired infections - by 25 percent. The interventions also saved about $150,000 in annual direct medical costs.

12 Oct 2015

Cleaning patient rooms with combination of chemicals and UV light cuts transmission of superbugs

Healthcare facilities continue to battle drug-resistant organisms such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) that loiter on surfaces even after patient rooms have been cleaned and can cause new, sometimes-deadly infections.

8 Oct 2015

Al-Hidaya brings Medizone's AsepticSure systems into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to reduce MERS-coronavirus

Medizone International, Inc., manufacturers of the AsepticSure Hospital Disinfection System, are pleased to announce the recent sale and delivery of the initial two AsepticSure systems to Al-Hidaya International Medical Services Company headquartered in Jeddah, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

8 Sep 2015

Researchers demonstrate successful eradication of multi-resistant bacteria from stables

Multi-resistant bacteria represent a major problem not only in hospitals but also in animal husbandry. A study of the University Bonn describes how a farmer successfully eliminated these pathogens entirely from his pig stable. However, the radical hygiene measures taken in this case can only be applied in individual cases. Nevertheless, the work has yielded a number of recommendations - not only for farms but also for hospitals. The study appeared in the Journal of Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

7 Sep 2015

Newly discovered prion causes Multiple System Atrophy

Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), a neurodegenerative disorder with similarities to Parkinson's disease, is caused by a newly discovered type of prion, akin to the misfolded proteins involved in incurable progressive brain diseases such Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), according to two new research papers led by scientists at UC San Francisco.

1 Sep 2015

Scientists provide specific recommendations to reduce health risks for beachgoers

Beach sand contains all kinds of microorganisms, including those that can harm human health. Yet current guidelines are focused exclusively on monitoring the levels of microbes in the water.

29 Aug 2015

Tips for cleaning your contact lenses

Today, in continued recognition of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Contact Lens Health Week, 1-800 Contacts is providing an overview on contact lens solution and how to best use it to keep lenses clean.

28 Aug 2015

Pitt and Drexel researchers team up with NIH to investigate persistence of Ebola virus in wastewater

The historic outbreak of Ebola virus disease in West Africa that began in March 2014 and has killed more than 11,000 people since, has raised new questions about the resilience of the virus and tested scientists' understanding of how to contain it. The latest discovery by a group of microbial risk-assessment and virology researchers suggests that the procedures for disposal of Ebola-contaminated liquid waste might underestimate the virus' ability to survive in wastewater.

26 Aug 2015

Contact precaution use needs to be individualized to fit hospital's specific needs and resources

Contact precautions are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for all patients known to be infected with or carrying multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE). Yet, the use of contact precautions--which require a patient to be isolated in a single hospital room and health care providers to wear a gown and gloves when caring for patients--is widely debated in the medical community.

19 Aug 2015

VA study examines use of medicinal maggots to heal diabetic foot ulcers

Maggot, or larval, therapy has been around since ancient times as a way to heal wounds. Now, the method has gone high-tech--in some ways--and it's being tested in a rigorous clinical trial at the Malcom Randall Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Gainesville, Fla. Recruitment is now underway.

18 Aug 2015

Major gaps found in existing evidence for best practices for cleaning hospital room surfaces to prevent HAIs

Tray tables, bed rails, light switches, and toilets: All are common vectors for swapping germs between patients and health care workers. While a new systematic overview in this week's Annals of Internal Medicine points to several promising cleaning tactics of these "high-touch surfaces," there's a lack of evidence as to which is the most effective at reducing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).

11 Aug 2015

Potentially harmful bacteria can survive on endoscopes despite cleaning and disinfecting process

Potentially harmful bacteria can survive on endoscopes used to examine the interior of the digestive tract, despite a multi-step cleaning and disinfecting process, according to a study published in the August issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

6 Aug 2015

Using physical processes to treat ships' ballast water can prevent spread of harmful organisms into local environment

Untreated ballast water discharge from ships can spread living organisms and even pathogens across the world thereby introducing non-native or invasive species into the local environment. Scientists at Helmholtz Zentrum München therefore recommend using physical treatment processes such as filtration rather than electrochemical disinfection, which creates countless potentially toxic compounds.

30 Jul 2015

Kenall Manufacturing introduces light fixture to kill harmful bacteria linked to HAIs

Kenall Manufacturing today introduced Indigo-Clean, a light fixture that uses Continuous Environmental Disinfection technology to continuously kill harmful bacteria linked to hospital acquired infections (HAIs). The technology behind Indigo-Clean inactivates a wide range of micro-organisms that are known causes of HAIs, including MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), C.difficile and VRE (Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus).

27 Jun 2015

UAB optometrist offers tips to keep eyes healthy during summer months

While the warm summer months are perfect for spending time outside, several environmental factors can spell trouble for eyesight. One University of Alabama at Birmingham optometrist says knowledge of what to do, and what not to do, will keep eyes healthy.

26 Jun 2015

New review highlights strategies to inhibit infections during the laundering process of HCT

Proper laundering and handling are important in achieving and maintaining the hygienically-clean quality of healthcare fabrics and textiles delivered to the point of care, according to a new review that highlights evidence-based strategies to inhibit potentially serious contamination.

19 Jun 2015

Flynas adds Virus Guard disinfectant wipes to its in-flight hygiene to tackle MERS, Birdflu

Flynas, an award winning leading low cost airline of Saudi Arabia has set new standards to in-flight safety, by adding Virus Guard disinfectant wet wipes and sprays to its in-flight hygiene, to protect passengers from viruses such as MERS, Birdflu.

10 Jun 2015