Infection Control News and Research

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Hand Hygiene Day: WHO encourages patients, family members to practice good hand hygiene

On Hand Hygiene Day (5 May), the World Health Organization is encouraging patients and their family members to join health workers in their efforts to practice good hand hygiene.

3 May 2013

Unnecessary use of antibiotics in elderly women in EDs increases risk of unintended consequences

Older adults represent an important and growing demographic in emergency departments across the country, with urinary tract infections being one of the leading causes for ED visits.

23 Apr 2013

Study confirms effectiveness of UV-C-emitting device in combating pathogens in hospital environment

A recent study funded by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Epicenters Program and published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology ( Deverick H. Anderson , M.D., MPH et al., 2013) supports and expands on previously published studies confirming the effectiveness of an automated UV-C-emitting device to combat the pathogens Clostridium difficile (C. diff.), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and Acinetobacter spp. – some of the common culprits of health care-associated infections drawing increased attention for hospitals across the country.

20 Apr 2013

Obstructive salivary gland disease treatment: an interview with Thomas Cherry, Cook Medical

Everyone is familiar with urinary stones (kidney stones). The same thing can actually happen in your salivary ducts. These types of stones and strictures occur not nearly as frequently as kidney stones but they still occur quite often. The latest data we have seen showed about 1 in 5,000 patients actually have some type of obstructive salivary duct disorder.

From COOK MEDICAL INC. 19 Apr 2013

Zambia, Zimbabwe address TB/HIV co-infection

The Center for Global Health Policy's "Science Speaks" blog outlines efforts to fight TB/HIV co-infection in Zambia and Zimbabwe.

18 Apr 2013

New approaches to treat persistent viral infections like HIV and hepatitis C

UCLA scientists have shown that temporarily blocking a protein critical to immune response actually helps the body clear itself of chronic infection. Published in the April 12 edition of Science, the finding suggests new approaches to treating persistent viral infections like HIV and hepatitis C.

12 Apr 2013

APIC develops infection prevention guidelines for EMS providers

In an effort to keep Emergency Medical Services system responders—and the patients they care for—safe and healthy, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology has developed a free, downloadable Guide to Infection Prevention in Emergency Medical Services.

11 Apr 2013

Study shows copper objects in ICUs reduce healthcare-acquired infections by 50%

Placement of copper objects in intensive care unit (ICU) hospital rooms reduced the number of healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) in patients by more than half, according to a new study published in the May issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, in a special topic issue focused on the role of the environment in infection prevention.

10 Apr 2013

Disinfection intervention highlights effective method in removing antibiotic-resistant bug

With rates and deaths associated with Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) at historically high levels, many hospitals have taken extra steps to reduce these infections. New research finds that a dedicated daily cleaning crew who adequately clean and disinfect rooms contaminated by C. difficile using a standardized process can be more effective than other disinfection interventions.

10 Apr 2013

More research needed to measure impact of co-infections on hospital admission

A study at Rhode Island Hospital has found that despite complications, patients co-infected with the pandemic 2009-2010 influenza A H1N1 (pH1N1) and a second respiratory virus were not associated with worse outcomes or admission to the hospital's intensive care unit.

10 Apr 2013

Hydrogen peroxide vapor eradicates multidrug-resistant organisms from unopened supplies

In rooms of patients with multidrug-resistant organisms, the outside of the packages containing sterile items can become contaminated.

10 Apr 2013

Post-disinfection clips retain aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, says study

Researchers at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine and the Forsyth Institute published a study today that found that a significant proportion of dental bib clips harbored bacteria from the patient, dental clinician and the environment even after the clips had undergone standard disinfection procedures in a hygiene clinic.

2 Apr 2013

APIC issues new edition of Guide to Preventing Clostridium difficile Infections

In an effort to stop the transmission of Clostridium difficile infections, which claim the lives of at least 14,000 Americans annually, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology has issued an updated Implementation Guide to help clinicians protect patients.

25 Mar 2013

ST131 infection is more prevalent in LTCF residents and elderly population

Antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli) continues to proliferate, driven largely by expansion of a strain of E. coli know as sequence type ST131. A new study points to hospitals and long-term care facilities (LTCF) as settings in which this antibiotic-resistant strain is increasingly found.

14 Mar 2013

Dialysis patients face increased risk of antibiotic-resistant infections

Patients who receive hemodialysis are at a significant risk of developing infections, a leading cause of hospitalization and death in this patient population.

13 Mar 2013

APIC offers tips to stay infection-free

Beyond the obvious—steering clear of runny noses and hacking coughs—the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) presents some other practical ways of staying infection-free.

8 Mar 2013

Nursing home patients with pneumonia may need viral screening

Viral testing should be carried out among all older individuals who have been admitted to hospital for nursing home-acquired pneumonia, recommend researchers.

5 Mar 2013

Children's Oakland CF Center wins 2012 Quality Care Award from Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland's Cystic Fibrosis Center was recently awarded the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's 2012 Quality Care Award. This prestigious award recognizes cystic fibrosis (CF) centers committed to improving the quality of patient care and providing better health outcomes for people with the life-threatening genetic disease. Children's Hospital Oakland was among 4 out of 22 centers in the country to receive the CF Foundation's award.

27 Feb 2013

Study measures awareness, adoption and use of informatics tools by infection preventionists

Advances in electronic medical record systems and health information exchange are shifting efforts in public health toward greater use of information systems to automate disease surveillance, but a study from the Regenstrief Institute has found that these technologies' capabilities are underutilized by those on the front lines of preventing and reporting infections.

21 Feb 2013

Otolaryngology, head and neck surgery: an interview with Thomas Cherry, Cook Medical

Cook Medical is the world’s largest privately held medical device manufacturer. The ENT division is Cook’s 10th business unit/clinical division and we are excited to meet the needs of ENT patients.

From COOK MEDICAL INC. 18 Feb 2013

Infection Control News and Research

Hand Hygiene Day: WHO encourages patients, family members to practice good hand hygiene

Unnecessary use of antibiotics in elderly women in EDs increases risk of unintended consequences

Study confirms effectiveness of UV-C-emitting device in combating pathogens in hospital environment

Obstructive salivary gland disease treatment: an interview with Thomas Cherry, Cook Medical

Zambia, Zimbabwe address TB/HIV co-infection

New approaches to treat persistent viral infections like HIV and hepatitis C

APIC develops infection prevention guidelines for EMS providers

Study shows copper objects in ICUs reduce healthcare-acquired infections by 50%

Disinfection intervention highlights effective method in removing antibiotic-resistant bug

More research needed to measure impact of co-infections on hospital admission

Hydrogen peroxide vapor eradicates multidrug-resistant organisms from unopened supplies

Post-disinfection clips retain aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, says study

APIC issues new edition of Guide to Preventing Clostridium difficile Infections

ST131 infection is more prevalent in LTCF residents and elderly population

Dialysis patients face increased risk of antibiotic-resistant infections

APIC offers tips to stay infection-free

Nursing home patients with pneumonia may need viral screening

Children's Oakland CF Center wins 2012 Quality Care Award from Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Study measures awareness, adoption and use of informatics tools by infection preventionists

Otolaryngology, head and neck surgery: an interview with Thomas Cherry, Cook Medical

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