Hand Hygiene News and Research

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Hospital toilets harbor multi-drug resistant "superbugs", study finds

Pathogenic bacteria and fungi, including multi-drug resistant "superbugs" have been found on the floors, ceilings, door handles and other surfaces of hospital toilets in the UK, with patient toilets the worst affected, the ESCMID Global Congress (formerly ECCMID) in Barcelona, Spain (27-30 April) will hear.

29 Apr 2024

Hospital sinks fuel antibiotic-resistant bacteria spread

A new study published today in the American Journal of Infection Control reports the infection prevention steps taken to control a months-long multispecies outbreak of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales that occurred in a pediatric ward at the Toho University Omori Medical Center in Tokyo in 2017.

12 Apr 2024

Hospital coffee machines not responsible for spreading superbugs, study finds

Healthcare workers will be relieved to know that hospital coffee machines are not responsible for spreading disease and a general ban doesn't seem necessary, finds a study published in the Christmas issue of The BMJ.

18 Dec 2023

Study reveals need for improved infection prevention for high-risk healthcare personnel

A new study published today in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC), based on a survey of healthcare professionals conducted during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, suggests that new efforts may be needed to strengthen infection prevention precautions and protect staff members at the highest risk of exposure to dangerous pathogens.

7 Dec 2023

Masking up matters: High-quality studies confirm face masks significantly curb COVID-19 spread

This 'Special Communication' article in JAMA Network Open compiles high-quality studies to underline the effectiveness of face masks in curbing community-level transmission of SARS-CoV-2. The article emphasizes that surgical masks are more effective than cloth masks, and that mask-wearing is a vital public health tool, both in conjunction with and independent of other measures like vaccination and social distancing.

1 Nov 2023

Australia's Long COVID response falling behind global standards, research finds

New research by RMIT University and Northern Health has examined Australia's Long COVID services, guidelines and public health information, compared with international standards.

4 Oct 2023

Commonly used anti-viral drugs reduce risk of hospitalization, death in patients with mild COVID-19

New Cleveland Clinic-led research shows commonly used COVID-19 anti-viral drugs Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir) and Lagevrio (molnupiravir) reduce risk of hospitalization and death in high-risk patients with mild disease, even with Omicron subvariants.

28 Sep 2023

Is the implementation of contact precautions crucial for preventing healthcare-associated MRSA?

The designation of contact precautions as an "essential practice" for MRSA prevention.

25 Sep 2023

Analyzing longitudinal genomic surveillance of carriage intensive care unit

Hospital staff spend a significant amount of time working to protect patients from acquiring infections while they are being cared for in the hospital.

19 Sep 2023

Latest updates on SARS-CoV-2 variants identified in the UK

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published SARS-CoV-2 variant surveillance and assessment technical briefing 53. It contains the latest epidemiological and genomic analysis of the emergent BA.2.86 variant.

8 Sep 2023

New hygiene product boosts natural hand barrier against contact infection

Contact infection is among the most common ways pathogens, such as bacteria and viruses, spread from one person to another. Hand washing and disinfection are important hygiene practices to minimize the probability of catching infectious diseases.

8 Sep 2023

Outbreak of piercing infections in Australia traced to contaminated aftercare solution

Researchers in New South Wales, Australia, used genomic sequencing to trace an outbreak of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections following ear piercings to a specific batch of aftercare solution. The study led to a recall of the product and improvements in manufacturing standards, successfully reducing the number of infections.

4 Sep 2023

New recommendations to prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infections in hospitals

Avoiding the unnecessary use of indwelling catheters and promptly removing catheters that are no longer needed are the first steps in preventing catheter-associated urinary tract infections in acute care hospitals, according to new recommendations developed by five medical societies and published today in the journal Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.

25 Aug 2023

Flu and COVID-19 report offers latest surveillance data and public health advice

This fortnightly flu and COVID-19 report brings together the latest surveillance data along with the latest public health advice.

21 Jul 2023

Can a low-bacterial diet improve outcomes for neutropenic cancer patients?

Scientists have reviewed the existing literature to provide evidence of the effectiveness of the low-bacterial diet in neutropenic cancer patients.

20 Jul 2023

Interactive dashboards improve hand hygiene compliance

Hand hygiene is the simplest, most effective way to prevent the spread of infections in healthcare, yet healthcare worker adherence is often low. Infection preventionists at two health systems will present their successful hand hygiene interventions at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology's (APIC's) Annual Conference in Orlando Florida, June 26-28.

27 Jun 2023

Hospitals urged to adopt new MRSA prevention strategies

A group of five medical organizations have released updated recommendations for the prevention of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, known as MRSA, transmission and infection. MRSA causes approximately 10% of hospital-associated infections in the United States and such infections are associated with an increased risk of death. Certain infections caused by MRSA rose by as much as 41% during the pandemic after falling in preceding years.