Infection Control News and Research

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Study demonstrates efficacy of genotyping technology in identifying source of clinic infection outbreak

Researchers from East Carolina University used a new technique of genotyping to identify the source of a hematology clinic outbreak of Mycobacterium mucogenicum, a gram-positive, acid-fast bacteria found in tap water. This is the first outbreak of M. mucogenicum in an ambulatory care setting; five other outbreaks have been reported in hospital settings since 1995.

6 Oct 2012

Online ‘spaced education’ improves safety practices of interns

An online “spaced education” program designed to improve patient safety knowledge changes behaviors more effectively and is more engaging to medical and surgical interns than a slideshow plus quiz, report researchers.

5 Oct 2012

I COUGH program reduces likelihood of respiratory complications in surgical patients

Respiratory complications—including pneumonia and ventilator dependency—are among the most common complications that occur after operations. But a simple and inexpensive postoperative pulmonary care program known as "I COUGH" reduces the likelihood of those life-threatening and costly complications, researchers from Boston University Medical Center reported today at the 2012 American College of Surgeons (ACS) Annual Clinical Congress.

5 Oct 2012

Screening practices for multidrug-resistant organisms in ICUs vary widely between hospitals

Screening practices for multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) in intensive care units (ICUs) vary widely from hospital to hospital, according to a new study published in the October issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).

29 Sep 2012

Ciprofloxacin use is major contributor to MRSA spread in hospitals

The use of a commonly prescribed antibiotic is a major contributor to the spread of infection in hospitals by the 'superbug' MRSA, according to new research. The study also found that increasing measures to prevent infection - such as improved hygiene and hand washing - appeared to have only a small effect on reducing MRSA infection rates during the period studied.

21 Sep 2012

New tools can help track healthcare-associated infections in nursing homes

The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have each released new tools and information to help track deadly healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in nursing homes and other long-term care settings.

19 Sep 2012

AIUM grants ultrasound practice accreditation to Smith Institute for Urology

The American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) recently granted ultrasound practice accreditation in urology to Smith Institute for Urology in New Hyde Park, New York. This is the first practice to receive accreditation in the practice of urology from the AIUM.

19 Sep 2012

Xenex's pulsed xenon UV more effective than bleach in decontaminating C. diff surfaces

Healthcare associated infections (also referred to as HAIs or hospital acquired infections) are the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, costing more than $30 billion each year. Evidence continues to mount that hospital cleanliness plays a role in the spread of HAIs, which are caused by deadly pathogens such as C. diff, MRSA, VRE and Acinetobacter.

19 Sep 2012

Drug-resistant tuberculosis: an interview with Sven Hoffner

In contrast to drug-susceptible tuberculosis, which can be cured with available drug therapies, drug-resistant, and especially multi-drug resistant, tuberculosis is much more difficult to cure and it takes a much longer time for patients to become non-infectious.

17 Sep 2012

SLU study: Many U.S. schools not prepared for bioterrorism attacks, outbreaks of pandemics

Many U.S. schools are not prepared for bioterrorism attacks, outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases or pandemics, despite the recent 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic that resulted in more than 18,000 deaths worldwide, Saint Louis University researchers say.

15 Sep 2012

Study assesses hand contamination of healthcare workers after disinfection procedures

New research demonstrates that daily cleaning of high-touch surfaces in isolation rooms of patients with Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) significantly reduces the rate of the pathogens on the hands of healthcare personnel.

15 Sep 2012

Texas hospitals under scrutiny: Parkland's record penalty, how Houston treats heart attacks

Texas officials fined Dallas' Parkland Memorial Hospital a record $1 million for patient safety violations in the wake of intense federal oversight that could cost hundreds of millions of dollars if errors aren't corrected.

5 Sep 2012

Less than half of U.S. schools address pandemic preparedness in their school plan

Less than half of U.S. schools address pandemic preparedness in their school plan, and only 40 percent have updated their school plan since the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, according to a study published in the September issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).

31 Aug 2012

Reduce nurses’ burden, reduce in-hospital infections

The rate of “burnout” felt by nurses could be directly related to the rate of hospital-acquired infections via staffing rates, indicate US study results.

13 Aug 2012

Teamwork at the front line can reduce SSI rate

Rates of surgical site infection can be markedly reduced by the implementation of a front-line provider group that uses local wisdom and existing evidence on patient safety, report US researchers.

2 Aug 2012

Médecins Sans Frontières help fight Ebola outbreak in Uganda

An emergency team from the international medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières is in Kigadi, in western Uganda’s Kibaale district, to help fight an outbreak of the Ebola virus. Other Médecins Sans Frontières teams in Uganda are closely monitoring the situation.

1 Aug 2012

Nurse burnout leads to higher healthcare-associated infection rates

Nurse burnout leads to higher healthcare-associated infection rates (HAIs) and costs hospitals millions of additional dollars annually, 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 (APIC).

30 Jul 2012

Hospitals may give free care to some Colo. theater shooting victims

Several hospitals are giving some free care to or forgiving the bills of the victims of the Colorado theater shooting.

27 Jul 2012

Redesign of 'outdated and unsafe' medical bags can cut MRSA risk

A new medical bag designed in the UK is set to transform treatment around the world after a study found a third of its outdated predecessors carry the MRSA bug.

21 Jul 2012

Johns Hopkins doctoral program graduate explores ways to control infectious diseases

Her passport is stamped with exotic locations: Myanmar, Tibet, South Africa, Vietnam, and Cambodia, as well as Baltimore, MD. But, when Carrie Tudor, PhD, MPH, RN, looks at it, she sees global battlefields in the fight against infectious disease. Her weapons: immunizations, programs to curb tuberculosis and HIV transmission, and a drive to carry on a rich tradition of public health nursing research.

16 Jul 2012

Infection Control News and Research

Study demonstrates efficacy of genotyping technology in identifying source of clinic infection outbreak

Online ‘spaced education’ improves safety practices of interns

I COUGH program reduces likelihood of respiratory complications in surgical patients

Screening practices for multidrug-resistant organisms in ICUs vary widely between hospitals

Ciprofloxacin use is major contributor to MRSA spread in hospitals

New tools can help track healthcare-associated infections in nursing homes

AIUM grants ultrasound practice accreditation to Smith Institute for Urology

Xenex's pulsed xenon UV more effective than bleach in decontaminating C. diff surfaces

Drug-resistant tuberculosis: an interview with Sven Hoffner

SLU study: Many U.S. schools not prepared for bioterrorism attacks, outbreaks of pandemics

Study assesses hand contamination of healthcare workers after disinfection procedures

Texas hospitals under scrutiny: Parkland's record penalty, how Houston treats heart attacks

Less than half of U.S. schools address pandemic preparedness in their school plan

Reduce nurses’ burden, reduce in-hospital infections

Teamwork at the front line can reduce SSI rate

Médecins Sans Frontières help fight Ebola outbreak in Uganda

Nurse burnout leads to higher healthcare-associated infection rates

Hospitals may give free care to some Colo. theater shooting victims

Redesign of 'outdated and unsafe' medical bags can cut MRSA risk

Johns Hopkins doctoral program graduate explores ways to control infectious diseases

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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