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Alliqua acquires global license for wound care dressings from Noble Biomaterials

Alliqua, Inc., an advanced biomedical products company focused on the development and manufacturing of proprietary drug delivery and wound care technologies today announced that it has acquired from Noble Biomaterials, Inc. a 10 year exclusive global license for two wound care dressings, with an additional 10 year renewal option.

21 Jul 2011

Sodexo selects Xenex as preferred partner for disinfection of client facilities

Sodexo Inc., a world leader in healthcare environmental services management, and Xenex Healthcare Services, the world leader in room disinfection systems, today announced Xenex has been selected as Sodexo's preferred partner for disinfection of Sodexo client facilities. Xenex's portable room disinfection system uses pulsed xenon ultraviolet light to destroy all viruses, bacteria and bacterial spores in the patient environment without contact or chemicals.

18 Jul 2011

Study: Bone marrow transplant offers new hope for patients with high-risk leukemia

Bone marrow transplant survival more than doubled in recent years for young, high-risk leukemia patients treated at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, with patients who lacked genetically matched donors recording the most significant gains. The results are believed to be the best ever reported for leukemia patients who underwent bone marrow transplantation.

15 Jul 2011

CAHO to receive $6.3M from Ontario Government for ARTIC Program

The Council of Academic Hospitals of Ontario (CAHO) is delighted to learn that the Ontario Government will invest $6.3 million into the CAHO Adopting Research to Improve Care (ARTIC) Program - a program aimed at moving research evidence from the bench to the bedside to drive quality and improve patient care.

15 Jul 2011

RyMed's InVision-Plus Intraluminal Protection System effective against catheter-related bloodstream infections

Denise Macklin, BSN, RNC, representing the research team of Dr. Cynthia C. Chernecky Ph.D., RN, AOCN, FAAN, Dr. Jennifer Waller, Ph.D., both from Georgia Health Sciences University; and Dr. William Jarvis M.D., Jason & Jarvis Associates, exhibited a poster at the recent APIC 2011 (Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology) conference in Baltimore, titled "Clinical Comparisons of Split Septum, Positive and Negative Mechanical Valve Intravenous Connectors to an Intraluminal Protection Connector on Infection Rates."

11 Jul 2011

Getinge net sales decline 8.4% to SEK 9,634 M for second quarter 2011

Getinge AB: Reporting period January - June. Orders received declined by 7.2% to SEK 10,395 M (11,204) but increased organically by 2.2%

11 Jul 2011

Hendra virus outbreak suspected after second horse death

After the second horse death on the north coast, fifteen people are being monitored for any signs of the Hendra virus. The horse died at Macksville south of Coffs Harbour on Sunday and another horse was put down near Wollongbar, Alstonville last Friday.

7 Jul 2011

Molecular technology detects up to 50% more cases of C. diff than other methods

A study from the microbiology lab at the Lifespan hospitals has found that some lab tests are much more accurate in identifying Clostridium difficile Toxin infection, which causes diarrhea.

6 Jul 2011

Patients with ESBL-producing bacteria need better health care

Fear and confusion surrounding the diagnosis is often the result of suffering of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Accurate information is crucial for these patients in order for them to handle their situation, yet that is the area where health care is lacking.

5 Jul 2011

Antimicrobial copper surfaces reduce risk of acquiring hospital infection

Professor Bill Keevil, Head of the Microbiology Group and Director of the Environmental Healthcare Unit at the University of Southampton, has presented research into the mechanism by which copper exerts its antimicrobial effect on antibiotic-resistant organisms at the World Health Organization's first International Conference on Prevention and Infection Control.

2 Jul 2011

Novel use of duct tape in infection prevention saves $110,000 annually

The Trinity Infection Prevention team from Iowa/Illinois Trinity Medical Center has come up with the novel idea of using duct tape to reduce infections and save up to $110,000. For this they received the Blue Ribbon Abstract Award. They presented their work, “The Red Box Strategy: An Innovative Method to Improve Isolation Precaution Compliance and Reduce Costs” which received the designation at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology's 2011 Annual Conference and International Meeting June27-29 in Baltimore.

29 Jun 2011

Nurses drive quality initiative, save lives and money

Nurses on a surgical intensive care unit (SICU) at a large academic medical center cut bloodstream infections to zero and saved more than $200,000 during a six-month period.

29 Jun 2011

Infection rate drops at Nebraska hospital after initiating new protocols

Nurses, occupational and physical therapists, case managers and education staff, all working together at a 300-bed Nebraska rehabilitation hospital, have successfully implemented a team approach to dramatically reduce infections from urinary catheters, the most prevalent type of infection acquired in healthcare settings.

28 Jun 2011

RL Solutions, 3M to offer new software for minimizing risk of healthcare-acquired infections

3M Infection Prevention and RL Solutions today announced a joint feasibility program to provide healthcare facilities data on the rate of infection in real-time and the costs associated with those infections.

28 Jun 2011

ASP unveils innovative healthcare environmental infection prevention technology

Sterilization Products (ASP) announced today the launch of an innovative infection prevention technology – GLOSAIR Healthcare Environmental Decontamination – that provides effective, safe and thorough disinfection of hospital rooms and operating suites to reduce the risk of patient contact with infection-causing pathogens.

27 Jun 2011

Geisinger uses mandatory approach to improve healthcare worker influenza vaccination rates

Geisinger Health System vaccinated more than 92% of all employees against influenza this season, with a modification of a mandatory program. On average, fewer than half of all healthcare workers receive flu vaccinations.

16 Jun 2011

Antibiotics overprescribed for in home-care patients

A study of Canadian home-care patients suggests doctors may be overprescribing antibiotics for patients receiving ongoing medical care at home.

16 Jun 2011

Study: Glowing gel improves children's hand hygiene

Use of a glowing gel that shows kids how well they wash their hands by illustrating bacteria they missed while washing and may significantly improve hand hygiene, according to a study published in the July issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

16 Jun 2011

Serious RSV infections may occur in previously healthy infants and children

For most parents, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) isn't a familiar term. But it's a common cause of serious respiratory infections with a major impact on the health of infants and young children worldwide, according to a special CDC Review Article in the June issue of The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

16 Jun 2011

SHEA, ASGE update Flexible gastrointestinal endoscope guideline

The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) have updated their 2003 joint guideline for reprocessing gastrointestinal endoscopes to reaffirm reprocessing methods and take into account evolved technology and disinfection systems.

2 Jun 2011