Infection Control News and Research

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HHS announces grants to support public health programs

Six months after the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius highlighted another important facet of the law today with the announcement of nearly $100 million in grants made possible primarily by the new law's Prevention and Public Health Fund.

27 Sep 2010

Study finds inconsistent surveillance method for CA-BSI infections

A new study looking at how hospitals account for the number of pediatric patients who develop catheter-associated bloodstream infections (CA-BSIs) found substantial inconsistencies in the methods used to report the number of patients who develop these infections.

27 Sep 2010

New opportunity for hospitals to improve CA-BSI surveillance

A new study looking at how hospitals account for the number of pediatric patients who develop catheter associated bloodstream infections (CA-BSIs) found substantial inconsistencies in the methods used to report the number of patients who develop these infections.

24 Sep 2010

Teleflex launches Gibeck Humid-Flo Passive Humidification Kit for Ventilator Associated Pneumonia risk reduction

Teleflex has introduced the Gibeck Humid-Flo Passive Humidification Kit, an integrated system that promotes best practices for Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP) risk reduction. This convenient kit includes everything required to initiate passive humidification for the first 72 hours of mechanical ventilation.

23 Sep 2010

Doctors misuse antibiotics to treat patients with respiratory tract infections: Study

Doctors frequently misuse antibiotics when treating patients hospitalized with respiratory tract infections (RTIs), according to a study to be published in the November issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.

23 Sep 2010

Cook Medical expands Spectrum Turbo-Ject line of antibiotic impregnated PICCs for CRBSIs

Responding to increased demand for technology to help prevent potentially fatal catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs), Cook Medical has expanded its Spectrum Turbo-Ject line of antibiotic impregnated peripherally inserted central venous catheters (PICCs) to treat a wider range of patient needs. For the first time, the clinical benefits of minocycline and rifampin-impregnated PICCs, a critical component in eliminating 250,000 potentially fatal CRBSIs in the U.S. annually, are now available in 3 French single and 6 French triple lumen sizes.

21 Sep 2010

Study suggests older people may not benefit from new tuberculosis vaccines

Elderly people might not benefit from some of the tuberculosis vaccines currently in development, recent research suggests.Some vaccines under study are designed to activate a specific molecule that is an early participant in the immune response against TB in young people. But a recent Ohio State University study suggests that in older people, this molecule remains relatively inactive, even in the face of TB infection.

21 Sep 2010

Tips to keep students healthy, from brain to body

With kids back in school, good health starts with clean hands. Now that the new school year has begun, many moms are looking for an extra hand to help keep their kids healthy and reduce sick days. In fact, elementary school students who do not use proper hand hygiene will miss more school than those that do employ good hand-washing habits, according to an American Journal of Infection Control study.

18 Sep 2010

CDC, Epocrates educate healthcare professionals about safe injection practices

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Epocrates, Inc. are educating healthcare professionals about safe injection practices conveniently and effectively on their smartphone devices. Epocrates' EssentialPoints mobile detailing program provides healthcare professionals with key lessons that can be applied directly to patient care.

18 Sep 2010

Opinions: Global nursing; U.S. funding of Global Fund; Global demands for water; Food security

"Almost every nation, regardless of its wealth and resources, faces a continuing shortage of nurses and an acute lack of nursing faculty available to educate more nurses. This dearth of practicing nurses and nurse educators is particularly critical in countries like Haiti and other developing high-risk, low-resourced nations," Martha Hill, dean of Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, writes in a Baltimore Sun opinion piece encouraging the expansion of global nursing.

15 Sep 2010

Death and disability toll due to C. diff bacteria needs to be addressed

Almost 12,000 people died in alcohol-related vehicle crashes in 2008. About 15,000 Americans died of AIDS-related illness the same year. Both of these preventable causes of death have been the subject of massive, expensive and high-profile interventions by federal and state authorities. CRE encourages expenditures for these programs but the public health community should be even more concerned for greater society-wide risks.

10 Sep 2010

Researchers quantify effects of drying to measure bacteria after hand wash

Not drying your hands thoroughly after washing them, could increase the spread of bacteria and rubbing your hands whilst using a conventional electric hand dryer could be a contributing factor. Frequently people give up drying their hands and wipe them on their clothes instead, but hand-hygiene is a key part of infection control and drying hands after washing is a very important part of the process.

7 Sep 2010

Scientists urge government to set target effectiveness for newly approved antibiotics

The United States must focus on conserving the use of antibacterial drugs, or face a public health crisis from rapidly rising rates of antibiotic-resistant infections, according to an analysis out today.

7 Sep 2010

Hospital for Special Surgery achieves lower than state average rate for infections

For the second year in a row, Hospital for Special Surgery is the only hospital in New York State with an infection rate that is significantly lower than the state average for hip replacement or revision surgeries, according to the 2009 report on hospital infection rates released today by the State Department of Health.

3 Sep 2010

Mandatory influenza vaccination for healthcare personnel needed

Influenza vaccination of healthcare personnel is a professional and ethical responsibility and non-compliance with healthcare facility policies regarding vaccination should not be tolerated, according to a position paper released today by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA).

31 Aug 2010

Asia's first 'custom fit knee replacement surgery' performed at Fortis Hospitals

Combining the latest technology, medical breakthroughs and personalized patient care, Fortis Hospitals Bangalore today announced Asia's first 'Custom Fit Knee Replacement Surgery' performed on a series of patients. Dr. Sanjay Pai, Chief Orthopedic Surgeon, along with his team performed this revolutionary surgery for the first time in the Asian Continent by precisely matching the size and placement of the implant specific to the patients' knee size. This procedure ensures lesser pain, less tissue damage, faster mobilization and longer lasting implant solution.

24 Aug 2010

WHO calls on countries to prevent, control spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria

Amid the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance, the WHO on Friday urged countries to take greater action to limit the spread of drug-resistant bacteria, CIDRAP News reports. "Calling such pathogens 'a growing and global public health problem,' the WHO said, 'Countries should be prepared to implement hospital infection control measures to limit the spread of multi-drug resistant strains and to reinforce national policy on prudent use of antibiotics, reducing the generation of antibiotic resistant bacteria,'" according to the news service (Roos, 8/20).

24 Aug 2010

WHO calls upon countries to be alert to antimicrobial resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) - the ability of micro-organisms to find ways to evade the action of the drugs used to cure the infections they cause - is increasingly recognised as a global public health issue which could hamper the control of many infectious diseases. Some bacteria have developed mechanisms which render them resistant to many of the antibiotics normally used for their treatment (multi-drug resistant bacteria), so pose particular difficulties, as there may be few or no alternative options for therapy.

21 Aug 2010

Center for Health Sciences to offer certificate program in Phlebotomy

Beginning in October, the Graduate School's new Center for Health Sciences will offer a Medical Laboratory Technician, Associate of Applied Science degree and a certificate program in Phlebotomy. The first of many programs to be offered, both curricula provide a combination of coursework and clinical experience with strong emphasis on employability skills such as problem solving, effective communication, professional conduct, and information and technology literacy.