Environmental Services

Previously, reduction of other organisms, like VRE, C difficile, and MRSA had been demonstrated by this combination.

Live attenuated influenza vaccine particles were released into a closed room to measure how many particles would get through the HVAC system.

Susan “Suzy” Scott, MSN, RN, WOC Nurse, also speaks to Infection Control Today® about incident tracking and electronic medical records.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending April 8.

From 2014 to 2021, continued FDA reports have shown multidrug-resistant bacteria contaminating 6 types of endoscopes have had fatal consequences.

The letter comes after a year of reprocessing validation testing and a voluntary medical device recall.

The contamination was found during another study that involved culturing surfaces before and after routine daily cleaning/disinfection.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending April 1.

Rethinking the application of air disinfection in the era of COVID-19.

IPs can provide valuable input on construction projects, water safety, and ventilation.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending March 25.

The hemodialysis setting presents a challenge for environmental cleaning and disinfection because of the demand for rapid turnover of stations.

The system gives infection preventionists another tool to combat the pathogen despite implementation challenges.

Summary: Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending March 18.

Ratings, ownership, and prior infection control citations of facilities were not consistent outcome indicators.

ANSI/AAMI’s update on endoscope processing is backed by rigorous scientific evidence.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending March 11.

A letter has been sent to more than 4500 veterans stating that reusable instruments used in medical procedures may not have been sterilized properly at a Georgia hospital.

Compliance has increased up to 50% on key infection prevention and control practices at a South Carolina health system due to these short emoji-cartoons.

Choosing which device to use may depend on the bacteria prevalent in the laboratory or patient room.

Staff shortages, public recognition, and moving out of the medical field are all issues that the sterile processing industry has faced.

Investigators used 3 behavior models to study how to increase health care workers’ compliance with infection prevention and control practices.

In a study of 11 LTC facilities, these surfaces were 4 times more likely to register high levels of crAssphage and adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending February 18.

Patients can potentially be at increased risk for infection from damaged hospital mattresses and beds. More diligent and frequent cleaning must be done to keep patients safer.

ICU nurses, more than other clinicians, because they have the most interaction with patients. Non-clinical workers because they may not be knowledgeable enough about mitigation methods, a study states.

The ability to be an excellent infection preventionist requires lifelong learning and taking the initiative to grow professionally.

Contrary to the “vaccinate and all will be well” narrative, “mild” does not mean just avoiding hospitalization, nor does surviving a COVID-19 acute illness means you have recovered. Vaccines are an important layer of armor but they, in themselves, will not stop COVID-19.

The successful combination of products and the adoption and application of science-based practices will help the sterile processing profession rise above challenges to protecting frontline technicians.

Now is the time for infection preventionists to harness the current attention to biopreparedness and use the momentum to build the foundations for strong local programs that can be sustained through future waves of competing priorities.