Infections

Significant morbidity and mortality is caused by healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs), including surgical site infections (SSIs), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs), catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) and other healthcare-related infections and conditions caused by drug-resistant pathogens that jeopardize patient safety.

Protect Cancer Patients From Infections

October marks the one-year anniversary of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s Preventing Infections in Cancer Patients Program. To date, more than 75,000 copies of the CDC's educational resources have been accessed or distributed to help both providers ...More
October 25, 2012
Posted in News
Sharp Rise in Children Admitted to Hospital with Throat Infections

The number of children admitted to the hospital in England for acute throat infections increased by 76 percent between 1999 and 2010, according to new research published in Archives of Disease in Childhood. Acute throat infection (ATI), which includes acute tonsillitis and ...More
October 22, 2012
Posted in News
Researchers Identify How Mosquito Immune System Attacks Specific Infections

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have determined a new mechanism by which the mosquitoes’ immune system can respond with specificity to infections with various pathogens, including the parasite that causes malaria in humans, using one ...More
October 18, 2012
Posted in News
Human Trial to Examine Effectiveness of Topical Gel in Treating Post-Surgical Orthopedic Infections

A team of researchers led by Samir Mehta, MD, chief of the Orthopaedic Trauma and Fracture Service at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has received a $2.5 million grant from the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP), ...More
October 3, 2012
Posted in News
iPhone Attachment Designed for At-Home Diagnoses of Ear Infections

A new pediatric medical device being developed by Georgia Tech and Emory University could make life easier for every parent who has rushed to the doctor with a child screaming from an ear infection. Soon, parents may be able to skip the doctor’s visit and receive a ...More
September 20, 2012
Posted in News
Outbreak Highlights Tainted Tattoo Ink as a Source of Infection

If you end up with a rash on a new tattoo, you should probably think twice before brushing it off as an allergic reaction or a normal part of the healing process. A recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine documents 19 cases in the Rochester, N.Y. area – the ...More
September 6, 2012
Posted in News
Mayo Clinic Study Finds Way to Pinpoint Infection Risk in RA Patients

Rheumatoid arthritis alone is painful and disabling, but it also puts patients at higher risk of death. The greater susceptibility to infections that accompanies the autoimmune disorder is one reason. Assessing the danger of infection a particular patient faces so it can be ...More
September 5, 2012
Posted in News
Researchers Identify Postoperative Complications Posing Strongest Readmission Risk

Postoperative complications are the most significant independent risk factor leading to 30-day hospital readmissions among general surgery patients, according to a new exploratory study published in the September issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. ...More
August 28, 2012
Posted in News
Expert Blogs About Preventing Infections During Chemotherapy

Today on Medscape, the CDC's Dr. Lisa Richardson talks about what cancer patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers should know to prevent infections during chemotherapy. Links to the educational resources for healthcare professionals and facilities featured in the ...More
August 23, 2012
Posted in News
Nasal Irrigation with Contaminated Tap Water Leads to Rare, Fatal Disease

When water containing the Naegleria fowleri ameba, a single-celled organism, enters the nose, the organisms may migrate to the brain, causing primary amebic meningoencephalitis, a very rare—but usually fatal—disease. A new study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases ...More
August 23, 2012
Posted in News