Policies and Practice

IDSA Releases Revised Guidelines for Group A Streptococcal Throat Infection

Although people often say they have “strep” throat, most sore throats actually are caused by a virus, not streptococcus bacteria, and shouldn’t be treated with antibiotics, suggest guidelines published by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). Antibiotics are ...More
September 10, 2012
Posted in News, Policies and Practice
SGNA Releases Revised Standards of Infection Control in Reprocessing of Flexible GI Endoscopes

The Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates, Inc. (SGNA) has released the Standards of Infection Control in Reprocessing of Flexible Gastrointestinal Endoscopes (2012). Although the transmission of infectious diseases during gastrointestinal endoscopy is rare, ...More
September 10, 2012
Posted in News, Disinfection & Sterilization, Policies and Practice
SGNA Releases Statements on Reprocessing of Endoscopic Accessories, Valves, Water Bottles

The Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates, Inc. (SGNA) has released a Statement on Reprocessing of Endoscopic Accessories and Valves. This resource will help GI/endoscopy professionals properly reprocess endoscopic accessories and valves, which is essential to ...More
September 7, 2012
Posted in News, Disinfection & Sterilization, Policies and Practice
APIC Issues Reminder About Healthcare Worker Flu Vaccination Data Reporting

The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) is making infection preventionists aware of the following information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Acute-care hospitals participating in the Centers for Medicare ...More
August 30, 2012
Posted in News, Policies and Practice
Slide Show: Hand and Environmental Hygiene

ICT presents highlights from the OnSite brief exploring how Carteret General Hospital in Morehead City, N.C. boosted its hand hygiene and environmental hygiene efforts. To download the OnSite brief, visit the Infection Prevention Immersion Center, located in the "Immersion ...More
August 30, 2012
Posted in Galleries, Environmental Hygiene, Hand Hygiene, Policies and Practice
Nurse Leader Resistance Perceived as a Barrier to High-Quality, Evidence-Based Patient Care

A new national survey of more than 1,000 registered nurses suggests that serious barriers - including resistance from nursing leaders - prevent nurses from implementing evidence-based practices that improve patient outcomes. ...More
August 30, 2012
Posted in News, Policies and Practice
AORN Recommended Practice for Prevention of Transmissible Infections is Open for Comment

The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) has posted online for public comment its "Recommended Practice for Prevention of Transmissible Infections." Protecting patients and healthcare practitioners from potentially infectious agent transmission continues to ...More
August 28, 2012
Posted in News, Policies and Practice, PPE & Standard Precautions
Slide Show: Product Evaluation and Purchasing

ICT presents highlights from the August 2012 cover story on materials management and product evaluation and purchasing for perioperative nurse managers and infection preventionists. ...More
August 17, 2012
Posted in Galleries, Policies and Practice
Product Evaluation and Purchasing Advice for Perioperative Nurses and Infection Preventionists

Healthcare encompasses an enormous range of supplies, equipment and instruments, ranging from drug-delivery products to wound management supplies, textiles, procedure and surgical supplies, and innumerable infection prevention and control-related supplies. Well-informed ...More
August 17, 2012
Posted in Articles, Policies and Practice
Expert Blogs About Scrub-the-Hub Protocol to Protect Dialysis Patients

Today, on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s Safe Healthcare Blog, Gemma Downham, an infection prevention specialist and epidemiologist at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, discusses how her team uses CDC’s scrub-the-hub protocol every day to protect ...More
August 16, 2012
Posted in News, Policies and Practice