Surveillance & Epidemiology

Electronic surveillance and informatics are used by infection preventionists to assist in the detection of outbreaks of infectious diseases caused by pathogenic organisms in the healthcare setting. Data mining complements the numbers crunching performed by hospital epidemiologists to track transmission of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) and facilitates public reporting of infection rates

Study Examines CF Survival Rates and MRSA Infections

A team of researchers led by Elliott Dasenbrook, MD, MHS, assistant professor of medicine and pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and associate director of the Adult Cystic Fibrosis Program at University Hospitals Case Medical Center’s ...More
June 15, 2010
Posted in News
APIC Announces Second MRSA Prevalence Study

As a follow-up to the ground-breaking national MRSA prevalence study conducted in 2006, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) announced the launch of the “2010 National U.S. Inpatient Healthcare Facility Methicillin-Resistant ...More
June 15, 2010
Posted in News
How Bacteria Boost the Immune System

Scientists have long known that certain types of bacteria boost the immune system. Now, Loyola University Health System researchers have discovered how bacteria perform this essential task.Senior author Katherine L. Knight, PhD, and colleagues report their discovery in a ...More
June 14, 2010
Posted in News
New Grant Supports Development of Antimicrobial Sutures to Combat Infection

A new discovery may help curb surgical site infections (SSI) through the use of a novel antibiotic agent that can be incorporated into sutures. SSIs are the third most common hospital-acquired infection and may be associated with severe morbidity and mortality. Since more ...More
June 11, 2010
Posted in News
HHS Issues Statement on Recent Study of Infection Control Practices in ASCs

Health and Human Services Department (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius made the following statement: "Today, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare ...More
June 9, 2010
Posted in News
48 Cases of Salmonellosis Now Associated with Outbreak Linked to Subway Restaurants in Illinois

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has reported 48 cases of Salmonella ser. Hvittingfoss associated with the ongoing investigation of illnesses among customers who ate at certain Subway restaurants in Illinois. All cases are recovering, of which 17 had been ...More
June 9, 2010
Posted in News
Microban Helps Medical Manufacturers Address HAIs

Microban International, a global leader in built-in antimicrobial product protection, announced today a new initiative designed to help medical device manufacturers get to market quicker with antimicrobial solutions for 510(k) registered medical devices used in hospitals ...More
June 9, 2010
Posted in News
Study Examines ICU Outbreak of Staph Aureus With Resistance to Methicillin and Linezolid

An outbreak of infection due to linezolid and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LRSA) in 12 intensive care unit patients in Spain was associated with transmission within the hospital and extensive usage of the antibiotic linezolid, often used for the treatment of ...More
June 8, 2010
Posted in News
Mercy Community Hospital Reaches 10,000 Handwashes and Reduces HAIs with Resurgent Automated Handwashing System

Michelle Farber, RN, CIC, Mercy Hospital’s senior infection prevention officer, has notified Resurgent Health and Medical that they have surpassed the 10,000 handwashing milestone. As part of a new approach to prevent healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs), ...More
June 8, 2010
Posted in News, Hand Hygiene
Superbug's CPU Revealed

McMaster University researchers have discovered a central controller or processing unit (CPU) of a superbug's weaponry.An article on the breakthrough appears in the high-impact journal Science today.The team from the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease ...More
June 4, 2010
Posted in News