Frank Diamond

The education of IPs has become a topic of interest since the onset of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The novel coronavirus highlighted that there perhaps are not enough IPs, and that’s especially true since their knowledge is being sought by schools, businesses and other non-healthcare settings.

Too many hospitals apparently do not use the CDC’s Hospital Toolkit for Adult Sepsis Surveillance, which may explain the number of healthcare-acquired infections that remain unreported.

When healthcare workers using the red box stepped into the patients’ rooms, there was “significantly increased non-compliance” with PPE and hand hygiene protocols compared to those healthcare workers who went into rooms without red boxes.

Investigators say that a corrections officer in a Vermont prison had had “multiple brief encounters” with whom the study defines as 6 incarcerated or detained persons (IDPs) who had COVID-19 but did not know it yet.

Investigators found that the mean healthcare cost for treating elderly influenza patients per patient per flu season ranged from $3,299 to $12,398 higher than the costs for treating patients with congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary artery disease, and stage 5 renal disease.

Investigators found that a prompt on a disinfection tracking system led to an increase rate of the disinfection of computers on wheels at a veterans’ hospital in Texas.

Study: “There was no difference in the outcome in COVID-19 patients co-infected with influenza compared to non co-infected patients, however, a larger sample of cases will be needed for further assessment of these outcomes.”

CAUTI rates were 83% higher and CLABSI rates were 65% higher in the COVID-19 units compared to the non-COVID-19 units.

There are 4 “moments” involved as a healthcare professional at a long-term care facility (LTCF) weighs whether to prescribe an antibiotic to a patient or resident.

Bug of the Month helps educate readers about existing and emerging pathogens of clinical importance in healthcare facilities today.

Great Barrington Declaration: “Schools and universities should be open for in-person teaching. Extracurricular activities, such as sports, should be resumed. Young low-risk adults should work normally, rather than from home. Restaurants and other businesses should open.”

Investigators note that during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there have been discussions about the role of social distancing in ORs during tracheal intubation and/or extubation, and other aerosol generating procedures.

Mary Jean Ricci MSN, RNBC: “In most facilities, the infection preventionist is the person doing contact tracing, is assisting the students should there be an exposure, is assisting with providing education on site or real-time education with the students should they see the students take off their PPE.”

Christopher Blank, CIC, MPH, an infection preventionist with BJC Healthcare, sits down with Infection Control Today® to discuss the benefits of making employment for healthcare workers contingent on getting the flu vaccination.

Kevin Kavanagh, MD: “Many of the infection preventionists over the last six months now have more experience than many of the policymakers up in D.C., because they’ve lived it firsthand. And they’ve seen how COVID-19 can spread. And they’re starting to develop a good idea of how to stop it.”

When COVID-19 struck, the proper use of PPE and greater attention to hand hygiene and cleaning surfaces became the norm. When that happened, rates of Clostridium difficile decreased significantly.

Sarah Smathers, MPH, CIC, FAPIC: “I think that hospital administrators are concerned about how they’re going to recruit in a field that is expecting a lot of retirees: 40% of infection professionists are expected to retire in the next five to 10 years.”

Devin Jopp, EdD, MS: “[W]e will work to elevate our collective voice to ensure infection prevention and control is at the core of our healthcare delivery system and woven into the very fabric of our community.”

Bilal Naseer, MD: “Nurses who are kind of at a point where they cannot do bedside care, they should consider infection prevention. We need more infection preventionists.”

While reiterating that SARS-CoV-2 most commonly spreads through close contact (less than 6 feet, and for about 15 minutes) with a symptomatic or asymptomatic carrier, the CDC now suggests that the coronavirus is even more contagious than previously thought.

President Trump has some things going against him in his fight against COVID-19, including his age and weight.

Cedric Steiner, MBA: “When we talk about infection control, and not just one room, but pieces of the facility, we’re definitely on the right track. And I think we need to start thinking about the building as like a living, breathing kind of thing.”

Sean Norman, MS, PhD: “We know from the scientific literature that asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals both shed the virus through fecal material, which then works its way into the sewer system, and it can be captured as part of our sample.”

Ernest Grant, PhD: “Until we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, it’s very crucial that we look out for one another and make sure we address our mental health and emotional needs.”

BJC Healthcare implemented a mandatory flu vaccination policy during the 2008-2009 flu season. Before the policy, about 70% of healthcare workers were vaccinated, according to the study. After the policy’s implementation, that immediately jumped to 98.4% the subsequent year.

The Japanese company Ushio says that it will sell the Care 222 UV lamp to medical facilities first for about $2,800 a piece. The company also foresees the lamps being used on buses, trains, elevators, and offices.

Sylvia Garcia-Houchins, MBA, RN, CIC: “I think initially, everybody said: ‘Oh, my gosh, we have a pandemic happening.’ It’s sort of a dead stop everywhere. And we’ve got to get ready. We’ve got to be prepared…. In many organizations at that point, the infection preventionist was really put into a position: Put my resources here? Put my resources there? I need to get a plan.”

Brent James, MD: “If you had an inpatient who developed an inpatient infection, it was like he got a console from ID in about three or four seconds. You just called up the program. You had to tell it the sites of infection you’re interested in, but then it did an epidemiologic evaluation of that patient.”

Bug of the Month helps educate readers about existing and emerging pathogens of clinical importance in healthcare facilities today.

Kevin Kavanagh, MD: “I think you’ll find that infection preventionists in this type of climate are just not healthcare employed personnel. They need to be everywhere. They need to be in business. They need to be in schools. And, of course, they need to be in our healthcare system. But it is crucial to be in schools…”