Time, staff, and budget constraints make it difficult to expand HAI mitigation programs despite the obvious and urgent need to do so.
Charles P. Gerba, PhD: “Unfortunately, standard procedures for testing and registration by regulatory agencies of CADs (continuously active sanitizers or disinfectants) as disinfectants useful in preventing exposure to disease causing microorganism transmission has only taken place in recent years.”
Even the most rigorous infection prevention protocols come unraveled if compliance isn’t maintained. The challenge is that for busy health care professionals, remembering when and how to disinfect is just one of many competing tasks in an extremely busy day.
Stethoscope diaphragms are contaminated with the same pathogens as the hands and they are capable of transmitting pathogens from patient to patient. The CDC should readdress its published guidelines.
Infection prevention in pediatrics is crucial to keep babies and children healthy. Some of the main tools are hand washing and vaccinations; however, there is more to do.
Ellie Wishart, BSc, Real World Evidence Manager at Ecolab discusses the role of industry partners in the Clean Hospitals initiative and taking part in the International Clean Hospitals Day Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, on October 20, 2022.
The shape and material composition of the N95 respirators varied widely from manufacturer to manufacturer, which can result in variations in the efficacy of a particular method from one product to the next.
Uncover the pivotal role of environmental hygiene in thwarting antimicrobial resistance (AMR) for infection prevention teams. Learn how rigorous cleaning protocols and advanced technologies enhance patient safety and combat AMR.
Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, infection preventionists, nurses, environmental services personnel, and other health care workers cannot forget about C auris.
IPs can provide valuable input on construction projects, water safety, and ventilation.
Accurate device information and proper sterilization or disinfection are crucial to ensure safety during ultrasound procedures.
Lassa fever causes 5000 deaths a year. What should health care workers and the public know about this rare disease, and what is done to treat it?
Staphylococcal organisms, which have high mortality rates and can cause recurrence and metastatic complications, are responsible for a significant proportion of infections related to vascular access.
Recent research in the American Journal of Infection Control reveals gaps in routine hospital disinfection, highlighting the need for UV-C audits. Learn how to validate UV-C dosages effectively and conduct successful audits.
Eric D. Donnenfeld, MD, discusses 3 uncommon yet highly infectious eye diseases, emphasizing the importance of timely treatment and preventative measures.
Automation of probe reprocessing can have multiple benefits for patients, clinicians and facilities, including improvements in efficiency, accuracy, compliance, standardization and safety. When considering process options for high level disinfection of ultrasound probes, automated systems can be an efficient and cost-effective way to prevent patients from the risk of infection. It’s time to work smarter, safer, happier, more efficiently, and accurately… not harder.
Infection prevention certification is not what it used to be—it is more valuable. It’s not for a few experts; it’s for the frontline IP in any health care setting that chooses to demonstrate competency.
Recent research into COVID-19 suggests that health care systems need to move beyond the idea that pathogen spread happens either via droplets or aerosolized particles. Patients can generate the full range of respiratory particles.
At the intersection of surgery and infection prevention resides a sometimes-neglected opportunity to further minimize infection risk by modernizing choices and innovation.
Health care-associated infections (HAIs) significantly impact patient outcomes, hospital expenses, and mortality rates in the United States. Hand hygiene stands as the most effective preventive method. While manual observation often produces biased results, Electronic Hand Hygiene Monitoring Systems (EHHCM) offer evolving methods for more accurate adherence assessment.
When constructing a health care facility of any size, it is crucial to seek the advice and expertise of an infection preventionist. This article provides guidance on how to do so effectively.
Diseases transmitted by mosquitoes are not new to the US, but with malaria in Florida and Texas showing up, protecting against getting bit is even more vital.
The ability of any infectious agent to maintain constant transmission enables it to be an ongoing threat to public health. Few pathogens have achieved greater success at ongoing transmission potential than the influenza virus.
Infection preventionists come from many different backgrounds. However, many left the field during the COVID-19 pandemic. It will require creative methods to preserve existing IP staff and educate those entering the field.
This year we have to do more than just rely on the flu vaccine. Avoiding the flu plus COVID-19 catastrophe is contingent on the US widely embracing public health guidance of wearing masks, meticulous hand hygiene and social distancing.
Maintaining proper hand hygiene is crucial in ensuring our safety and that of those around us and is rightly celebrated worldwide.
Here, we will review 3 common sterilization modalities currently in use for N95 respirator decontamination, how they work, and their strengths and limitations.
High-flow oxygen therapy reduced the need for mechanical ventilation and shortened the time to clinical recovery among patients with severe COVID-19, says the study.
Six confirmed cases of malaria in Florida and 1 in Texas have not been linked to international travel.