News

Peter Graves, BSN, RN, CNOR Justin McKay Jill Holdsworth, MS, CIC, FAPIC, AL-CIP Tori Whitacre Martonicz, MA

Reusable lead aprons and thyroid collars are used daily throughout hospitals, but often fall outside standardized cleaning protocols. Infection prevention and perioperative experts discuss contamination risks, ATP testing, operational barriers, and the need for multidisciplinary collaboration to strengthen environmental hygiene and reduce the risk of HAIs.

Peter Graves, BSN, RN, CNOR Justin McKay Jill Holdsworth, MS, CIC, FAPIC, AL-CIP Tori Whitacre Martonicz, MA

Reusable lead aprons and thyroid collars are used daily throughout hospitals, but often fall outside standardized cleaning protocols. Infection prevention and perioperative experts discuss contamination risks, ATP testing, operational barriers, and the need for multidisciplinary collaboration to strengthen environmental hygiene and reduce the risk of HAIs.

A Note with “Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)” on the doctor's desk   (Adobe Stock 1564334289 by Kamitana)

Antimicrobial resistance hotspot mapping combines laboratory results, antibiotic prescribing, patient movement, and environmental data to identify where resistant pathogens emerge and spread. Emerging research suggests integrated surveillance, AI, and One Health collaboration could improve infection prevention while helping health systems detect resistance earlier and target interventions more effectively.

Patients in Cambodia.  (Image by Brayden Unger via AI)

How much infection prevention training should volunteers receive before participating in medical missions? A new perspective in Infection Control Today follows one college student's experience volunteering in rural Cambodia, where he was asked to perform clinical tasks well beyond his training. Years later, he realized just how many infection prevention risks he had unknowingly encountered. The article explores what his experience reveals about volunteer preparation, resource-limited care, and why basic infection prevention education should be considered essential for anyone participating in clinical outreach. Read the full story.