News

The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) says it is encouraged by the final rule announced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

ICU Medical, Inc., a manufacturer of disposable medical connection systems for use in vascular therapy applications, today confirmed that it has received FDA 510-k clearance for the Neutron Neutral-Pressure Needleless Connector.

Now that the infection prevention and control community has had some time to learn about the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)s concerns regarding positive-displacement needleless connectors and the possible link to bloodstream infections (BSIs) and patient mortality, the question seems to be, now what?

Recommendations focus on innovation, regulatory predictability, and patient safety as related to medical devices.

A recent report from Textiles Intelligence in the United Kingdom indicates that smart textiles and nanotechnology will enhance the benefits of personal protective equipment (PPE) used to protect workers from occupational exposures, hazardous materials, and pathogens that trigger infectious diseases.

Introduction of the PCV-7 vaccine to prevent invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) has led to a shift in the types of bacteria causing hemolytic uremic syndrome, an important cause of acute kidney failure in children, reports a study in the August issue of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.

New research suggests that blocking a membrane protein called "Programmed Death 1" improves survival in a clinically relevant model of severe infection.

Research on plague and prairie dogs published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences could have significant implications for understanding how infectious diseases spread in animals and humans.

The Florida Times-Union is reporting today on the case of Jean Law, a nurse on staff at Baptist Medical Center-South in Jacksonville, Fla. who contracted a bacterial infection and had to have both legs and eight fingers amputated because staff at the facility allegedly failed to diagnose her septic condition quickly enough.

The Oncology Nursing Society has released the findings of a recent survey of oncology nurses that show they are increasingly concerned about invasive fungal infections in their patients.

During an influenza pandemic, a substantial proportion of transmission is thought to occur in households.

Data on the performance of Mycobacterium-tuberculosis-specific interferon-(IFN)-gamma release assays (IGRAs) in the serial testing of healthcare workers is limited.

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University developed techniques to quickly identify evolution of drug resistance in strains of malaria.

The vast majority of pediatricians and family physicians nationally are offering the human papillomavirus (also called HPV) vaccine, though fewer physicians are strongly encouraging it for 11- to 12-year-old girls as recommended by national guidelines.

In a letter to infection preventionists, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is informing them about positive displacement needleless connectors and the possible link to several patient deaths associated with bloodstream infections (BSIs).

In todays environment, the delivery of healthcare is constantly evolving, requiring practitioners to be nimble and quickly adapt to new guidelines, protocols and technology.

Researchers describe a novel device that utilizes immunosensor and bio-optical technology to detect M. tuberculosis antigen (Ag85B) in cough and demonstrate its use under field conditions during a pilot study in an area of high TB incidence.

Unilife Corporation has launched Unitract.com to support the commercial release of its Unitract 1 mL clinical safety syringes.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved vaccines for the 2010-2011 influenza season in the United States.

A new drug-resistant strain of E. coli, ST131, is a major cause of serious antimicrobial-resistant E. coli infections in the United States.

Researchers show that public education campaigns regarding hand hygiene are effective in altering individual hand hygiene habits during the peak periods of influenza transmission.

When Staphylococcus aureus is isolated in urine, it is thought to usually represent hematogenous spread. Because such spread might have special clinical significance, Shingo Chihara and colleagues evaluated predictors and outcomes of S. aureus bacteriuria among patients with S. aureus bacteremia.

Epidemic outbreaks of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii (AB) in intensive care units (ICUs) are increasing. The incidence of MDR-AB bacteremia, which develops as a result of colonization, is increasing through widespread dissemination of the pathogen, and further colonization.