Hand Hygiene

What if sterile gloves are not always the safest or smartest choice? Evidence from dermatologic surgery suggests nonsterile gloves can deliver comparable infection outcomes in low-risk procedures while saving tens of thousands of dollars annually. This analysis asks whether hair restoration surgery deserves the same evidence-based reexamination.

ICT’s top articles of 2025 spanned essential glove-use standards, CDC guidance on H5N1 monitoring, AI-driven infection prevention in operating rooms, advanced influenza surveillance for public health reporting, and APIC’s warning on communication restrictions that threaten outbreak response. Together, they highlight the evolving, high-stakes role of infection prevention in safeguarding health care and communities.

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Missed opportunities, Graves warned, place patients at risk. Many surgical patients are immunocompromised, and a stethoscope may come near the incision. “Regardless of the scenario, [cleaning the stethoscope] each time is going to protect patients.”

Stethoscope hygiene, UV technology, and dwell time failures took center stage in this second installment of a panel of experts explored why routine disinfection still lags and what must change in clinical practice.

Elevating IPs into executive leadership isn't symbolic; it's a strategic imperative.

The November/December 2025 issue of Infection Control Today® dives into overlooked risks, breakthrough technologies, and the people driving innovation across IPC, EVS, and sterile processing. From bacteriophage therapy to burnout prevention, automation to UV regulation—it’s a powerful close to the year. Read the issue now: https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/journals/infection-control-today #InfectionPrevention #Healthcare #InfectionControl #EVS #IPC #PatientSafety #ICT

The Bug of the Month helps educate readers about clinically significant pathogens, both existing and emerging, in today's health care facilities.

Crowded waiting rooms can turn routine checkups into transmission hubs. Here’s how outpatient clinics can cut risk, starting at the front door, with smarter cleaning, hand hygiene, masks, and fewer extra visitors.

As the days get colder, with CDC’s school guidance, now is the time for schools to double down on air quality, hygiene, and infection prevention to protect students and staff.

This is the second of a 2-part conversation with CDC epidemiologist Danielle Rankin, PhD, MPH, CIC. In this installment, she dives into practical infection prevention strategies, surveillance challenges, and the urgent need for mechanism-specific testing as NDM-CRE surges in US health care settings.

This is the first of a 2-part conversation with CDC epidemiologist Danielle Rankin, PhD, MPH, CIC. In this installment, she unpacks her study about the urgent rise of NDM-CRE and what infection preventionists need to know now.

Every pump of sanitizer is an opportunity to break the chain of infection. Correct dosing transforms routine hygiene into life-saving protection. For infection preventionists, teaching dose awareness is as critical as teaching when to clean.

Check out the latest print edition of Infection Control Today: September/October 2025.

Here are the formal rules for the 2024 Winner of the Infection Control Today’s Educator of the Year Award™.

Infection prevention in behavioral health isn't one-size-fits-all. From PPE to hand hygiene, unique risks demand tailored solutions. Learn how to protect patients and staff safely and effectively.

Want dental assistants who don’t just know infection control, but live it from day one? Tune in to The Clean Bite and learn how powerhouse instructor Samantha Mangioni is shaping the next generation to protect every patient, every time.

Discover how AI-powered sensors, smart surveillance, and advanced analytics are revolutionizing infection prevention in the OR. Herman DeBoard, PhD, discusses how these technologies safeguard sterile fields, reduce SSIs, and help hospitals balance operational efficiency with patient safety.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending July 13, 2025.

The pandemic opened unexpected doors for infection preventionists, pushing their expertise beyond hospital walls into schools and communities where stopping infections at the source matters more than ever.

As seasonal viruses surge and recent outbreaks like measles highlight vulnerabilities, infection prevention experts are extending their reach into schools, recognizing that healthy classrooms are essential to healthy communities.

Who knew candy, UV lights, and a college kid in scrubs could double hand hygiene adherence? A Pennsylvania hospital’s creative shake-up of its infection prevention program shows that sometimes it takes more than soap to get hands clean—and keep them that way.

This Hot Topics for IPC covers the latest on ASPR, AMR, vaccines, and a study on AMR and livestock manure from Michigan State University.