The Infection Control Today® hand hygiene page examines the practice of hand hygiene, from the proper methods to adherence among hospital staff. Will greater recognition of hand hygiene’s importance in curbing the spread of infections translate into better adherence among hospital staff and the public? This page features videos that demonstrate exactly how to conduct hand hygiene properly, articles recapping peer-reviewed literature on the latest advances in monitoring and adherence, as well as the popular "Bug of the Month" feature.
July 15th 2025
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.
National Infection Control Week: A Powerful Reminder to Improve Hand Hygiene
October 15th 2016For more than 25 years, the third week in October has been designated as National Infection Control Week -- a time dedicated to sharing and exploring new research, opportunities and design to support infection control across hospitals and long-term care facilities. In honor of this week, and in response to the growing need for streamlined, new-age hygiene practices and equipment, SCA conducted a global Hygiene Matters Survey to garner insights around the current and future view of healthcare hygiene processes.
Influenza Vaccination Recommendations Released
October 2nd 2016While current U.S. flu activity is low overall, localized influenza outbreaks have been reported. Influenza activity often begins to increase in October. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone 6 months and older. Now is a good time to get vaccinated. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for protection to set in.
Concerns on the Infection Prevention Limitations of Standard Precautions
September 16th 2016The Standard Precautions concept in healthcare dictates that healthcare workers assess risk in advance of a patient interaction and use appropriate interventions such as barriers, hand hygiene, and/or surface disinfection, to address the risk and prevent becoming contaminated by the patient or the patient’s environment. This approach has generally been credited with helping hospital employees protect themselves from acquiring infectious agents on a daily basis. However, a growing body of research has called into question whether this approach is in fact adequate.
Automation Nation: The Rise of the Machines in Healthcare
July 15th 2016While the saying goes that no one comes to work looking to make mistakes, they do happen, and they can lead to serious adverse events and poor patient outcomes. Where humans can introduce errors into a process, machines can help ensure standardization and uniformity, and an increasing number of healthcare organizations are evaluating and purchasing automated systems that boost their risk management strategies and patient safety efforts. Automation-driven processes are free from human fatigue and error, so they can help provide consistency and accuracy and potentially lead to a reduction in patient complications, infections and deaths. More predictable outcomes are possible with automated technology, and higher throughout can be achieved.