HAIs

 

The Infection Control Today® health care-acquired infections (HAIs) page presents updates on the latest techniques and strategies in the never-ending battle between infection preventionists and HAIs. Focusing on the latest in medical literature, we also present perspectives from the top infection preventionists and other medical experts in the country about how to put the growing knowledge of HAIs into use in the everyday world of infection prevention. Articles and videos often focus on methods to contain and control pathogens and multidrug-resistant organisms from spreading within the health care system.

Let Airflow Show Pathogens the Door (or Window or Vent)

June 18, 2021

An integrated air management system requires proper engineering and not a pile-up approach of unproven products. One concern is that decision makers will fall into the nearsighted trap of selecting piecemeal products that require frequent maintenance.

Beating Biofilm Is Key to Fighting Surgical Infections

June 07, 2021

At the intersection of surgery and infection prevention resides a sometimes-neglected opportunity to further minimize infection risk by modernizing choices and innovation.

Slowly but Surely, Infection Prevention Moves Beyond COVID-19

June 03, 2021

Jody Feigel, RN, MSN: “A few years ago, nobody wanted to hear from infection prevention. Now, everybody wants to hear from infection prevention.”

Continuous Acting Disinfectant Appears to Work Better on Surfaces

June 01, 2021

One of the reasons that S aureus and C diff present such a disinfection challenge is that they are encased in a biofilms such as yeast, protozoa, bacteria, fungi, and algae.

Onboarding Infection Preventionists? Some Questions to Ask

May 29, 2021

Successful onboarding of candidates requires an orientation that includes all aspects of the position. What are the responsibilities of an IP? Their main function is to identify and mitigate infection risks.

IPs Play Hidden Role in Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs

May 28, 2021

The increasing threat of antimicrobial resistance, exacerbated by the pandemic, underscores the importance of the infection preventionist as an active member of the antimicrobial stewardship program.

Infection Preventionists Possess HAI Data Hospital Administrators Need

May 26, 2021

Ann Scheck McAlearney, ScD, MS: “Infection preventionists … can provide managers with the guidance provided by this type of research, as well as the data to support infection prevention efforts….”

Infection Prevention Succeeds When Hospital Management’s Involved

May 10, 2021

An actively engaged hospital management team can make the difference between success or failure when it comes to managing health care-acquired infections, a study states.

Disinfected Hands, Nonsterile Gloves Show Equal Viral Loads

April 26, 2021

Hospital employees performed hand hygiene under the gaze of infection preventionists, and the study data were gathered during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Proper Treatment of UTIs Often Eludes Nursing Homes, Hospitals

April 21, 2021

Investigators University of Michigan-Flint, School of Nursing noted that the Cooper Tool and the Stone criteria are similar but use different methods to arrive at a UTI diagnosis.