HAIs

"Hospital tray lines operate at high speed to feed hundreds of patients daily. Staff members plate food, cover trays, and load them onto mobile carts that navigate elevators, hallways, and patient rooms. Each of these steps introduces opportunities for contamination."

I’ve known Monica and Tim forever, which is why their sepsis battles aren’t just “patient stories” to me. They’re a reminder that infection hides in ordinary days, and that vigilance, source control, and smart antibiotics save lives.

This 6-part series will chronicle the journey of 2 infection prevention leaders, Brenna Doran, PhD, MA, ACC, CIC; and Jessica Swain, MBA, MLT, CIC, IHI, as they partnered to research and shed light on the critical issue of infection prevention staffing in the current health care landscape. From the initial spark of an idea to the publication of an impactful article, a research manuscript, and a podcast, this series will offer an insider’s view of their collaborative process and the profound implications of their findings. This third article in the series will focus on...

If you’ve ever been asked to track flu shots and handle a chemical splash in the same breath, you’ve met the IP–OH blur. Infection prevention and occupational health often intersect—but their missions differ. Knowing where each begins ensures safer patients, safer staff, and smoother responses.

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.

Hospital-wide sequencing of 8,567 Staphylococcus aureus isolates at NYU Langone revealed that many MRSA cases stem from tight community transmission networks—not in-hospital spread. Presented at IDWeek 2025, the work pinpoints distinct clusters (young MSM/substance-use networks, long-term care residents, and children) and urges IPC strategies that bridge hospital and community.

At IDWeek 2025, a Detroit consortium reported a familiar IPC paradox in skilled nursing facilities: Staff know the basics, but practice lags. Inconsistent rub times, dwell times, and respirator seal checks point to behavior-focused training—not more slides—as the next move.

A multifaceted infection-prevention push at a tertiary rehab ICU in the Upper Midwest reversed a rise in C difficile, lifting hand-hygiene adherence from 69% to 91% and cutting the C. diff standardized infection ratio from 1.6 to 0.4 over six months, researchers reported at IDWeek 2025 in Atlanta.

New IDWeek 2025 data show who C difficile kills most: White patients, women, and people in major metros—with most deaths tied to health care exposure—underscoring how basics and smarter antibiotics remain our best levers to cut mortality.

Candida auris is the pathogen that won’t take a hint—clinging to surfaces, nesting in biofilms, and outlasting rushed wipe-downs. Yet the chemistries potent enough to kill it can be punishing to people, devices, and environments. This piece tackles the tightrope: how to choose, use, and verify C auris effective disinfection without trading one risk for another.

Join the APIC Research Network (free for APIC members), pick your level, and commit to one survey or collaborative project this year—research for IPs, by IPs. Your idea could shape tomorrow’s practice.

Open Vaccine Track, find your metro, and pick one move this quarter—close an access gap, copy a local success, or launch targeted outreach. Small, data-driven steps in the right ZIP codes can shift adult vaccination faster than statewide averages ever will.

Hey Clean Biters! What’s flowing through your lines? Make DUWL safety automatic: appoint a Safety Officer, write a one-page SOP, treat daily, shock monthly, test quarterly, and document <500 CFU/mL. Grab the log—clean water, every patient, every time.

As ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) expand into new specialties, sterile processing challenges can slow growth or halt operations entirely. Lifeline Surgical Partners—formerly Lifeline Vascular Care—found a scalable, cost-effective solution through offsite reprocessing, allowing their centers to maintain high-quality care while freeing clinical teams to focus on patients.

Candida auris continues to challenge infection preventionists with its persistence, resistance, and potential for outbreaks. New evidence shows that early, expanded screening—beginning in the emergency department—may be the key to stopping transmission before it starts.

Recent advances in diagnostic techniques offer a rapid and accurate method for identifying nontuberculous mycobacteria species, potentially accelerating the diagnosis and treatment of infections.

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.

What if there were a new index to reduce exposure risks on high-touch facility surfaces? Read on to learn about one.

When traditional cleaning can’t reach hidden biofilm, ultrasonic cleaning steps in—delivering precision, safety, and efficiency across modern medical and dental care.

Measuring cleaning is not the same as proving disinfection. Infection preventionists must use ATP and fluorescent markers wisely—supporting training, not replacing microbial validation.

Candida auris is a fast-spreading, multidrug-resistant fungus that demands vigilance. Infection preventionists must cut through myths with evidence-based action to protect patients and facilities.

Legionnaires’ disease remains a deadly but preventable threat in health care, especially in long-term care. Every facility needs a strong, team-driven water management plan because prevention starts at the tap. This article explains what is needed to write one.

Ensuring the sterility of medical devices is a cornerstone of patient safety. This whitepaper examines steam sterilization—the predominant method in healthcare—and the critical role of chemical indicators (CIs) in monitoring process efficacy. With a focus on ISO 11140-1 standards, it compares Type 4 and Type 5 indicators, outlining their strengths, limitations, and implications for reliable sterilization practices.