HAIs

Dental assistants help bridge communication gaps between dentists and patients. Experts say patient education, follow-up conversations, and modern diagnostic tools are essential for helping individuals understand treatment recommendations and make informed oral health decisions.

Dental Assistants Recognition Week spotlights the critical role dental assistants play in infection prevention, patient safety, and instrument sterilization. From PPE adherence to surface disinfection and patient education, these professionals manage complex clinical and administrative tasks that protect both patients and dental teams in high-risk aerosol-generating environments. (Entire interview)

Hospital-onset bacteremia is common in burn patients—and often tied to burn severity and surgical wound care, not lapses in quality. New data suggest that HOB may be a poor standalone quality metric for burn centers, raising questions about the fairness of benchmarking in value-based care.

When sterile instruments look perfect but hidden soil remains, patient safety is at risk. In this in-depth ICT article, Marjorie Wall, EDBA, CRCST, CIS, CHL, CSSBB, explains why ultrasonic cleaning is not just equipment, but a critical quality system, and how failures in cavitation, lumen flushing, or water quality can quietly undermine infection prevention in the operating room and sterile processing department.

A multicenter randomized trial of 276 patients with sepsis found that precision immunotherapy targeting immune dysfunction improved organ failure scores by day 9 compared with placebo. Although mortality differences were not statistically significant, the results suggest that biomarker-guided treatment strategies could help personalize sepsis care and improve clinical outcomes.

A national survey of infection preventionists reveals deep concerns about staffing shortages, lack of leadership support, limited authority, and outdated surveillance systems. IP professionals warn that without structural investment, modernization, and executive recognition of their operational value, patient safety, regulatory compliance, and hospital financial stability remain at risk.

Dental implant infection prevention starts in the operatory and continues at home. Anjali A. Rajpal, DMD, explains how sterilization protocols, early healing care, warning signs of infection, and long-term hygiene habits protect implant success. Learn what patients must do in the first 72 hours and beyond to reduce risk.

Detox is a short but high-risk window for infection. Disrupted sleep, shared spaces, and intensive medication workflows raise exposure pressure. Leading detox programs in San Diego reduce risk with structured intake screening, disciplined medication handling, time-based cleaning, zoning for symptoms, and practical discharge planning that keeps infections from following patients home.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is accelerating worldwide, with MRSA, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, and drug-resistant gonorrhea threatening modern medicine. As antibiotic development lags, AI-driven discovery, soil-derived compounds like teixobactin, and phage therapy offer renewed hope.

Cepheid has been selected by the CDC as a national collaborator to accelerate rapid diagnostic development during public health emergencies. With early access to outbreak samples and genomic data, the company aims to shorten response timelines and strengthen U.S. pandemic preparedness through scalable, high accuracy PCR testing solutions.

This Pathogen Pulse examines infection prevention worldwide. Minnesota is investigating a TMVII fungal outbreak with 13 confirmed and 27 suspected sexually transmitted cases in the Twin Cities. CDC researchers report 10,530 travel-associated dengue cases from 128 countries between 2010 and 2024, which can help detect global outbreaks earlier. Further, China, the first human Streptococcus parasuis case in Henan was confirmed, with no livestock exposure, raising environmental transmission concerns.

Infection preventionists are experts at stopping pathogens, but many of the field’s hardest challenges are human. Contagious Conversations is a new video series that opens the candid, sometimes uncomfortable discussions about who belongs in infection prevention, how teams hire and grow, and what it will take to build a stronger workforce. Expect curiosity, honesty, and practical takeaways, not hot takes.

Could engineered bacteriophages help hospitals tackle drug-resistant infections when antibiotics fail? In this ICT Q&A, researchers discuss where phage engineering may realistically fit first in hospitals, from treatment of MDR infections to environmental control, and why broad-coverage phage products remain a longer-term goal.

Why small lapses in cleaning can lead to significant infection control consequences—and how dentistry can close the gaps.

From Joseph Lister to modern airflow engineering, operating room safety depends on more than sterile technique. This in-depth review explains why EVS, airflow control, objective cleaning verification, and SPD coordination are critical to reducing surgical site infections and building high-reliability perioperative environments.

A multicenter study of 401 patients with invasive aspergillosis found similar 90-day survival with mold-active triazoles and liposomal amphotericin B as primary therapy. As IA risk expands beyond traditional populations, the findings underscore the role of antifungal stewardship and careful treatment selection in infection prevention.

The risks of manual ultrasound probe cleaning are costly. Jill Holdsworth, CIC, FAPIC, Medical Affairs Manager at CS Medical, shares insights on how automation can improve consistency, compliance, and patient safety while also driving financial savings.

A recent case-control study found that continuous photohydrolysis disinfection significantly reduced environmental bioburden, MDRO acquisition, COVID-19 cases, and hospital transfers in a long-term care facility, without adding staffing demands. The findings highlight the role of continuous air and surface disinfection as a complementary strategy to manual cleaning in addressing antimicrobial resistance and infection risk in LTC settings.

Two emerging animal-origin viruses, influenza D and canine coronavirus HuPn-2018, are quietly circulating and largely missed by routine diagnostics. Experts warn that without stronger surveillance, data sharing, and preparedness, these pathogens could become the next major respiratory threat.

Dialysis patients face some of the highest infection risks in health care. In this Q&A, nurse practitioner leader Octavia “Tavi” Schlueter, MSN, RN, CPNP-PC, PMHS, breaks down bloodstream infection risks, vascular access best practices, and how IPC teams can support dialysis staff through practical, workflow-based education.