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Shaji Kumar, MD; Maria Dimou, MD, PhD; Stephan A. Grupp, MD, PhD; Jose C. Villasboas Bisneto, MD



Medical Crossfire®: Which Patients with Hematologic Malignancies are at Risk for Secondary Immunodeficiency (SID)… and How Can We Leverage Evidence to Improve Their Outcomes?

Gary S. Marshall, MD; Shanna M. Barton, MD; Theresa M. Fiorito, MD

Patient, Provider, and Caregiver Connection™: Prevention and Control of Meningococcal Disease — Individualizing Vaccine Recommendations in Adolescent Populations

 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.

Transplants are a crucial yet complex part of acute care. They involve various organs and tissues, necessitating robust infection prevention programs and compliance with strict regulatory standards.

Infection Prevention Implication for Organ Donation Program

Utilizing robust quality systems is essential in medical device manufacturing to prevent infections and extend the lifespan of instruments, ensuring optimal patient safety.

Enhancing Infection Prevention in Medical Devices Through Quality Systems

Complicated and untreatable gonococcal infections due to antimicrobial-resistant gonorrhea are outpacing the advancements and development of novel antibiotics and testing technologies. 

Latest Update on Antimicrobial Resistant Gonorrhea: Challenges and Control Measures

Consistent infection prevention (IP) rounding in ambulatory clinics fosters compliance, collaboration, and education, improving infection prevention through relationship-building and just-in-time learning.

Why Rounding Should Be Prioritized in Ambulatory Clinics

Infection Control Today's Product Locator is a monthly column highlighting some of the latest advanced technology in infection prevention.

ICT's Product Locator: May/June 2024

Ruth Carrico, discusses her groundbreaking study on AI's role in identifying HAIs and its implications for the field.

Unlocking the Potential of AI in Healthcare

It is impossible to avoid the topic of artificial intelligence (AI) right now, and the integration of AI in health care is a groundbreaking innovation that has the potential to revolutionize the industry. 

Recently, a proof-of-concept study by Ruth Carrico, PhD, DNP, MSN, FNP, a professor at the University of Louisville, and an independent infection preventionist (IP) consultant, delved into the transformative role of AI in identifying health care-associated infections (HAIs). 

In an exclusive interview, Carrico sheds light on the challenges, triumphs, and key insights gleaned from this research she conducted with Timothy L. Wiemken, PhD, MPH, CIC, senior director, Digital Platforms team lead for Pfizer, and director of data science and epidemiology, at Saint Louis University Institute for Vaccine Science and Policy.

The study aimed to explore how AI could revolutionize infection surveillance—a cornerstone of IP activities. Carrico emphasizes that surveillance serves as the foundation for understanding risk factors, crucial for devising effective infection control and prevention strategies. However, the labor-intensive nature of surveillance, in terms of both time and resources, spurred the investigation into AI's potential as an invaluable ally in this critical domain.

“Dr. Wiemken and I were interested in how you use artificial intelligence, particularly in identifying HAIs,” Carrico told 

. “Now AI is at this point, we're not at the point where AI can pull together yet all of the different pieces of information that are used for diagnosis. But we are trying to learn in the proof of concept with this particular study was to see where are we with AI and looking at surveillance, and assisting the IP. We know surveillance is incredibly time-consuming, not only the amount of time but the resources that are involved in performing surveillance and surveillance is the mainstay of our activities because we use in our knowledge to identify risk factors, and those then are the things that we want to try to control. So, the study is focused on whether we can take the definitions that have been provided by the CDC National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) and use AI to respond or react to situations or scenarios that we pose back to the AI agent."

 the key findings from the study regarding the performance of AI-powered tools in identifying CLABSI and CAUTI infections. “We were pleased because we found out that if we do a good job curating the document, that is, we give the AI agent the truth. So, like what constitutes an infection, and then we structure our questions in a format that will be able to be answered by the information provided, then it worked very, very well."

Carrico continued. “When I mentioned the importance of having the questions set up so the agent can answer them when we talk about retract and infection, we know that there are several different levels or different types of urinary tract infection. One would be an ABUTI [asymptomatic bacteriuria UTI], and one might not be an ABUTI. We are looking at the AI agent being able to quickly describe or go through the truth of the information when we asked it a question to categorize which type of CAUTI was that? We learned that as we formulate the questions that we used to template."

In an exclusive interview, Ruth Carrico, professor at the University of Louisville, and independent infection prevention consultant, discusses her groundbreaking study with Timothy L. Wiemken, PhD, MPH, CIC, on AI's role in identifying health care-associated infections and its implications for the field.


Unlocking the Potential of Artificial Intelligence in Health Care: A New Study

ICT speaks with Erica Smith about infection prevention in the ASC

AORN Infection prevention in the ambulatory surgical center

Erica Smith, MBA, a doctoral candidate in public health and the global brand manager of infection prevention and control at Henry Schein, has a wealth of experience and a keen eye for common pitfalls. 

Her upcoming presentation at the AORN’s International Surgical Conference & Expo 2024 on Monday, March 11, from 11:30 AM—12:15 PM will be on the topic of “Infection Prevention in the ASC Environment of Care” and promises to illuminate crucial strategies for surgery centers and independent ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs). In this exclusive interview, 

) talks with Smith about her inspiration, key takeaways, and the pivotal role of infection control and prevention (IPC) in ensuring patient safety and operational efficiency.

The conference runs from Saturday, March 9, to Tuesday, March 12, 2024. For all ICT’s coverage, 

 asked Smith what her inspiration was for this year’s presentation. “Part of it was seeing that surgery centers needed a support system to help them with this topic, infection prevention and control. 

"Many people come from the acute care space where they have a department that helps you know that just focuses on infection for internal control or just focuses on education,” Smith said. “But then when they go to the independent, especially the independent ASC space, many they don't have that, and they have to do everything from staffing to checking in patients who now they're doing the infection prevention and control standard operating procedures and so on and so forth. So that was the inspiration to create this CE course for them. That way, they can have a reminder of what's going on and be able to have an assurance that they may be doing things correctly or that they need to change some things.”

To learn more about a perioperative nurse’s opinion, 

 asked Smith what are the most significant challenges that perioperative nurses face today and how her presentation addresses them.
“I think one of the biggest things we are seeing, and we will probably continue to see, is burnout and that high turnover. When we see that high turnover, that's when things slip through the cracks because it's like I just trained so and so, and now I got to train someone else coming in, or I just did this, and now we're short-staffed by 3 nurses because a bug went through."
Smith explains that they must cover much more than IPC. "So not just IPC, how we are handling patients, how we're getting them through procedures, how we're discharging them, and so on and so forth. So I will elaborate rate within this presentation that yes, these are common mistakes, but this is how we fix them.”



In the dynamic world of infection prevention and control (IPC), Erica Smith knows perioperative nursing and infection prevention. With a passion for supporting surgery centers and independent ASCs, her upcoming presentation dives deep into the common mistakes and challenges faced in IPC practices. 

AORN 2024 Presentation: A Talk With the Presenter of "Infection Prevention in the ASC Environment of Care"

Health care workers must stay vigilant against rare pathogens. Saskia v. Popescu, PhD, MPH, MA, FAPIC, an expert in infection prevention, 

Saskia v. Popescu, PhD, Discusses How to Prepare for Rare Infectious Diseases

Because the landscape of infectious diseases is constantly evolving, health care workers (HCWs) should be aware of the possibility of rare, yet equally significant, pathogens. HCWs should be aware of the critical importance of robust infection prevention measures, including accurate diagnostics, isolation protocols, and stringent disinfection practices, in mitigating the spread of such infections.

) spoke with Saskia v. Popescu, PhD, MPH, MA, FAPIC, assistant professor at the

University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, and a member of 

Popescu discussed multidrug-resistant organisms like 

and other emerging infectious diseases not endemic or typically seen in the US, like SARS-CoV-1, Ebola, Nipah virus, Hendra virus, Marburg virus, and others.

She emphasizes that infection prevention health care workers should know about these diseases, including infection preventionists, environmental hygienists, and sterile processing personnel. “The tough part is that if we only stuck to one disease, we'd be doing our staff a disservice. And even if the likelihood of the Nipah virus showing up in your hospital is extremely low, I would rather we talk about it and have plans for response because it's actually a very manageable disease. From an [infection control and prevention] perspective, we can easily put those protocols in place. Even with Ebola, it is much more complicated to handle, but we have protocols and a tiered hospital system within the universe. But we have to make sure people know about it; we have to make sure they have the resources to adequately respond and communicate it.”

 where she goes to get the latest information on rare diseases and infectious diseases in general. She said she goes to 

, “This is a free online information service about outbreaks that are reported globally,” Popescu said. She also reads 

, and the social media from those sources.

Popescu said that training teams on recognizing and handling rare diseases should be addressed at the highest level, such as for Ebola, because it requires a high level of infection control processes. “If you can train your teams and make them comfortable with those processes, comfortable with the protocols, the donning and doffing and knowing what to do, or at least where to find the resources. [Ebola] is a nice top to your level of readiness, that anything else will probably not be as burdensome because even when we look at novel respiratory pathogens like COVID-19, [which] is not the same level of PPE because Ebola is so infectious, that you have to be very, very careful, you have to have the designated donning and doffing rooms, and going in and out.”

She continued, “The PPE is very exhausting and hot. It's very time-consuming. So, I use Ebola as a gold standard for if we can do [follow those high-level processes]. And it involves so much in terms of engineering controls, cleaning, disinfection, waste management…PPE, just communication, everything, then everything else will just be either a little bit less or different in a way that [the team] will know what to do, essentially. I like using Ebola as a metric.”

Some individuals believe that just because a disease usually is only found in a foreign country, that doesn’t negate that HCWs should be prepared for any disease that shows up at their facility. “There's a sense of saying this disease isn't something we have seen in the US,” Popescu said. “But that doesn't mean we're not preparing for it is a better strategy because I don't want people to ever live in a state of fear. I also don't want us to ever be so complacent that we're not preparing ourselves.”

(Quotes have been edited for clarity. Watch the entire video for more of Popescu’s advice.)

Health care workers must stay vigilant against rare pathogens. Saskia v. Popescu, PhD, MPH, MA, FAPIC, an expert in infection prevention, emphasizes the importance of robust measures and preparedness.

Jill E. Holdsworth,  importance of prioritizing self-care and personal interests.

Balancing Act: Insights from an Infection Preventionist, Mother, and Volunteer

Juggling the demanding role of an infection preventionist, which can be both strenuous and stressful, while also managing a family requires maintaining mental balance. In an effort to understand how to navigate these challenges, 

) sought insights from someone experienced in this delicate balancing act.

Jill E. Holdsworth, MS, CIC, FAPIC, NREMT, CRCST, is the infection prevention manager at Emory University Hospital Midtown in Atlanta, Georgia. She is the Protective Barriers Committee cochair for the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) and the 2022 Certification Council Chairman at the Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA). She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). Holdsworth is also a certified emergency medical technician (EMT) and a volunteer EMT with the Emory Emergency Medical Service program in Atlanta. She is a wife and mother to 2 young boys.

During her chat with ICT, Holdsworth also discusses how important it is for her to spend time with her husband and children. “I also want to be able to spend time with them at home and working with [my boys] on their homework doing sixth-grade math, which is really hard. I didn’t know that I was going to survive fourth or fifth-grade math,” she laughs. “It's so different going home and being the mom again because the stuff that we deal with at work is really hard. But the elementary school math has been even harder than anything I do here. But something I learned during COVID-19 was [that] I was missing a lot of family time because we were fielding calls and pages all day long. And this became a 24/7 job for almost 3 years. I had to do a reset and realize what I needed to fuel my fire to fill my cup, and I didn't want to keep missing things with my family and with my kids.”

’s listeners the importance of prioritizing family and personal interests while managing a demanding career. She emphasizes the need for open communication with supervisors about personal priorities, encouraging working parents, including fathers, to advocate for family needs.

Amidst the challenges of balancing work and family, Holdsworth reiterates her commitment to self-care and rediscovering interests during the COVID-19 pandemic. She details her involvement with EMS services, expressing the fulfillment it brings despite the challenges of night shifts. Additionally, she volunteers for organizations like AAMI and APIC, contributing to her profession and finding joy in sharing knowledge with those around her and through her writing.

Jill E. Holdsworth, MS, CIC, FAPIC, NREMT, CRCST, prevention manager, discusses the challenges of balancing work, family, and volunteering, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing self-care and personal interests.

Balancing Act: Insights From an Infection Preventionist, Mother, and Volunteer

The Role of Hospital Beds in Clostridioides difficile Transmission: Insights from a Retrospective Study

), Lucy S. Witt, MD, the lead author, shared insights into her groundbreaking study on 

 transmission. She is an assistant professor of medicine and infectious diseases at the Emory University School of Medicine, a hospital epidemiologist at Emory Johns Creek Hospital, and the newest member of 

, titled "The role of the hospital bed in hospital-onset 

, a retrospective study with mediation analysis,” published in 

Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology

, investigates the significant role hospital beds play in 

 acquisition. Witt explains the study's methodology, findings, and the crucial interaction between beds and rooms. The exclusive interview sheds light on key insights for infection prevention personnel, emphasizing the importance of addressing various touchpoints and hand hygiene in health care environments to curb 

’s listeners the title and some background, how it came about, and what the findings were.

 So myself, along with colleagues at Emory, recently published a study on 

. We were looking at whether the bed itself was important to the transmission of 

 in a hospital because it's…been shown in multiple studies that being in a hospital room where a patient had previously had 

, likely puts subsequent patients at risk for acquisition as well. But exactly what part of the hospital room was playing a role hadn't been understood.

We used available technology at the time, which tracked the beds in our hospital, and each bed had 1 mattress, so we could tell you where that bed and that mattress were at any time and could follow those beds and mattresses and see how much of a role the actual bed played, as opposed to the room played in the acquisition of hospital-onset 

We employed a more complicated biostatistical analysis called mediation and interaction analysis, where we looked at the bed playing a role and the room playing a role. How much is the interaction between the bed and the room together playing a role? And how much do they play a role individually? What we really found is that both the beds in the room play a role in putting patients at risk for hospital-onset 

, but there is an interaction between them.

If you are in both a bed that held a patient who previously had 

 and a room that held a patient that previously had 

, it's really that interaction in the bed in the room is really important to future patients’ risk.

: What is the interaction? Is it because of where it's at? Is it not? Is it because it's not being cleaned properly?

 We don't know; our study did not do swabs of bedrails, light bulbs, light switches, or patient care equipment. So, I can't say for sure, but from prior studies looking at like [adenosine triphosphate] fluorescent markers on health care workers’ hands, there's probably some healthcare worker hands transmitting spores, maybe some inadequate cleaning, as well as interactions between the surfaces themselves. If the bed hits the wall, you know, does a little bit of spore get on the wall? It's complicated and not completely figured out yet. But anyone who works in health care can kind of imagine the different routes that contaminate a bed and a room and make it [riskier] to be in a contaminated bed and room.

: What do you want infection prevention personnel to learn from your study?

 My study, in conjunction with other studies, even looking at other infectious pathogens that are hospital-based problems, I'm thinking 

 that there's so much interaction between the health care environment and the patient that health care workers participate in that patients participate in, your patients are out of bed touching things, health care workers are in the room helping their patients, and that all of those touches are potential contaminations. And I think we, as a group, and we, like the infection prevention world, have been so focused on clean-in and clean-out. These hard stops are easy to see and track and intervene on. 

It's becoming more and more obvious that we need to make sure we're focusing on all the 5 moments that the [World Health Organization] has highlighted. When we're interacting with patients, make sure that hands are being cleaned every time you go from surface to body or body to a surface, not just focusing on clean-in, clean-out, [but] focusing on cleaning our hands during all interactions with patients and surfaces in their rooms. And really understanding what is a sterile site? What's a nonsterile site, and what's an in-between site, and then what's a dirty site? And [then] making sure that we wash our hands, use hand sanitizer, use gloves, use gowns at the appropriate place in our care of patients.

: What surprised you from the results of your study?

 I was surprised at how much the interaction between the room and the bed was important. At the beginning of the study, I thought that the bed itself was going to be of the utmost importance, and that was one of the reasons this was undertaken. It was right around the time that our health care system just happened to replace all the mattresses. There had been national reports given to the [Federal Drug Administration] that there had been leakage through mattress covers of human material, so not necessarily transmission of a pathogen through a mattress. But just this concept that we all assumed that mattress covers were impermeable, and it turns out they weren't. So, it was just a lucky coincidence that we happened to have replaced these new mattresses, and this concern for mattresses, and could track them.

Because of those reports about the seepage, I said, “I wonder if beds are really the important part.” And again, a lot of our patients are bed-bound; they might be soiling in their beds. It made sense to me that, okay, the bed could be the smoking gun for the transmission of 

. I was surprised at how important the room turned out to be. It reiterated to me again that it's the other surfaces in health care interactions [that] are super important. We need to be doing a good job of cleaning our hands and protecting cross-transmission from surfaces to patients and patients to surfaces.

: Do you have anything else you'd like to add?

we're seeing across the country. It's going to be interesting to see what effect this has on 

 is making us rethink what cleaning products should be the everyday cleaning products in our hospitals, how we should disinfect rooms, and how we prevent contamination. I suspect that that's going to have a further effect on 

 since some of the products overlap in terms of being able to kill 

, which some basic products [that] many hospitals used for disinfection and decontamination would not necessarily kill 

. So, I think it's going to be interesting to see what the future holds as we all ramp up to try to prevent further spread of 

A study led by Lucy S. Witt, MD, investigates hospital bed's role in C difficile transmission, emphasizing room interactions and infection prevention.

The Role of Hospital Beds in Clostridioides difficile Transmission: Insights From a Retrospective Study

A recent study from Chapel Hill, NC, shows some bloodstream infections are reduced by nearly 50% when trained nurse observers assist catheter insertion teams.

Reducing Bloodstream Infections by 47%: The Impact of Trained Nurse Observers in Catheter Insertion Teams

) suggests that creating a dedicated team of nurses to assist with central line insertions can significantly reduce the risk of patients developing bloodstream infections. The 

, authored by infection preventionists at UNC Health, shows that implementing a dedicated team led to a 47% reduction in the proportion of central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) occurring within 7 days of line placement among patients included in the program.

®) spoke with Shelley Summerlin-Long, MPH, MSW, BSN, RN, senior quality improvement leader, infection prevention, UNC Medical Center, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The team was launched in 2019 with 4.5 fulltime employees to cover 24-hour, 7-day-a-week clinical coverage.

The team’s “key finding was during the team's first 3 years [from] 2019 to 2022, we found that CLABSIs that were occurring during those first 6 days after central line insertions decreased by 47% in the areas within that team’s scope,” Summerlin said.

“They play an important role during the insertion process,” Summerlin continued. “They are there to [provide] support. The evidence-based guidelines for CLABSI prevention recommend having a second person, a trained health care provider in the room during central line insertions who is empowered to stop the procedure, if there are any breaches in aseptic technique and who is there to document on the checklist, and in general, support the provider who is inserting the central lines. Our central venous access device (CVAD) Liaison team is there to help set up the room to document on the checklist, again, to observe the aseptic technique, help the provider if there are any issues that come up, and then go get additional supplies if needed. And they're experts in this and able to guide that the provider and especially helpful for our learners, our residents.”

A recent study from Chapel Hill, NC, shows some bloodstream infections are reduced by nearly 50% when trained nurse observers assist catheter insertion teams.


Reducing CLABSIs by 47%: The Impact of Trained Nurse Observers in Catheter Insertion Teams

Overcoming challenges to eye device reprocessing

Issues related to the cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization of eye devices in health care settings are not a topic that arises often. However, in a 

, the process and quality improvement activity discussed in this study were designed to address that lack. By adhering to the manufacturer's instructions and established best practices, the study aimed to create a robust and sustainable system to enhance patient safety during eye-related medical procedures.

To learn more about the study, Katharine Hoffman, MPH, CIC, LSSGB, infection prevention community health program manager, JPS Health Network, Fort Worth, Texas, and lead investigator, and Lisa Waldowski, DNP, RN, CIC, executive director of infection prevention and control, Wellstar Health System Atlanta, Georgia, also on this study, spoke with 

“The intent of this [study] was to take a significant deep dive, look at any area of opportunity across the network,” Hoffman told ICT. “Much of this was identified from a mock survey and from previous awareness, with The Joint Commission highlighting concerns around ophthalmic and optometric devices, and putting that all together, and starting. Then, with infection prevention, we're very much investigators. You have to do that shoe leather work, as [Waldowski] likes to call it, and get in there, start asking questions, get to know the staff look for any other concerns, and see what you can find. And with each finding, follow it through and try and close the loop.”

 conducted with Hoffman and Waldowski in 2022. In this first segment of this interview, the investigators discuss the study spanning over 3 years and the challenges they faced related to unclear device instructions and the need for persistent communication with international manufacturers. The importance of addressing these issues in outpatient and inpatient settings became evident, highlighting the significance of scrutinizing AI device processing and promoting best practices.

The investigators emphasized the complexities of obtaining, understanding, and implementing device instructions. This endeavor was more intricate than expected, involving detailed device-specific instructions and necessitating clear communication with frontline staff to drive change.

The study used the Lean 6 Sigma methodology to conduct a thorough evaluation of the processing of noncritical, semicritical, and critical devices. The assessment followed a hierarchical approach, considering relevant laws, regulations, manufacturer guidelines, evidence-based recommendations, consensus documents, facility risk assessments, and established policies and procedures.

The efforts of Hoffman, Waldowski, and their team, in conjunction with the multidisciplinary approach, focused on the application of instructions for use and evidence-based practices, promoting sustainability and furthering the prevention of health care-associated infections and patient harm.

A recent American Journal of Infection Control study, led by Katharine Hoffman, MPH, CIC, LSSGB, and Lisa Waldowski, DNP, RN, CIC, applies Lean Six Sigma to improve eye device reprocessing. The research highlights the challenges, emphasizes adherence to manufacturer instructions, and promotes best practices for patient safety.

Overcoming Challenges to Eye Device Reprocessing: A 3-Year Study 

antibiotics and fungicides

Christopher Reid, PhD, biological and biomedical sciences professor at Bryant University, in Smithfield, Rhode Island, is a leading figure in drug-resistant bacteria and fungi research. His antibiotic and fungicide investigations show great potential for enhancing patient care. Reid and his students presented their groundbreaking research this summer at 2 events, including the 2023 Northeast Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society (NERM 2023) and the New England Glyco-Chemistry Meeting at Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts.

Reid's fungicide development collaboration with Brown University holds the key to combating 

 infections, particularly among vulnerable populations like newborns in NICUs. Reid's work is further supported by Bryant University's state-of-the-art laboratory facilities and extensive collaborative network in Rhode Island. During his conversation with 

), Reid spoke about his work with antibiotics and fungicides, what surprised him about his team’s findings, and the advice he would give to those who would like to go into infection prevention.

 about this current investigation: "At the moment, we have been focusing on we focus on gram-positive pathogens, but we saw that those are things that would be like bacterial pneumonia. [Also] we've been exploring and developing antibiotics for mycobacteria. So think of organisms that cause tuberculosis, as well as now exploring and trying to take our identified compound, and see if we can [see] if it works against organisms, such as 

 and other basic kinds of trying to aim for organisms targeting organisms that have some clinical indication of resistance problems.”

One aspect of this study that surprised Reid was “For antibacterial work probably the most surprising thing is, [that] we took a little bit different approach to targeting the bacteria and right so most people would be familiar with taking penicillins. Those halt bacterial growth by preventing the assembly of the bacterial skeleton, the cell wall. Our approach is a little bit different; instead of targeting how it is assembled, we work on targeting proteins and enzymes that are involved in breaking it down. Our compounds work by inhibiting enzymes that would normally make space for building out the cell wall, kind of like a home renovation. Right before you add a second story to your home, you must take out the old material before you can attach the new frame to the existing structure. This is kind of how these proteins work with them, when they don't function, it prevents the new material from being properly put into the cell wall and be able to withstand and take on the stress that the cell is experiencing.”

ICT speaks with Christopher Reid, PhD, a biological and biomedical Sciences professor, delving into his investigations on antibiotics and fungicides and how his team's investigations will "provide an extra tool in a clinician's" toolbox for treating bacterial fungal infections." 

Pioneering Antibiotics and Fungicides: An Interview With Christopher Reid

As Chair of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, for IDWeek 2023, Belinda Ostrowsky, MD, MPH, FIDSA, FSHEA, is busy during the duration of IDWeek meeting those who attended and those who presented. In fact, part of her “role, along with the rest of the planning committee, [was] to get wonderful people to come and speak for us” at IDWeek. In addition to her work for SHEA at IDWeek, she moderated several sessions. Outside of IDWeek, she is the clinical associate professor, at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

IDWeek 2023 was held in Boston, Massachusetts from October 11 to 15, 2023.

Despite her busy schedule, Ostrowsky found time to speak with 

) about her work at IDWeek and a hot topic at IDWeek, antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

 that one of the best things of IDWeek 2023 is that it is hybrid, both in-person and virtual. “It continues so that people can enjoy being here and seeing their colleagues. But if they can't [be in person], they can see all the sessions remotely. And, in fact, even if someone were to have a challenge and have a problem while here, they can watch it from their room.”

Concerning AMR, Ostrowsky said it is “highlighted in the program in many different areas. Coming out of COVID[-19], obviously, there have been some challenges that we may have lost some ground and health care-associated infections, it's more challenging for people to sort of come back and figure out where our baseline is. We have some talks that are going to give us a sense of where we are now coming, a few years out of COVID[-19]. We've definitely seen more challenges with pathogens, such as 

There were over 2000 posters at IDWeek 2023, and more than 200 presentations. Of those, more than 80 at least mentioned AMR. Ostrowsky mentions one in particular. “We also have some very cutting-edge and interesting sessions. There's a session [at IDWeek 2023] that was on antimicrobial resistance and the role of vaccines called ‘Hit Me with Your Best Shot: Improving Pre-Lung Transplant Vaccination Rates with Infectious Disease Evaluation],’ [presented by Gustavo Contreras, MD, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California]. That was really an eye-opening session because it talked about 4 different kinds of pathogens, and how vaccines may play a role.”

Ostrowsky explains why she mentions this presentation specifically. “I thought that was a great background that set the stage for antimicrobial resistance in the US and internationally. And then [the presenter] walked us through 4 bacterial and viral pathogens, [and] how vaccines could decrease antibiotic resistance and use. The two ways they underscored were 1, there might be resistant pathogens that are going to be treated. And the second would be, they potentially, hopefully, decrease antibiotic use in general. And so that would really decrease pressure for antibiotic resistance, and they went over some exciting data about some of our newer, anti-viral medications and vaccines for RSV, that I think are going to be exciting coming through.”

During the rest of the audio interview, Ostrowsky speaks on other interesting and important sessions.

(The quotes have been edited for clarity.)

Belinda Ostrowsky, MD, MPH, FIDSA, FSHEA, and SHEA Chair, highlights IDWeek 2023's hybrid format and discusses the critical topic of antimicrobial resistance, emphasizing the role of vaccines in reducing AMR.

HAIs

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