Long-Term Care

Recent CDC HICPAC revisions regarding SARS-CoV-2 control face criticism from the World Health Network and others due to alleged breaches in committee structure and erroneous infection control guidance, potentially impacting COVID-19 management and immunocompromised individuals in health care.

In this Hot Topics in IPC, Saskia v. Popescu, PhD, MPH, MA, CIC, FAPIC, discusses her concerns about COVID-19 and influenza for this winter, and mechanical ventilation and drug-resistant pathogens.

International Infection Prevention and Control Week highlights the importance of preventing infections in health care and other settings. Share this poem to help educate others about IPC.

A study of 28 nursing homes and nearly 29,000 residents reveals that universal decolonization significantly lowered infection-related hospitalizations, offering hope for improved healthcare outcomes.

A study in Maryland from June 2019 to December 2021 analyzed 140 Candida auris cases, revealing that patients often resided in disadvantaged neighborhoods with higher crowding, uninsured rates, and racial diversity. ICT speaks to the lead author.

Bug of the Month helps educate readers about existing and emerging pathogens of clinical importance in health care facilities today.

A recent conference highlights patient safety in health care and aims to reduce risks and harm to patients during medical care. It's a response to the growing complexity of health care systems and the resulting increase in patient harm.

Assisted living facilities face distinct challenges when it comes to infection prevention and control due to their unique nature.

In this installment of IPC Pros Helping Each Other, a long-term care infection preventionists in New Hampshire describes the IPC educational fair her facility organized for the rest of the staff. Michele M, director of nursing services, said, “[The educational fair] was a creative and interactive way to engage staff in infection control education.”

Choosing the correct disinfectant can be difficult. This expert explains how to select the proper one.

As an oversight agency for the Department of Health and Human Services, the Office of Inspector General is responsible for ensuring the safety and effectiveness of Medicare and Medicaid programs, with a huge priority being patient care. These toolkits provide additional guidance on how to avoid patient injury.

As more and more residents in long-term care facilities get Candida auris, infection preventionists must know how to prevent, prepare for, and control a C auris outbreak. An expert explains how.

The recent increase in drug-resistant strains of Candida auris, causing mortality at rates as high as 60%, raises questions regarding the spread of this pathogen as a health care-associated infection, cleaning/disinfecting protocol, and treatment via antifungal drugs.

An outbreak investigation in the American Journal of Infection Control reviews the infection control procedures implemented by an academic medical center in response to a patient's introduction of scabies to health care workers.

In this installment of IPC Pros Helping Each Other, how do IPs keep those in their facilities to remember essential infection control practices?

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today®’s highlights for the week ending June 4, 2023.

In the first of this new series, IPC Pros Helping Each Other: When is the right time to unmask in long-term care? One IP explains how she and her facility unmasked and what led to their decision.

Establishing a permanent system for monitoring the persistence and emergence of dangerous pathogens is necessary, especially COVID-19.

Maintaining proper hand hygiene is crucial in ensuring our safety and that of those around us and is rightly celebrated worldwide.

To control C auris, focus on using antibiotics and improving diagnostics. New treatments in development offer hope for better management. This is the fourth and final installment in CDC's interview with the ICT.

CDC warns about Candida auris spreading if health care workers don't take preventative measures in an interview with Infection Control Today.

To prevent the spread of C auris, the CDC recommends that IPs and environmental hygienists play a critical role. In this interview, the medical scientists clarify what specific actions they should take.

To ensure the accuracy of the information concerning Candida auris, Infection Control Today has spoken with 2 medical scientists from the CDC.

Bug of the Month helps educate readers about existing and emerging pathogens of clinical importance in health care facilities today.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today®’s highlights for the week ending February 10, 2023.