Operating Room

Peptilogics' PLG0206 represents a breakthrough innovation in infectious disease. First drug designed specifically to penetrate and kill biofilm-protected bacteria. RETAIN Phase 2/3 trial now enrolling patients with prosthetic joint infection. The previous phase showed 93% infection-free rate. It could revolutionize the treatment of medical device-related infections.

A new human factors study reveals the hidden complexity behind sterile processing. Research from the Medical University of South Carolina shows how sterile processing, operating rooms, and courier networks function as one interconnected system. Understanding “work as done” rather than “work as imagined” may be key to improving surgical safety and supporting frontline staff.

Over 50% of surgeries experience delays that increase the risk of infection. Tampa General's ambient AI reduced OR turnover times by 12%, preventing dangerous complications and enabling more than 832 additional cases annually. Real-time data transforms surgical safety and efficiency.

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.

When operating room delays and tray errors threatened efficiency, leaders at New York Presbyterian built a collaborative bridge with central sterile processing. Through shared metrics, workflow exchanges, and improved communication, first-case-on-time starts climbed from the 50 to nearly 90%.

The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) Global Surgical Conference & Expo 2026 is coming up soon. It will be held in New Orleans, Louisiana, from April 11 to 14. To give a taste of what will be available, Infection Control Today® is publishing the as-yet unposted interviews from 2025. This interview is on a poster titled “Advocacy Reduces Infection Related to Anastomotic Leaks and Incidental Lacerations.”

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.

In this complete interview with Colleen Becker, PhD, MSN, RN, CCRN-K, senior director of perioperative education for AORN, strong infection prevention practices are grounded in trust, communication, and psychological safety within the operating room team.

Continuous, evidence-based education builds confidence, competence, and safer perioperative care. Colleen Becker, PhD, MSN, RN, CCRN-K, senior director of perioperative education for AORN, explains how inclusive learning approaches and career-long education reinforce infection prevention excellence while supporting professional growth and resilience.

Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) are increasing nationwide, with harder-to-treat NDM strains reshaping the resistance landscape. In this Q&A, Lucas Schulz, PharmD, explains why rapid diagnostics and stewardship are critical to protecting patients and preserving last-line antibiotics.

What if sterile gloves are not always the safest or smartest choice? Evidence from dermatologic surgery suggests nonsterile gloves can deliver comparable infection outcomes in low-risk procedures while saving tens of thousands of dollars annually. This analysis asks whether hair restoration surgery deserves the same evidence-based reexamination.

As 2026 begins, Infection Control Today®'s Editorial Advisory Board reflects on a challenging year shaped by misinformation, policy uncertainty, and relentless change, reaffirming a commitment to science, truth, and supporting IPC professionals who keep showing up for patients and public health.

Are you curious what the Top 5 Infection Control Today interviews were in 2025? Read this article to find out.

Look back with ICT at their print issues and look ahead at what ICT's 30th year will hold!

To celebrate and thank the infection prevention community, Infection Control Today® introduces The Merry Microbe, a festive holiday games booklet filled with quizzes, puzzles, and crosswords designed to educate, engage, and bring a little joy to the vital work of keeping health care environments safe.

ICT’s top articles of 2025 spanned essential glove-use standards, CDC guidance on H5N1 monitoring, AI-driven infection prevention in operating rooms, advanced influenza surveillance for public health reporting, and APIC’s warning on communication restrictions that threaten outbreak response. Together, they highlight the evolving, high-stakes role of infection prevention in safeguarding health care and communities.

Thank you, IPC professionals, from Infection Control Today!

Sterile technique, specialized training, patient safety—Certified Surgical Technologists do it all. Learn how their role is evolving in today’s high-tech operating room.

From ultrasound gel safety to high-level disinfection, The Joint Commission’s 2025 surveys are zeroing in on infection prevention hot spots. Are your teams ready?

Check out the latest print edition of Infection Control Today: September/October 2025.

Here are the formal rules for the 2024 Winner of the Infection Control Today’s Educator of the Year Award™.

How can health care facilities and health providers implement point-of-use (POU) instrument care? Here’s a closer look at the entire process, the principles guiding its implementation, and the potential barriers to implementing point-of-use instrument care.

VIM-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa isn’t just surviving in ICUs; it’s thriving. With mortality rates exceeding 30%, colonization risks hiding in drains, devices, and even donor milk, IPs must take proactive steps to outsmart this pathogen. Now is the time to double down on environmental controls, risk factor recognition, and surveillance strategies. Let’s break the biofilm cycle before the next outbreak takes root.

Sharps safety isn’t just an operating room issue—it’s a system-wide concern that demands stronger policies, consistent reporting, and cross-departmental collaboration to truly protect health care workers.

Despite decades of progress in health care safety, a quiet but dangerous culture still lingers: many health care workers remain afraid to report sharps injuries, fearing blame more than the wound itself.