Prevention

Infection preventionists focus on patient safety. Reducing CLABSIs requires meticulous care for all vascular access points, not just central lines, to prevent bloodstream infections.

Nurse practitioner (NP) and Physician Assistant (PA)-led practices offer autonomy, flexible schedules, and smaller patient loads, which could help mitigate burnout while reducing pressure on traditional healthcare systems and improving infection prevention.

Clear interdepartmental communication is essential for infection prevention in health care settings, minimizing risk, improving safety, and ensuring effective control during patient transfers across departments.

NV-HAP significantly contributes to increased sepsis, mortality, and length of stay, negatively affecting hospital metrics, finances, and patient outcomes, underscoring the importance of targeted prevention strategies.

Isolation rooms are essential for infection control in health care, relying on specialized design, advanced cleaning protocols, and technology to prevent cross-contamination and safeguard patient safety.

Immunocompromised patients face heightened risks during medical visits. To ensure safer health care appointments, prepare by understanding COVID-19 transmission, masking, ventilation, and exposure.

Clean Hospitals Day 2024 emphasizes health care environmental hygiene, recognizing environmental service workers' efforts across 6 technical domains, enhancing global patient safety and infection prevention.

Clean Hospitals promotes global healthcare environmental hygiene, reducing infections and antimicrobial resistance. Join the movement to improve patient safety and staff protection through Clean Hospitals Day.

Health care linens are critical yet overlooked infection risks. Ensure proactive management by auditing laundering processes to prevent contamination and safeguard patient health across care settings. Read this article by Alexander Sundermann, DrPH, CIC, FAPIC.

IPC personnel, please familiarize yourselves with the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which spreads Zika, dengue, and chikungunya viruses and affects nearly all continents.

Meet the experts shaping infection prevention: Infection Control Today's Editorial Board members share insights, experiences, and cutting-edge strategies to enhance health care safety and quality. Meet Rebecca Leach, MPH, BSN, RN, CIC.

The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) Chapters are a wealth of education, camaraderie, and networking. Read more about them.

Sterilizing modern surgical instruments is challenging due to their complexity, increased size, and varied materials. Low-temperature methods are crucial, but overloading and rapid turnarounds heighten sterilization failure risks.

Facilitating communication between nursing and environmental services (EVS) staff is essential to overcome staffing challenges and align expectations, ensuring a shared goal of patient safety.

Infection Control Today gathers gift ideas that infection control personnel can use to enhance their lives. This issue is for the autumn 2024 season

A new survey finds that 61% of infectious disease professionals identify mosquito-borne viruses, like dengue and Zika, as the greatest threat posed by climate change, demanding global action.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a highly virulent pathogen, poses significant risks to immunocompromised patients, presenting challenges in treatment due to its antibiotic resistance and environmental persistence.

A recent study explores individual, organizational, and environmental factors influencing home care providers' adherence to facial protective equipment (FPE) to improve future pandemic preparedness.

Alesia McKeown, PhD, discusses the pivotal role of cutting-edge diagnostic technologies in enhancing infection prevention, especially in high-risk health care environments, during an interview with Infection Control Today.

On Get Ready for Flu Day, Dr. Aparna Ahuja discusses the importance of accurate respiratory illness testing, the risks of self-diagnosis, and the role of infection prevention personnel in public health education.

Hospital-associated infections affect over 1 million US patients annually. Proper medical equipment cleaning and sterilization significantly reduce infection risks, improving patient outcomes and safety.

Sean Brown’s 2024 Disease Prevention Summit presentation emphasized leveraging technology, prioritizing high-risk patients, and environmental surveillance to enhance infection prevention and control strategies.

In 2023, the CDC released Sepsis Core Elements to improve sepsis recognition, management, and patient recovery. A recent survey shows increases in U.S. hospitals with sepsis committees, dedicated program time, and Antibiotic Stewardship Program involvement.

A presentation at the Disease Prevention and Control Summit in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, spoke about the rising threat of Candida auris.

Learn about the new Recertification option for the a-IPC certification, and the APIC's Emerging Infectious Diseases Task Force, and the Mpox Playbook.

This week's Pathogen Pulse highlights: Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus (EEEV), Boar's Head products recall due to listeria contamination, and mpox cases on the rise in Africa.

Read today's updates on COVID-19 and Mpox vaccines and a study released today on doubling syphilis detection in the emergency department.

As influenza and COVID-19 circulate in long-term care facilities, prompt testing, isolation precautions, and antiviral treatments are crucial for preventing outbreaks and protecting vulnerable residents.

Infection control policies significantly impact laboratory billing, from coding and documentation to reimbursement rates. Labs must adapt to remain compliant, streamline billing, and ensure accurate compensation.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending September 6, 2024.