Prevention

Infection preventionists and the equipment and cleansers they use gained a spotlight during the COVID-19 pandemic. These include both established and innovative materials.

How do the veteran and the novice infection preventionists work together in the present climate? What do they think are their strengths and their differences as they combine their knowledge in the health care field? Infection Control Today® asked a veteran and a novice to find out.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending May 27.

Device-associated HAIs were likely impacted by the continued alteration of hospital practices that occurred throughout the pandemic.

To reduce the risk of surgical-site infection, utilize evidence-based interventions and give feedback to clinicians on bacterial transmission using Staphylococcus aureus as a marker.

The bugs are winning, but only because we are letting them.

Regardless of vaccination status, health care workers were protected with daily and regular hydrogen peroxide antisepsis.

However, respiratory HAVIs continued to be reported, despite elevated prevention practices, leaving young, susceptible patients threatened.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending May 20.

Despite various techniques that health care facilities use to facilitate 100% hand hygiene compliance from their health care workers, barriers still must be overcome.

A comprehensive look at whether mask wearing is beneficial for both SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses spread by airborne particles and respiratory droplets.

A new comprehensive article lays out best practice guidelines for 14 areas of infection prevention and control.

Children 5 to 11 years old now can receive a booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

Infection preventionists in both the home health care and acute care settings need to communicate and collaborate with each other for the best outcome for the patient.

New study describes the case report and gives guidelines on how to prevent infection in the home.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending May 13.

Swiss hospital developed and implemented “Clean Hands,” and the results are significant over paper data collection.

Sterile processing of robotic surgery instruments and other complex instruments require complex methods.

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

PDI’s director of clinical affairs speaks with ICT® about the annual focus on the most fundamental way to protect patients and health care workers alike.

Candida auris environmental contamination is unlikely to be adequately controlled because re-contamination occurs within hours after disinfection.

A patient has a higher risk of infection of C difficile in a hospital bed that previously held a patient who also had C difficile.

Time, staff, and budget constraints make it difficult to expand HAI mitigation programs despite the obvious and urgent need to do so.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending April 29.

Terra Kremer, the senior program manager of microbiological quality and sterility assurance at Johnson & Johnson, and technical lead of the Device Processing Tiger Team, spoke with ICT® about her research on time and efficiency of sterile processing and what is most affecting the industry today.

The HSPA 2022 presentation focused on sharing new and future sterilization standards updates.

Total dissolved solids, pH levels, and iron levels are only a few components that must be considered.

Jill Holdsworth, CIC, FAPIC, NREMT, CRCST, manager of infection prevention at Emory University Hospital Midtown, joins ICT® to discuss the implications of her research, as well as other guidance for building an optimal relationship between infection prevention and the sterile processing department.

It starts with always asking “why” and with volunteering to research “the way it’s always been done."

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending April 15.