The Bug of the Month helps educate readers about existing and emerging pathogens that are clinically important in today's health care facilities.

Infection control nurse Eddie Jay LeCastillo, MSN, RN, CNL, CRRN, CIC, LTC-CIP, found his calling during the pandemic, transforming policy work into a mission to strengthen hospital safety through clarity, engagement, and preparedness.

As climate change accelerates, health care’s environmental impact faces increased scrutiny, with sterile processing departments (SPDs) emerging as key change agents. Often behind the scenes, SPD professionals can lead sustainability by turning routine practices into ecofriendly protocols that protect both patient and planetary health.

At APIC 2025, Metrex Research marked a major milestone—4 decades of partnering with infection preventionists. Infection Control Today caught up with Senior Marketing Manager Cheryl Collins, MPH, and clinical advisor Sharon Ward-Fore, MS, MT(ASCP), CIC, FAPIC, to talk legacy, innovation, and why supporting IPs will always be at the heart of what Metrex does best.

Unauthorized UVC disinfection devices are quietly entering hospitals, bypassing FDA clearance and basic safety standards, putting patient safety and institutional compliance at serious risk.

As the FDA limits COVID-19 vaccine approvals to high-risk groups, healthy adults and pregnant individuals are being left behind. Learn how these changes could impact insurance coverage, long COVID prevention, and public health strategies.

The FDA’s new mandate requiring clearance for UVC disinfection devices is reshaping the infection prevention landscape, ensuring only proven, science-backed technologies are used to protect patients.

The HHS has launched a $100 million pilot program to eliminate hepatitis C in high-risk populations, an effort that infection prevention professionals can help shape by extending control strategies beyond hospital walls and into underserved communities.

Sharps injuries remain a silent but serious threat in health care that infection preventionists are uniquely equipped to confront. With underreporting widespread and safety devices underused, it’s time for IPs to step into a leadership role, using their expertise in systems thinking, education, and policy to build a culture where staff protection is as prioritized as patient care.

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.

Sterile processing departments are facing a new standard: clean is not clean unless you can see it. At HSPA 2025, experts emphasized that updated IFUs and borescope inspections must be built into routine workflows, not as extra tasks, but as core components of quality control and infection prevention.

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.

At the 2025 HSPA Annual Conference & Expo, Cori L. Ofstead, MSPH, highlighted critical flaws in manufacturers’ instructions for use (IFUs) for orthopedic and neurosurgical instruments. From contradictory directions to unrealistic cleaning expectations, these IFUs often fail under real-world conditions, jeopardizing both patient safety and sterile processing workflows.

Sharps safety in health care isn’t just about knowing the rules—it’s about changing the culture. In a recent interview with Infection Control Today®, perioperative educator Amanda Heitman shares how fostering a supportive, informed environment can turn safety standards into daily practice.

In a decision heavy with consequence and light on foresight, the US has once again chosen to walk away from UNESCO, leaving behind not just a seat at the table, but a legacy of global scientific leadership that now lies in question.

From unsterilized surgical tools in Colorado to a years-long methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) outbreak in Virginia and a surging measles crisis in Canada, recent headlines reveal the fragile front lines of infection prevention and the high stakes when systems fail.

In an era defined by digital transformation and post-pandemic urgency, telemedicine has evolved beyond virtual visits to become a vital infrastructure for delivering personal protective equipment (PPE) and managing sterile supplies. By enabling real-time forecasting, remote quality control, and equitable distribution, telemedicine is revolutionizing how health care systems protect both patients and providers.

Amanda Heitman, BSN, RN, CNOR, a perioperative nurse with over 20 years' experience and member of Infection Control Today® Editorial Advisory Board, has dedicated her career to patient safety and surgical excellence. Learn more about her path to where she is now.

Sharps safety in health care goes far beyond personal protective equipment. Amanda Heitman outlines a layered strategy of training, communication, and device innovation aimed at reducing needlestick injuries in even the busiest clinical environments.

Despite being a well-known occupational hazard, sharps injuries continue to occur in health care facilities and are often underreported, underestimated, and inadequately addressed. A recent interview with sharps safety advocate Amanda Heitman, BSN, RN, CNOR, a perioperative educational consultant, reveals why change is overdue and what new tools and guidance can help.

A new clinical trial explores the use of low-dose oral vancomycin to prevent Clostridioides difficile recurrence in high-risk patients taking antibiotics. While the data suggest a possible benefit, the findings stop short of statistical significance and raise red flags about vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), underscoring the delicate balance between prevention and antimicrobial stewardship.

Despite their smooth, polished exteriors, surgical instruments often harbor dangerous contaminants deep inside their lumens. At the HSPA25 and APIC25 conferences, Cori L. Ofstead, MSPH, and her colleagues revealed why borescopes are an indispensable tool for sterile processing teams, offering the only reliable way to verify internal cleanliness and improve sterile processing effectiveness to prevent patient harm.

APIC’s updated guide shifts the focus from CLABSIs to all catheter-associated bloodstream infections, offering infection preventionists a comprehensive approach to reducing bacteremia and enhancing patient safety.

Discover how AI-powered sensors, smart surveillance, and advanced analytics are revolutionizing infection prevention in the OR. Herman DeBoard, PhD, discusses how these technologies safeguard sterile fields, reduce SSIs, and help hospitals balance operational efficiency with patient safety.

New national survey data reveal high uncertainty among pregnant individuals—especially first-time parents—about vaccinating their future children, underscoring the value of proactive engagement to strengthen infection prevention.