CDC Answers Questions About Infections During Chemotherapy
Each year nearly 650,000 patients receive chemotherapy in outpatient oncology clinics in the United States. Despite advances in care, infections remain a major cause of hospitalization and death among cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. In fact, more than 60,000 cancer patients are hospitalized each year due to infection.
This week, CDC physician Lisa Richardson, MD, MPH, joined the line-up of CDC experts answering health questions and contributing content to WebMD Answers, an online forum where readers can type in health questions and receive answers from experts, organizations, and other members.
Richardson will be answering questions from WebMD readers about preventing infections during chemotherapy.
As part of CDC’s Preventing Infections in Cancer Patients Program, the following resources were created:
• Website for cancer patients and caregivers: PreventCancerInfections.org.
• Educational materials for patients, caregivers, and doctors including posters, brochures, and videos.
• The Basic Infection Control and Prevention Plan for Outpatient Oncology Settings that can be tailored to a clinic's needs.
Source: CDC
CDC Urges Vigilance: New Recommendations for Monitoring and Testing H5N1 Exposures
July 11th 2025With avian influenza A(H5N1) infections surfacing in both animals and humans, the CDC has issued updated guidance calling for aggressive monitoring and targeted testing to contain the virus and protect public health.
IP LifeLine: Layoffs and the Evolving Job Market Landscape for Infection Preventionists
July 11th 2025Infection preventionists, once hailed as indispensable during the pandemic, now face a sobering reality: budget pressures, hiring freezes, and layoffs are reshaping the field, leaving many IPs worried about their future and questioning their value within health care organizations.
A Helping Hand: Innovative Approaches to Expanding Hand Hygiene Programs in Acute Care Settings
July 9th 2025Who knew candy, UV lights, and a college kid in scrubs could double hand hygiene adherence? A Pennsylvania hospital’s creative shake-up of its infection prevention program shows that sometimes it takes more than soap to get hands clean—and keep them that way.
