Marked Geographic Variation of CRE in Tennessee and Implications for Prevention
On CDC's Safe Healthcare blog, Marion Kainer, MD, MPH, FRACP, FSHEA, director of the healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance program at the Tennessee Department of Health, discusses the geographic variation of Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) in the state of Tennessee and the implications for prevention. The post kicks off a three-part series related to CDC’s August 2015 Vital Signs: Making Health Care Safer: Stop Spread of Antibiotic Resistance.
The Vital Signs report includes mathematical modeling that projects increases in drug-resistant infections and Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) without immediate, nationwide improvements in infection control and antibiotic prescribing. While the coordinated approach this Vital Signs report describes is a forward-looking approach, some states are already implementing the response in a variety of different ways. This three-part blog series will spotlight the current efforts in Tennessee, Illinois and Wisconsin. Learn more and join the conversation at: http://blogs.cdc.gov/safehealthcare/?p=4572. Stay tuned for parts 2 and 3 of the blog series on Aug. 12 and 13.
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.
Happy Hand Hygiene Day! Rethinking Glove Use for Safer, Cleaner, and More Ethical Health Care
May 5th 2025Despite their protective role, gloves are often misused in health care settings—undermining hand hygiene, risking patient safety, and worsening environmental impact. Alexandra Peters, PhD, points out that this misuse deserves urgent attention, especially today, World Hand Hygiene Day.
