National Policy on HIV-Infected Healthcare Workers Questioned
WESTPORT, CT - According to an essay in the October Journal of the American Medical Association, the US policy requiring that healthcare workers inform patients of their hepatitis B virus (HBV) or HIV infection status should be changed.
The desire for change stems from the lack of transmission of the virus from healthcare workers to patients. Through July 1999, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have not documented a single case of HIV transmission from the 63 HIV-infected healthcare workers to any of their more than 22,000 patients. Moreover, apart from a single cluster of cases in 1992, no provider-to-patient case of HBV transmission has been documented in the United States. For more information visit www.hepatitis.com.
Beyond the Surface: Rethinking Environmental Hygiene Validation at Exchange25
June 30th 2025Environmental hygiene is about more than just shiny surfaces. At Exchange25, infection prevention experts urged the field to look deeper, rethink blame, and validate cleaning efforts across the entire care environment, not just EVS tasks.
A Controversial Reboot: New Vaccine Panel Faces Scrutiny, Support, and Sharp Divides
June 26th 2025As the newly appointed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met for the first time under sweeping changes by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the national spotlight turned to the panel’s legitimacy, vaccine guidance, and whether science or ideology would steer public health policy in a polarized era.
Getting Down and Dirty With PPE: Presentations at HSPA by Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski
June 26th 2025In the heart of the hospital, decontamination technicians tackle one of health care’s dirtiest—and most vital—jobs. At HSPA 2025, 6 packed workshops led by experts Jill Holdsworth and Katie Belski spotlighted the crucial, often-overlooked art of PPE removal. The message was clear: proper doffing saves lives, starting with your own.
