Success in Controlling Outbreaks in an ICU Using CDC Toolkit Interventions
Infections due to carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) are on the rise globally. On the CDC’s Safe Healthcare Blog, Dr. Kyle Enfield, assistant hospital epidemiologist and medical director of the Medical Intensive Care Unit at the University of Virginia Health System, describes how his team implemented infection control interventions to assess the prevalence of CRE and extensively drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in the unit. This set of interventions became recommended practice in the CDC’s 2012 Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae Toolkit.
As a result, the CRE incidence came down to 0.1 percent of patient days and drug-resistant A. baumannii was eliminated in the unit. These findings were published in the July 2014 issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.
Has your facility implemented the CRE Toolkit? Let the CDC know by posting a comment on the Safe Healthcare Blog.
Endoscopes and Lumened Instruments: New Studies Highlight Persistent Contamination Risks
May 7th 2025Two new studies reveal troubling contamination in both new endoscopes and cleaned lumened surgical instruments, challenging the reliability of current reprocessing practices and manufacturer guidelines.
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.
