Treating Shingles After It Appears Doesn't Reduce Increased Stroke Risk
Stroke risk increased significantly in the days, weeks and months after shingles appeared, despite use of the shingles vaccine and antiviral therapy to treat it, according to preliminary research to be presented in Honolulu at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2019, a world premier meeting for researchers and clinicians dedicated to the science and treatment of cerebrovascular disease.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) researchers studied more than 35,000 Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries who had been diagnosed with shingles, also known as herpes zoster, and acute ischemic stroke between 2007 and 2015. They analyzed whether having the shingles vaccine, Zostavax, as a treatment, antiviral therapy or both after shingles would impact patients' stroke risk. They found that stroke incidence jumped by 61 percent within 14 days after shingles onset. The increased stroke risk remained elevated six months after shingles but diminished with time.
Researchers didn't find any evidence that having the vaccine or taking antiviral therapy once shingles appeared helped to reduce the increased stroke risk. But the researchers suggest having the shingles vaccine might be the most effective way to prevent shingles-associated stroke risk.
Shingles is an often painful rash caused by the virus that causes chicken pox. Almost 1 in 3 people in the United State will develop shingles in their lifetime, according to CDC. The American Heart Association recommends adults over age 50 get the shingles vaccine. The new vaccine, Shingrix, approved by FDA in 2017 has shown to be more than 90 percent effective at preventing shingles. In this study, researchers examined the effect of the Zostavax shingles vaccine because Medicare data was not yet available for the Shingrix shingles vaccine. Zostavax efficacy declines over time and protection from shingles only lasts about 5 years with Zostavax.
Source: American Heart Association
Building Infection Prevention Capacity in the Middle East: A 7-Year Certification Success Story
June 17th 2025Despite rapid development, the Middle East faces a critical shortage of certified infection preventionists. A 7-year regional initiative has significantly boosted infection control capacity, increasing the number of certified professionals and elevating patient safety standards across health care settings.
Streamlined IFU Access Boosts Infection Control and Staff Efficiency
June 17th 2025A hospital-wide quality improvement project has transformed how staff access critical manufacturer instructions for use (IFUs), improving infection prevention compliance and saving time through a standardized, user-friendly digital system supported by unit-based training and interdepartmental collaboration.
Swift Isolation Protocol Shields Chicago Children’s Hospital During 2024 Measles Surge
June 17th 2025When Chicago logged its first measles cases linked to crowded migrant shelters last spring, one pediatric hospital moved in hours—not days—to prevent the virus from crossing its threshold. Their playbook offers a ready template for the next communicable-disease crisis.
Back to Basics: Hospital Restores Catheter-Associated UTI Rates to Prepandemic Baseline
June 16th 2025A 758-bed quaternary medical center slashed catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) by 45% over 2 years, proving that disciplined adherence to fundamental prevention steps, not expensive add-ons, can reverse the pandemic-era spike in device-related harm.
Global Patients, Local Risks: Why Medical Tourism Demands Infection Preventionists’ Attention
June 16th 2025At APIC25, infection prevention leader Heather Stoltzfus, MPH, RN, CIC, will spotlight the growing risks and overlooked responsibilities associated with medical tourism. Her session urges infection preventionists to engage with a global health trend that directly impacts US care settings.
