Weekly Rounds: Contaminated Endoscopes and In-Use Buckets Threaten Patient Safety and More
Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending April 8.
Here are 5 highlights from ICT®’s wide-ranging coverage of the infection prevention and control world. Everything from interviews with known opinion leaders, to the news that infection preventionists and other health care professionals can use on their jobs.
1. Despite Safety Alerts, Contaminated Flexible Endoscopes Continue to Put Patients at Risk.
From 2014 to 2021, continued FDA reports of multidrug-resistant bacteria contaminating 6 types of endoscopes have had fatal consequences.
2. The FDA Issues Urgent Warning About Karl Storz Endoscopes Reprocessing Methods
The letter comes after a year of reprocessing validation testing and a voluntary medical device recall.
3. In-Use Disinfectant Bucket Identified as Source of Contamination in Hospital
The contamination was found during another study that involved culturing surfaces before and after routine daily cleaning/disinfection.
4. Viewpoint: New UK Data Show BA.2 Variant Produces More Frequent Hospitalizations Than Omicron
Evidence shows the BA.2 variant is more infectious and virulent than the Omicron variant.
5. Higher Flu Vaccination Rates for Home Health Care Workers Improves Patient Outcomes
A recent study's results also could indicate how other vaccinations, including COVID-19 and pneumonia, affect patients.
“A Coup Against Science”: Health Groups Decry Kennedy’s Firing of National Vaccine Advisory Panel
June 12th 2025Health leaders are outraged after HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. abruptly fired all 17 members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel, calling it a political purge that threatens public trust and vaccine safety.
AHE Exchange Summit 2025 Brings EVS and Infection Prevention Experts Together in Columbus, Ohio
June 9th 2025The Association for the Health Care Environment (AHE) is set to host its largest event of the year—Exchange Summit 2025—from June 8 to 11 in Columbus, Ohio. With over 600 environmental services (EVS) professionals expected to attend, this year’s conference focuses heavily on infection prevention, interdepartmental collaboration, and education that empowers frontline health care support leaders to improve patient safety and operational efficiency.
