Weekly Rounds: SPD Staffing Crisis, Inside Track: Hand Hygiene, and More
Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today®’s highlights for the week ending April 30, 2023.
Weekly Rounds with Infection Control Today.
Here are 5 highlights from Infection Control Today®'s (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.
Hospital Safety Climate and Organizational Characteristics Predict HAIs and Occupational Health Outcomes According to Study
Findings provide the first published evidence of the relationship between standard precaution adherence and the safety of health care workers and patients.
Preventing Increases in HAIs and Burnout During the COVID-19 Pandemic
A study published in AJIC describes how one health care system implanted an initiative by their IPs to prevent the health care-acquired infections when COVID-19 loomed over their work.
Inside Track With Infection Control Today: Hand Hygiene
Welcome to the Inside Track with Infection Control Today video series, an ongoing series of informational and how-to videos on infection control and prevention topics. This video is about hand washing (soap and water) and hand rubbing (alcohol-based hand rub).
Carbapenem-Resistant Infections: How Do Genetic Elements Affect Transmission?
In the infections the investigators examined, about 60% of the bacteria that cause these infections did have a carbapenemase gene. Did they find a mortality difference in those infections which did and didn’t?
Curing the Sterile Processing Department Staffing Crisis
What are the issues if sterile processing departments (SPDs) can't hire more qualified personnel?
Hot Topics in IPC: STI Antibiotic Plans, Marburg, COVID-19, and Medicine's Rat Problem
Saskia v. Popescu, PhD, MPH, MA, CIC, gives the latest on COVID-19, Marburg Virus Disease, and a 1-hit STI antibiotic plan.
Newsletter
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Reducing Hidden Risks: Why Sharps Injuries Still Go Unreported
July 18th 2025Despite being a well-known occupational hazard, sharps injuries continue to occur in health care facilities and are often underreported, underestimated, and inadequately addressed. A recent interview with sharps safety advocate Amanda Heitman, BSN, RN, CNOR, a perioperative educational consultant, reveals why change is overdue and what new tools and guidance can help.
New Study Explores Oral Vancomycin to Prevent C difficile Recurrence, But Questions Remain
July 17th 2025A new clinical trial explores the use of low-dose oral vancomycin to prevent Clostridioides difficile recurrence in high-risk patients taking antibiotics. While the data suggest a possible benefit, the findings stop short of statistical significance and raise red flags about vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), underscoring the delicate balance between prevention and antimicrobial stewardship.
What Lies Beneath: Why Borescopes Are Essential for Verifying Surgical Instrument Cleanliness
July 16th 2025Despite their smooth, polished exteriors, surgical instruments often harbor dangerous contaminants deep inside their lumens. At the HSPA25 and APIC25 conferences, Cori L. Ofstead, MSPH, and her colleagues revealed why borescopes are an indispensable tool for sterile processing teams, offering the only reliable way to verify internal cleanliness and improve sterile processing effectiveness to prevent patient harm.
The Next Frontier in Infection Control: AI-Driven Operating Rooms
Published: July 15th 2025 | Updated: July 15th 2025Discover how AI-powered sensors, smart surveillance, and advanced analytics are revolutionizing infection prevention in the OR. Herman DeBoard, PhD, discusses how these technologies safeguard sterile fields, reduce SSIs, and help hospitals balance operational efficiency with patient safety.
Targeting Uncertainty: Why Pregnancy May Be the Best Time to Build Vaccine Confidence
July 15th 2025New national survey data reveal high uncertainty among pregnant individuals—especially first-time parents—about vaccinating their future children, underscoring the value of proactive engagement to strengthen infection prevention.
