Year in Review: Pathogens

The abrupt disbanding of HICPAC silences decades of infection control expertise, leaving health care workers without unified guidance as deadly threats to patient safety rise.

Two new studies reveal troubling contamination in both new endoscopes and cleaned lumened surgical instruments, challenging the reliability of current reprocessing practices and manufacturer guidelines.

The proposed elimination of ASPR’s Hospital Preparedness Program in the 2026 federal budget could dismantle essential emergency readiness infrastructure and jeopardize national health care safety.

Despite 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.

Infection preventionists face relentless demands, but true resilience begins when they replace self-judgment with grace, processing emotions with acceptance and compassion—not perfection.