Editor's Note Patients in Maryland hospitals on mechanical ventilators were exposed to two dangerous pathogens, which are becoming growing threats in hospital systems, according to a new report published on October 12 by JAMA Network. The report analyzed survey data from 51 participating healthcare facilities. The data included 482 patients…
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of proper disinfection to manage and contain the spread of the disease. During the pandemic, ultraviolet (UV) disinfection technology played an important role in safeguarding public health and combatting COVID-19. Various uses of UV technology have become available on the market and can be…
Editor's Note Researchers for a long time have expressed concern about how time and temperature might contribute to changes that affect the cleaning and sterilization of instruments. However, there have been few studies examining these claims. A September 2023 study in Biomedical Instrumentation and Technology from the Association for the…
Editor’s Note The OR Manager Conference commenced this week with a variety of pre-conference events, including an experimental educational offsite tour to TriStar Centennial Medical Center and the Vanderbilt Case Cart Operations Center in Nashville, TN. The first tour featured the newly-renovated TriStar Centennial Medical Center Advanced Joint Replacement Institute,…
Editor's Note Recent research delved into the connection between the transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the anesthesia work area and the occurrence of surgical site infections (SSIs), Anesthesiology News July 19 reports. While it was previously recognized that reducing microbial transmission through the anesthesia work area is crucial for preventing…
Editor's Note This study from Trinity Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, compares prepandemic surgical site infection (SSI) rates before reusing personal protective equipment (PPE), to pandemic SSI rates after reusing PPE in trauma surgical patients. A total of 48,987 patients were included in the analysis, with half in the postpandemic group.…
Using sterile items in surgery is a fundamental practice, not a rudimentary one that can or should be taken for granted. Put simply, using unsterile items can result in a patient infection. If sterile storage conditions are not appropriate, the items can become contaminated. Such contamination may go undetected, rendering…
Editor's Note This study from the Falls Church, Virginia-based Inova Health System finds that an alternative work schedule improved work-life balance, productivity, and morale of its infection preventionists (IPs). With the surges and threats of emerging infectious diseases, the Inova Health System was dealing with a shortage of IPs and…
Editor's Note In a June 27 letter, the American Hospital Association (AHA) urged the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “to avoid disrupting healthcare delivery through the unintentional fracturing” of the medical device supply chain with its proposed ethylene oxide (EtO) standards. The EPA proposes: reducing EtO emissions by 80% adding new…
Editor's Note As staffing remains a top point of concern for healthcare leaders, OhioHealth, Columbus, Ohio, and Columbus State Community College, announced a partnership to invest $120 million into training healthcare professionals in five fields on June 27. The joint venture will double the number of students in nursing, surgical…