Tag: Infection Prevention

Hospital support staff cuts raise risk of infection, delays in care

Editor's Note Although health system layoffs so far involve mostly non-clinical staff, the cuts nonetheless threaten both hospital operations and patient safety, according to a May 21 article in Modern Healthcare. As detailed in the article, thousands of nonclinical workers—such as those working in nutrition, janitorial, and sterile processing—have been…

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By: Matt Danford
May 21, 2025
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Airborne bacteria pose hidden threat in cardiac ORs, study warns

Editor's Note Air quality in cardiac ORs may be a silent driver of surgical site infections (SSIs), with airborne contamination linked to significantly elevated infection risk and mortality—especially when ventilation is suboptimal. A newly published study covered by Medical Dialogues May 19 reveals that one-third of bacteria in cardiac procedures…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
May 20, 2025
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New AHRQ toolkit empowers OR teams to cut MRSA, SSI risk

Editor's Note An actionable, evidence-based toolkit from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), released in April 2025, aims to help curb the risk of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and surgical site infections (SSIs), especially in high-risk orthopedic and cardiac procedures. As detailed in the AHRQ website, the “Toolkit…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
May 20, 2025
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Ice machines spread Legionella in hospital oncology unit, prompting testing overhaul

Editor's Note Legionalla contaminated a hospital ice machine and likely infected an oncology patient through aspirated ice chips, according to an April 30 report in Healio. Presented in a study at The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), the incident prompted immediate changes to water testing protocols at AdventHealth,…

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By: Matt Danford
May 12, 2025
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Scientists question NIH's $500M bet on old vaccine technology

Editor's Note The NIH’s $500 million investment in developing whole killed virus vaccines has drawn criticism from vaccine experts who argue the platform is outdated and lacks transparency, according to a May 3 report in STAT. As detailed in the article, scientists expressed concern that the project—led by NIH insiders…

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By: Matt Danford
May 7, 2025
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Dissolution of CDC infection control panel raises concern over stagnant guidelines

Editor's Note The Trump administration has dismantled the federal committee responsible for shaping national infection prevention standards in hospitals, sparking concern among healthcare experts over future preparedness, NBC News reported May 6. According to the article, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) informed members of the Healthcare Infection…

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By: Matt Danford
May 7, 2025
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Certification options abound for infection preventionists

Patient safety and regulatory compliance demand thoroughly vetting those tasked with preventing healthcare-associated infections. But which certification is the right fit? Those who are new to infection control have a wide range of options for verifying their newly acquired expertise. More seasoned infection preventionists (IPs) also have a number of…

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By: Angela Lewellyn, LPN, CRCST, CER, CHL
May 7, 2025
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Study shows WHO surgical checklist boosts safety, but compliance gaps risk patient outcomes

Editor’s Note Tertiary hospitals are embracing the World Health Organization (WHO) Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC), yet inconsistent compliance—especially during time-out—exposes patients to avoidable risks, Cureus April 29 reports. In this study, the researchers found that while overall integration of the SSC is promising, there were compliance gaps particularly in pre-incision…

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By: Tarsilla Moura
April 30, 2025
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Study: Prolonged COVID symptoms more likely for healthcare workers

Editor's Note Long COVID strikes healthcare and dental workers at far higher rates than the general population, according to an April 23 article from the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota. As detailed in the article, two recent international studies reveal that 40%…

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By: Matt Danford
April 29, 2025
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How dialogue, data bridge the OR-SPD information gap

In the OR, precision and focus can mean the difference between life and death. However, surgical patient outcomes hinge on more than the competence of those working in these inherently intense environments. Every procedure also depends on the laborious, behind-the-scenes efforts of the people responsible for ensuring every surgical instrument…

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By: Stephanie Reda
April 29, 2025
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