News

The Tennessee Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are investigating cases of meningitis involving 11 patients treated at one outpatient surgical center/pain management clinic in Nashville and one patient treated at a facility in another state. The form of meningitis in these patients is not transmitted from person to person and the cause for the cluster of cases is not known. Two patients related to this cluster of meningitis have died.

The intent of this article is to answer some questions regarding which government agency or department regulates different classes of antimicrobials (disinfectants, sterilants), as well what is required to develop a 510(k) submission package for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review, comment and ultimate clearance related to new high-level disinfectants (HLDs) and automated endoscope reprocessor (AERs).

Public health officials and medical experts practiced what they preach by getting vaccinated against influenza during a National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) news conference Sept. 27. Urging the public to follow suit, experts cautioned that influenza is unpredictable and that last years mild season is not necessarily an indication of what can be expected in 2012-2013 and, even during mild seasons, flu takes a serious toll.