Prevention

One key opinion leader speaks of infection prevention challenges with prone patients and benefits of centralized surveillance systems in 2 separate presentations at the APIC 2022 annual conference.

“Of all the SSIs we culled over that 3 years, about 42% of them required a wound class change by an infection preventionist,” Emily Grohs, MPH, CIC, tells ICT®.

The infection preventionist’s role extends far beyond simply surveillance activities and into an integrated member of design and operations.

The bioburden disparities among the various locations sampled could mean HCWs are not practicing proper hand hygiene before using or moving WOWs. It could also reflect the number of touches or a discrepancy in cleaning methods.

Health care worker hand hygiene compliance ticked up during COVID, but levels remain low nationwide. A 3-hospital network in Illinois wanted to know why.

The IP’s role in vaccine compliance has traditionally centered on influenza shots, but that all changed with SARS-CoV-2.

Trained observers at a pediatric hospital in south Texas relied on the app for hand hygiene observation collections between June 18 and November 30, 2021, and logged a 140% increase in observations collected.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending June 10.

Despite the emphasis on more improved infection prevention practices, stethoscope hygiene continually falls short, possibly leading to more health care-acquired infections.

From language barriers to lack of equipment, environmental hygiene is suffering throughout the world.

Respiratory syncytial virus does have a monoclonal antibody; however, the cost limits the distribution to the highest income countries, and a more cost-effective preventative strategy is needed.

Over 50 health care facilities from 35 countries participated from both higher and lower income settings.

With more confirmed cases in the United States, and the CDC raising the travel alert to Level 2, should individuals be concerned? ICT investigates.

Biosafety risks for patients with SARS-CoV-2 may be overlooked, and some control measures may bring about cross-contamination of the tests being done and cause biosafety accidents.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending June 3.

AMR and surgical site infections are a consistent issue for surgeries, and often surgeons feel they have done everything they can to reduce the risk, and yet the event still occurs with an alarming frequency. Is there anything novel that can be done? ICT® tries to find out.

Adding to their exhaustion because of other diseases rampant worldwide, like influenza and COVID-19, infection preventionists need to understand and recognize the basics of monkeypox as well since it has made its debut in the US.

Certain blood types in combination with Rh, race (Black patients and White patients), and pregnant or not pregnant demonstrated protection against the virus.

Infection preventionists and the equipment and cleansers they use gained a spotlight during the COVID-19 pandemic. These include both established and innovative materials.

How do the veteran and the novice infection preventionists work together in the present climate? What do they think are their strengths and their differences as they combine their knowledge in the health care field? Infection Control Today® asked a veteran and a novice to find out.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending May 27.

Device-associated HAIs were likely impacted by the continued alteration of hospital practices that occurred throughout the pandemic.

To reduce the risk of surgical-site infection, utilize evidence-based interventions and give feedback to clinicians on bacterial transmission using Staphylococcus aureus as a marker.

The bugs are winning, but only because we are letting them.

Regardless of vaccination status, health care workers were protected with daily and regular hydrogen peroxide antisepsis.

However, respiratory HAVIs continued to be reported, despite elevated prevention practices, leaving young, susceptible patients threatened.

Take 5 minutes to catch up on Infection Control Today’s highlights for the week ending May 20.

Despite various techniques that health care facilities use to facilitate 100% hand hygiene compliance from their health care workers, barriers still must be overcome.

A comprehensive look at whether mask wearing is beneficial for both SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses spread by airborne particles and respiratory droplets.

A new comprehensive article lays out best practice guidelines for 14 areas of infection prevention and control.