ATLANTA, Ga-Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have published a new guideline on hand hygiene that states healthcare workers (HCWs) should not wear artificial nails.
The guideline says artificial nails or nail extenders should not be worn by nurses who treat patients. Artificial nails harbor pathogens that can cause nosocomial infections. Three unusual surgical site infections were recently linked back to an operating room staff member who wore artificial nails.
The guideline also recommends the use of waterless alcohol-based agents for routine hand antisepsis.
Organizations participating in the development of the guideline include the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC), the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA).
Information from icanNews
Vet IP Roundtable 2: Infection Control and Biosecurity Challenges in Veterinary Care
March 31st 2025Veterinary IPs highlight critical gaps in cleaning protocols, training, and biosecurity, stressing the urgent need for standardized, animal-specific infection prevention practices across diverse care settings.
Invisible, Indispensable: The Vital Role of AHRQ in Infection Prevention
March 25th 2025With health care systems under strain and infection preventionists being laid off nationwide, a little-known federal agency stands as a last line of defense against preventable patient harm. Yet the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is now facing devastating cuts—threatening decades of progress in patient safety.
The Guardians of Animal Health: Who Are Veterinary Infection Preventionists?
March 21st 2025Veterinary infection control experts Leslie Kollmann, BS, AAS, CVT, CIC, Denise Waiting, LVT, and Leslie Landis, LVT, BS, discuss challenges, zoonotic disease risks, and the importance of education, collaboration, and resource development in animal care facilities.