ICCS Infection Prevention & Infection Control Newsletter: September 2019 (2nd Half)
This issue of the Infection Prevention & Control Newsletter covers news from the latter half of September. Topics include surgery center struggles, bulk items, surgical site infections, C. diff and needlesticks.
Note: Catch up on news you may have missed from the first half of the month here.
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OIG Report: ASCs Struggling to Comply With Infection Control Requirements — The HHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) issued a report suggesting many ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) are coming up short in their efforts to meet infection control requirements.
The 'Licking Challenge' is Another Reason to Switch From Bulk Items — Is your organization still using bulk supplies? Better be careful: They may prove too alluring to be resisted by some people who just "need" to lick them.
Data Analysis: Some Surgical Site Infection Rates Underestimated — Researchers found that inconsistent methods for calculating surgical site infections (SSIs) of some procedures are contributing to underestimates of their SSI rates.
Study: Surveillance May Miss Many Outpatient SSIs — The results of a study showed that SSI surveillance systems may omit numerous outpatient surgeries with an expected increased likelihood of an adverse event.
Study: High-Risk Antibiotics Linked to Increase in C. Diff Infections — A study indicated that usage of high-risk antibiotics is connected to increases in hospital-associated Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) infection.
New Rule Requires Antibiotic Stewardship Programs in U.S. Hospitals — The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services finalized new regulations that require U.S. hospitals to develop and implement antibiotic stewardship programs.
Global Survey: Nearly All Surgeons Encounter Needlestick Injury — A global survey of surgeons found that 95% have either been personally affected by a needlestick injury or seen a colleague experience one.
Success Story or Artificial Inflation? Hospital Performance in CAUTIs — A study links changes in the way catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are defined and artificially improved hospital performance scores.
How Do We Prevent Antibiotic Overuse? — The key to better health could be solved by taking a closer look at who distributes antibiotics, according to a recent study.
Stewardship-Focused Rounds Improve Guideline Adherence Among Medical Residents — Adding dedicated, stewardship-focused rounds to medical residents' curriculum leads to increased guideline adherence, especially for duration of therapy, according to a study.
American Academy of Neurology Releases Updated Guideline on Vaccine Preventable Infections and Multiple Sclerosis: What Neurologists Should Know — The lead author of an updated American Academy of Neurology practice guideline highlights the key recommendations for counseling multiple sclerosis patients about vaccine-preventable infections and immunization.
Modern Money is Crawling With Nasty Bacteria — It's not a public hazard, but scientists find that some currencies are particularly gross.
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