ICCS Infection Prevention & Infection Control Newsletter (August 2018)

Infection control and prevention news came fast and furious in August. Topics in this packed edition of the Infection Prevention & Control Newsletter include scope cleaning, handwashing and hand hygiene challenges, antibiotic stewardship, C. diff, MRSA and fluoroquinolones.

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Research Shows Bronchoscope Cleaning Remains Challenging — An article in Infection Control Today discusses the difficulty organizations face in eliminating potentially harmful contaminants from used bronchoscopes.
 
Study: Multidrug-Resistant Bacterium Shows Increasing Tolerance to Handwash Alcohols — A new study indicates that a multidrug-resistant bacterium has shown increasing tolerance to the alcohols used in handwash disinfectants.
 
Survey: Healthcare Professionals Often Hesitate to Express Hand Hygiene Concerns — The results of a new study point to a need for stronger efforts toward encouraging healthcare professionals to speak up when observing questionable hand hygiene practices.

Study: Antibiotics are the Leading Cause of Adverse Drug Event ED Visits in Children — A new study authored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that in children, antibiotics are the leading cause for emergency department (ED) visits related to adverse drug events.
 
Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs in Dialysis Clinics Reduce Infections, Costs — A new analysis indicates that implementing antimicrobial stewardship programs in outpatient dialysis facilities can lead to significant and meaningful reductions in infections caused by multidrug-resistant organisms, infection-related deaths and costs.
 
Infection Prevention Differs Between Small, Large Hospitals — Small and large hospitals differ in infection preventionist staffing and infection prevention and control resources, according to a study.
 
Infection Risk Lower in Dialysis Patients With High, Normal Vitamin D — High or normal serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and the use of vitamin D supplements are associated with a lower risk of infection in patients on long-term dialysis, a new systematic review and meta-analysis concluded.
 
Guidance for Preventing C. Difficile in Neonatal Intensive Care — Newborns require special diagnosis and treatment considerations for Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) infection, according to a new evidence-based white paper.
 
Studies Reveal a Greater Need for Infection Preventionists — Outdated coverage benchmarks are leading to severe gaps in infection preventionist staffing, according to a pair of studies.
 
A "Substantial Proportion" of Hospital MRSA Infections Occur Post-Discharge, Study Concludes — The findings of a Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) study suggests infectious disease and public health specialists may need to think about the troubling gram-positive bacteria in a new way.
 
FDA: Use Fluoroquinolone to Treat Infections With Caution — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has strengthened its black box warning regarding fluoroquinolone use to help better protect patients.
 
Researchers Calculate the Economic Cost of Antimicrobial Resistance Per Antibiotic Consumed — Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a colossal threat to global health and incurs high economic costs to society. Economic evaluations of antimicrobials and interventions such as diagnostics and vaccines that affect their consumption rarely include the costs of AMR, resulting in sub-optimal policy recommendations. Researchers estimate the economic cost of AMR per antibiotic consumed, stratified by drug class and national income level.
 
Patients With Healthcare-Associated Infections Suffer Social, Emotional Pain — The consequences of healthcare-associated infections reach well beyond patients' physical health, souring social relationships and leading some healthcare providers to distance themselves from affected patients, according to a qualitative, systematic review.

 

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