ICCS Infection Prevention & Infection Control Newsletter (August 2019)
August was a month chock-full of infection prevention and control news. Topics in this packed edition of the Infection Prevention & Control Newsletter include hep A, duodenoscopes, a new long-term care law, total knees, antibiotic use, immunization schedules and C. diff.
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Growing Reports of Hepatitis A: Guidance for Healthcare Facilities — ICCS has been inundated with concerns from healthcare facilities regarding the increasing nationwide reports of hep A. Here is some insight and guidance.
GI Societies Push Back Against NY Times Article on Duodenoscopes — National gastroenterology (GI) societies issued a joint statement challenging points raised in a New York Times article.
New Jersey Passes Law Requiring Long-Term Care Outbreak Response Plans — New Jersey passed a new law requiring some long-term care facilities to submit outbreak response plans to the state's department of health. The legislation was prompted by a 2018 adenovirus outbreak.
Study: No Infection Prevention Benefits of Antibiotic Cement for TKA — A study showed that routine use of antibiotic-loaded bone cement in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has no measurable impact on periprosthetic joint infection rates.
CDC Antibiotic Use Data Shows Progress, But Significant Challenges Remain — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued its latest annual report on antibiotic use in the United States.
Adult Immunization Schedules Receive Update — The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices issued recommended updates to adult immunization schedules.
Survey: Nursing Home Antibiotic Stewardship Programs Improving — The results of a nationally representative survey of nursing homes revealed noteworthy improvements in the development of antibiotic stewardship programs.
WHO Calls on Countries to Eliminate Hepatitis Through Investments — The World Health Organization (WHO) called on countries worldwide to come together and eliminate hepatitis.
Hospital-Acquired C. Difficile Linked to Higher Costs, Longer Stay — Hospital-acquired Clostridioides difficile infection was associated with a 27% increase in attributable costs and 13% increase in hospital length of stay compared with controls in a study.
Effect of BMI on SSI Risk — A study found a trend of increasing risk of surgical site infections (SSIs) for almost all surgery types when body mass index (BMI) increased from normal to morbidly obese.
Older Cancer Patients at Higher Risk of C. Diff Infection — Older adults with cancer are at higher risk of Clostridiodes difficile infection compared with people who do not have cancer, according to a study.
New Antimicrobial Coating Could Be Key in Fight Against Hospital-Acquired Infections — Scientists created an antimicrobial coating for steel surfaces which has proven to rapidly kill bacteria that cause some of the most common hospital-acquired infections.
Long-Term Infection Risk in Kids With Leukemia — A study showed survivors of childhood leukemia had an increased risk of infection and infection-related hospitalization and death that persisted for years after completing treatment.
Giving Children Too Many Courses of Antibiotics Could Cause More Harm Than Good — Giving children two or more courses of antibiotics in a year makes further doses 30% more likely to fail, new research suggested.
FDA Approves New Drug for Highly Resistant Tuberculosis — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the approval of a new antibiotic for treating the most drug-resistant forms of tuberculosis.
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