ICCS Infection Prevention & Infection Control Newsletter (July 2019)
There's been no summer break for infection prevention and control news. Catch up on what you may have missed in July in this issue of the ICCS Infection Prevention & Control Newsletter. Topics include medical errors, septic arthritis, joint infections, TB, catheters and C. diff.
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Infection Prevention Tip: Breaking Down Endoscope Bioburden — The ICCS team provides guidance on how to handle endoscope reprocessors incorporating a "modified manual cleaning" process into their instructions for use.
Study: Healthcare-Acquired Infections Account for 16% of Medical Errors — The results of a study indicated that healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) are associated with nearly one in six incidents of preventable patient harm.
Septic Arthritis Outbreak Linked to Infection Prevention Violations — An investigation into an outbreak of septic arthritis at an outpatient facility in New Jersey identified multiple breaches of recommended infection prevention practices.
Study: Patients Who Experience Joint Infection 3X More Likely to Suffer Future Infection —A study showed that patients who experience a prosthetic joint infection following primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or total hip arthroplasty (THA) are at three times higher risk of suffering another such infection if they undergo another TKA.
CDC Publishes TB Screening, Testing and Treatment Infographic — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published an infographic that summarizes recently released updated tuberculosis recommendations for screening, testing and treatment of healthcare personnel.
Study: Efforts to Reduce Catheter-Induced Infections Coming Up Short — The results of a study showed that barriers remain that contribute to reduced effectiveness in decreasing infection risks posed by indwelling urinary and vascular catheters.
Study: Educating Cleaning Staff Lowers Risk of C. Diff Infection — A study showed that better educating environmental services workers leads to an improvement in surface cleaning and decrease in hospital-onset C. difficile infection.
Attending the Georgia Society of Ambulatory Surgery Centers/South Carolina Ambulatory Surgery Center Association Joint Semi-Annual Conference and Tradeshow? Hear ICCS Founder and President Phenelle Segal present on "Controversial Infection Control Practices in Ambulatory Surgery Centers" on August 15 from 8:45 AM – 12:00 PM.
CDC Launches New Infection Control Training Course Series — CDC launched an 11-course infection control training series.
Ebola Outbreak in Congo Declared Global Emergency By WHO — The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as a "public health emergency of international concern."
Staph Decolonization Before Joint Replacement Could Cut Costs, Infections — A cost-effectiveness analysis indicated a Staphylococcus aureus decolonization protocol for patients undergoing hip and knee replacement could result in cost savings and fewer surgical-site infections.
Study Outlines Risk of Infection for Donor Kidneys — A study on deceased donor kidneys has identified hepatitis C viremia, the need for dialysis, hematopoietic cell transplant and exposure to antibiotics with a narrow gram-negative spectrum as the top risks for infection.
CDC Urges Doctors to Rapidly Recognize and Report AFM Cases — As the late summer/early fall "season" for acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) nears, CDC is calling on medical professionals to quickly recognize AFM symptoms and report all suspected cases to their health department.
Survey: Hospitals Increasing Support for Antibiotic Stewardship — While support for antibiotic stewardship programs increased across hospitals since 2013, surveillance for multi-drug resistant organisms stayed flat or ticked down.
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