ICCS Infection Prevention & Infection Control Newsletter (November 2018)

This edition of the ICCS Infection Prevention & Control Newsletter, covering some of the biggest infection prevention and control news from November, includes stories on changes to AORN surgical attire guidelines, importance of facial protection, hand hygiene risks linked to gloves, high-risk surfaces, troubling developments out of New Jersey and Michigan, and antibiotic resistance.

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AORN Previews Changes to Surgical Attire Guideline — The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) has published a preview of four likely changes to its guideline on surgical attire. 
 
Study: Facial Protection Helps Reduce Risk of Infection for Endoscopists — The results of a new study indicate that endoscopists and assisting staff who do not wear facial protection during procedures are at an elevated risk for exposure to blood and body fluids which could lead to infections.
 
Researchers Warn About Hand Hygiene Risks Associated With Exam Gloves — A new study reveals that healthcare personnel regularly fail to perform proper hand hygiene before donning gloves.
 
Small Progress Made in Reducing Hospital Infections — A survey funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals that hospitals have made some progress in reducing their number of healthcare-associated infections.
 
Infection Prevention Guidance: Are You Cleaning These High-Risk Surfaces? — Here are five hospital surfaces you may be surprised to learn harbor fomites capable of transmitting harmful bacteria to patients and staff.
 
CDC Requests Input on Draft Updating Guidelines for Infection Control in Healthcare Personnel — The CDC is seeking public comment on a draft updating two sections of existing guidance intended to assist healthcare administrators with "providing occupational infection prevention and control services to health care personnel."
 
Improve Hand Hygiene and Patient Decolonization to Help Stem High-Risk S. Aureus Transmission in the Operating Room — Adherence to proven protocols for disinfecting surgeons' hands, patients' skin, and operating room surfaces could help to halt the spread of dangerous Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) pathogens in the operating room and beyond, according to new research. 
 
11th Child Dies in Adenovirus Outbreak in New Jersey — An 11th child has died and 23 additional children have become sick in connection with an adenovirus outbreak at a New Jersey healthcare facility.
 
N.J. Department of Health Reports Deaths of Two Premature Infants Associated With Bacterial Infection Outbreak in University Hospital NICU — As part of an ongoing outbreak investigation of a bacterial infection in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of University Hospital in Newark, the N.J. Department of Health learned that two premature infants with confirmed cases of A. baumannii have died. 
 
DMC Harper University Hospital Cited for Infection-Control Problems — Regulators have notified Detroit Medical Center's Harper University Hospital of at least 22 incidents of deficient infection-control standards found during a surprise inspection in October.
 
Hospital Infections in Stroke Patients Raise Other Risks — When stroke patients get an infection while in the hospital, that may raise the chances they will wind up back in the hospital later, new research suggests.
 
Survey Shows Heightened Public Concern for Antibiotic Resistance — The results of a new survey indicate that most Americans are concerned about the potential for antibiotic resistance to make infections more difficult to treat.
 
European Study: Antibiotic-Resistant Bacterial Infections Kill 33,000 Annually — A new study estimates that 33,000 people in Europe die annually from antibiotic-resistant infections.
 
FDA Alerts Doctors, Patients About Risk of Complications When Certain Implanted Pumps are Used to Deliver Pain Medications Not Approved for Use With the Devices — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) alerted healthcare providers and patients about the serious complications that can occur when using medications not approved for use with implanted pumps that deliver medication into the spinal fluid to treat or manage pain.
 
Antimicrobial Stewardship in the Spotlight During Antibiotic Awareness Week — November 12-18 was U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week (USAAW), an annual observance intended to raise awareness of the threat of antibiotic resistance and the importance of antimicrobial stewardship.
 
New AAHA Infection Control Guidelines Now Available — New guidelines by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) on infection control offer practical standard operating procedures to guide veterinary teams in creating a clean and safe environment to prevent the spread of disease.

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