In conjunction with International Infection Prevention Week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced the availability of new research into infection prevention and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

The research is available as a supplement to the October issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases. Titled "Personal Protective Equipment for Preventing Contact Transmission of Pathogens: Innovations from CDC's Prevention Epicenters Program," it is composed of more than a dozen CDC-funded, in-depth studies on recent PPE work in U.S. healthcare settings. The research, CDC states, provides evidence to improve routine use of PPE and prevent contact transmission of infectious diseases in healthcare settings.

Topics covered in the studies include:

• antibiotic-resistant bacteria in hospitals;

• doffing;

• gown design;

• hand hygiene;

• glove decontamination; and

• biocontainment unit design.

More specifically, the research was supported by the CDC's Prevention Epicenters Program, a 20-year-old research program intended to implement strategies to improve healthcare quality and patient safety.