This issue covers some of the most significant news from February. Topics include updated hand hygiene best practices, Shigella infections, ANSI/AAMI ST91, C. diff and dialysis.

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Hand Hygiene is Focus of Updated Advice to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections — Five medical organizations recommended updated best practices for hand hygiene in healthcare settings in areas including healthy skin and nails and access to alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
 
CDC Issues Warning Over an Increase of Drug-resistant Bacteria — CDC issued a health advisory warning concerning a significant increase in drug-resistant Shigella infections (shigellosis).
 
Inspector General Provides Recommendations for Nursing Home Infection Prevention — Findings in a data brief from OIG looking at nursing homes with high infection rates during the first year of the pandemic show the need for a new approach to infection prevention.
 
Updated ANSI/AAMI ST91: Progress to Date and Challenges Faced One Year Later — This Healthcare Purchasing News article about ANSI/AAMI ST91 included valuable insight and recommendations from many industry experts.
 
Antibiotic-resistant UTIs Are Common, and Other Infections May Soon Be Resistant, Too — A Scientific American article reported on urinary tract infections increasingly becoming resistant to first-line antibiotics and how this may be a warning for our ability to treat other microbial infections.
 
Near Patient Testing for C Difficile Infections Results in Drop in Patient Isolation — Research revealed that implementing a rapid near patient testing program for suspected C. diff cases in hospitals improves outcomes and cuts costs.
 
APIC: Masks are a Critical Public Health Tool in Preventing the Spread of Respiratory Infections — APIC issued a statement on the use of respiratory protection, including well-fitting N95s and surgical masks.
 
Preventing Bloodstream Infections in People on Dialysis — A CDC Vital Signs report focused on preventing bloodstream infections in people on dialysis.
 
Preventing Hospital-acquired Infections Is Everybody's Job, Not Just Nurses — This HealthLeaders interview with Carol Vance, multi-site prevention director for Advocate Children's Hospital, explored how communication, awareness and teamwork can contribute to an effective infection prevention program.