Infection Control - May 2018
Does biohazardous waste get a label or a bag?
Incorrect waste segregation and labeling are among the most common violations for healthcare facilities
5/30/2018
Hospital food can carry MRSA, VRE
The study shows one or more food specimens were positive for pathogens
5/30/2018
Reusable medical scopes harbor bacteria after cleaning
More than 70 percent of scopes tested positive for bacteria
5/29/2018
Va. health system works to improve cleaning protocol uniformity
Sentara Healthcare recently initiated a campaign to assess the practices used to clean patient rooms
5/29/2018
How worried should U.S. be about Ebola outbreak?
Patients have turned up in Mbandaka, a city of more than a million on the banks of the Congo River
5/25/2018
Two more cases of Ebola confirmed in urban area of Congo
Total of three cases confirmed in city of 1 million people
5/24/2018
Nurses call for use of animals on hospital wards
Royal College of Nursing guidance includes information on infection control, allergy considerations
5/22/2018
Denver patient says surgery was canceled due to contaminated tools
Porter Adventist patient said doctor had to abort his spinal surgery after discovering 'contaminant' on surgical instruments
5/21/2018
New guidelines issued for infection control in GI endoscopy
American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy rules based on a critical review of the most current data
5/21/2018
Reassuring patients about facility cleanliness
Review cleaning procedures and improve whatever needs an upgrade
5/18/2018
Study ranks Iowa mostly prepared to handle public health emergency
A national study says Iowa's overall health security level is just under the national average
5/18/2018
Ebola is back in the news — make sure your facility is ready
Healthcare facilities should have a pandemic plan and the staff needs to be familiar with it
5/15/2018
How infection prevention can be improved in healthcare facilities
According to the Field Epidemiology Manual, environment is the main source of infection transmission
5/15/2018
WHO promotes hand hygiene in healthcare facilities
Good hand hygiene, including among patients and health workers helps stop the spread of infection
5/15/2018
Disposable cleaning products can help reduce HAIs
More healthcare facilities are adopting single-use, disposable microfiber cleaning tools
5/14/2018
UV energy can reduce HAIs
To eliminate pathogens from high-touch surfaces, hospitals can incorporate UV disinfection technology
5/14/2018
Mayo Clinic uses bottled water after tap water turns black
Visitors and staff reported that water in toilet bowls turned black also
5/11/2018
Flu activity reported down for fourth consecutive week
Only 1 of 10 U.S. regions reported outpatient flu activity at or above region-specific baselines
5/11/2018
Privacy curtains challenge infection control efforts
Most facilities are still using privacy curtains to avoid expensive remodels
5/11/2018
Photos of messy VA hospital exam room go viral
An internal investigation is underway to determine why the vet was placed in a dirty room
5/10/2018
Scabies outbreak kills 93-year-old in Georgia nursing home
Shepherd Hills had multiple scabies outbreaks in recent years and a history of health violations
5/10/2018
S.D. hospital mixing medical waste with common trash
Despite city warnings, healthcare facility still mixing waste types
5/9/2018
Flies in operating rooms force VA hospital to postpone surgeries
West Los Angeles veterans hospital struggling with insect infestation
5/8/2018
1,000 hospitals get a Leapfrog 'C' or worse
Safety and infection control common issues for facilities
5/8/2018
Clean hospitals, hands best tools to reduce C. diff
A new study suggests combining the efforts results in a larger decrease than delivering those interventions on their own
5/7/2018
There's room for improvement in controlling Legionella
Legionnaires’ disease has been on the rise in the United States since 2000
5/4/2018
Hospitals, manufacturers still struggling to clean medical scopes
New study says 71 percent of reusable medical scopes tested positive for bacteria after cleaning
5/4/2018
Two reasons why ambulatory care facilities struggle with infection control standards
The Joint Commission highlights problematic standards for office-based surgery practices
5/4/2018
UK hospital fined for Legionnaires' death
The Royal United Hospital in Bath has been fined £300,000 for health and safety breaches
5/3/2018
Study finds most endoscopes contain bacterial growth after reprocessing
Studies suggest current reprocessing methods are ineffective
5/3/2018
How can hand-hygiene compliance be improved?
The CDC says healthcare providers are cleaning their hands less than half as much as they should be
5/3/2018
Monitoring systems support hand-hygiene efforts
New technologies include electronic and video hand hygiene monitoring systems
5/2/2018
