Infection Control - November 2019
Close to 1,200 patients at risk at Indiana hospital due to sterilization lapses
One of the hospital's surgical instrument sterilization technicians failed to complete a necessary step
11/27/2019
Washington hospital cancels procedures after surgical tray issues
Flecks of plastic were found on some surgical trays
11/27/2019
Flushing rim sinks provide hygienic disposal of clinical waste
Sinks help maintain clean conditions for clinics and healthcare settings
11/27/2019
Legionnaires’ disease found at Ohio nursing home
Lake County General Health District confirms disease at Mentor facility
11/26/2019
10 Seattle hospital ORs closed through January after mold outbreak
The hospital is installing in-room HEPA filtration
11/26/2019
CDC puts Candida auris and Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter in urgent category
C. difficile, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriacese and drug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae are also considered 'urgent'
11/25/2019
Hospitals don't have to report waterborne infections
Tennessee and Oregon are the only states that require hospitals to report waterborne NTM infections
11/21/2019
Seattle Children’s hospital faces lawsuit over mold issues
Lawsuit claims that the teen contracted meningitis in March 2018 from the Aspergillus mold
11/20/2019
CDC says HAIs are decreasing
Clostridium difficile infections were down by 12 precent, between 2017 and 2018
11/20/2019
New York identifies healthcare facilities with Candida auris
New York is the first state to release the names
11/19/2019
Water-borne infection hitting patients across the country
More than 150 hospitals across the country reporting infected patients
11/19/2019
2018 saw record number of Legionellosis cases reported
Rising temperatures, longer summers and the increased popularity of environmentally-friendly buildings may be contributing to the rise in cases
11/19/2019
Seattle Children's Hospital closes operating rooms due to fungus again
The latest discovery of Aspergillus has closed 11 operating rooms after the mold was detected in three ORs and two procedural areas
11/18/2019
Study: Copper hospital beds can kill bacteria
Copper beds in the ICU harbored an average of 95 percent fewer bacteria than conventional hospital beds
11/18/2019
Legionella found in Va. VA healthcare facility
McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center found bacteria in cooling system
11/15/2019
Disinfectants struggling to kill C. diff bacteria
Clostridioides difficile is challenging hospital-grade disinfectants
11/15/2019
Hospital links babies' deaths to bacteria in equipment
Geisinger says equipment was used in measuring donor breast milk
11/13/2019
Regulations, Codes & Standards Q&A: Sterile processing room
Brad Keyes discusses regulations for sterile processing room
11/13/2019
Drug-resistant bacteria 'growing problem' in Western Washington healthcare facilities
Four cases of a specific type of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii were recently found at a nursing rehabilitation facility
11/12/2019
Where patients recover may affect whether they return to the hospital because of infections
Patients returning home from the hospital were 38 percent more likely to return to the hospital with a linked infection
11/8/2019
CDC reports decrease in HAIs
Compared to 2015, all states but one performed better on at least two infection types
11/8/2019
Research finds epidemic and pandemic preparedness lacking
Study suggests national governments should commit to take action to address health security risks
11/7/2019
Study: Too many seniors are back in hospital for infections treated during initial stay
The most common type of pre-existing infection in the patients was C. difficile
11/5/2019
Sensors help healthcare facilities keep track of hand hygiene
The system compiles data on whether an employee cleans their hands within 60 seconds of entering a room
11/4/2019
Study: Contact precautions in VA facilities don't curb MRSA
New study evaluated admissions from 74 longterm-care facilities
11/4/2019
Cleaning plant shutdown could lead to surgical tool shortage
Several sterilization facilities that use ethylene oxide were shut down.
11/1/2019
CDC: Flu activity low, but growing
Louisiana and Puerto Rico experienced high flu-like illness activity for the week ending Oct. 19
11/1/2019
