The Becker's Infection Control & Clinical Quality editorial team chose 10 patient safety issues for providers to prioritize in 2017 based on news in the past year, according to an article on the Becker's website.
They include:
• Problems in the sterile processing department that can put patients at risk of contracting various infections via surgical tools and medical devices
• The spread of Legionella bacteria, which incites a type of pneumonia. For instance, splashing from sinks installed to encourage better hand hygiene have the potential to aerosolize contaminated water droplets and infect patients nearby.
• Emerging diseases like Zika in 2016 and Ebola in 2014 will continue to present problems