7-Part EMS Screening Tool Boosts Early Sepsis Treatment
On an annual basis, sepsis affects about 1.7 million American adults and the infection is linked to more than 250,000 deaths. Timely application of the 3-hour bundle has been associated with reduced mortality.
Multiple Injection Safety Violations Led to NJ Outbreak
Investigators found 41 patients with osteoarthritis contracted the rare infection following injections in their knee joints, with 33 requiring surgery to remove damaged tissue. The investigation found practices including lack of hand washing to inappropriate reuse of medication vials.
Preventing Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections in Adult ICUs: A Three-Pronged Approach
Based on the severity and urgency of preventing CAUTIs, the University of Rochester Medical Center coordinated a project team to collect and analyze CAUTI data and further identify prevention techniques in adult ICUs.
Steps Toward Better, More Efficient EVS Results
By: Steve Zimmerman, MBA, CHESP, T-CSCT, Director of Healthcare Services for ServiceMaster Clean Healing is the goal of every hospital. To promote healing, hospitals must provide an infection-free environment. The work of the environmental services department (EVS) is vital to that effort. EVS is far more than just housekeeping. In addition to cleaning floors and … Continued
New Decision Support Tool Reduces Sepsis Mortality by 22.9%
The computer-based decision support tool is called Sepsis Prediction and Optimization of Therapy (SPOT), and it can detect sepsis 18 hours earlier than the best clinicians.
Mold Found in Seattle Hospital ORs Leads to 1 Death, 5 Infections
Seattle Children’s says the ORs have been infested by mold at different points in the past year, possibly due to problems with the ORs’ air handling and purification systems.
Medicaid-Covered C-sections Pose Higher Risk of Infection
Researchers found that women who delivered via C-section and were covered by Medicaid had a 1.4-fold increase in infections compared to those covered by private insurance.
Case Study: Automating Sepsis Alerts at Harborview Medical Center
Sepsis mortality rates increase quickly when the condition is left untreated, even for just a few hours. However, there isn’t a simple test for sepsis. Instead, providers have to watch for patterns and symptoms that could indicate sepsis. As a result, it’s common to have misdiagnoses or delays in diagnosis.
Doing More Harm Than Good? Study Finds Healthcare Workers Often Provide Care While Ill
The study found that 95% of healthcare workers have worked while sick, most often because the symptoms were mild or began during their work shift.
Medical Center’s Four-Pronged Effort Reduced C. Diff Infections by 55%
In the hospital setting, there are multiple contributing factors that can drive C. diff infections. The lead author of the recent research, which was published in The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, said the main drivers of C. diff infections are likely to vary from hospital to hospital.