The Future of Infection Prevention
As infection prevention challenges evolve—such as emerging infectious organisms and resistance—healthcare organizations must focus on preventing hospital-acquired infections and ensuring better patient outcomes.
CDC Highlights Antibiotic Awareness Week
At least 30% of the antibiotics in U.S. outpatient settings are prescribed unnecessarily, according to the CDC. Annually, at least 2 million people become infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria and 23,000 people die as a result.
CMS is Intensifying Focus on Legionella
CMS recently updated a memo to its survey teams on reducing the risk of Legionella bacteria to specifically note that facilities must have a water management plan that surveyors can review.
Study: Hospital Bedsheets Could Be Source of C. difficile Contamination
Researchers in the United Kingdom found that washing contaminated hospital bedsheets in a commercial washing machine with industrial detergent at high disinfecting temperatures failed to remove all traces of C. difficile, a bacteria that causes infectious diarrhea.
Last Flu Season Led to 80,000 Deaths
Over the last several flu seasons, coverage among children aged six months to 17 years has remained steady but fallen short of national public health goals, which are 80%.
Review Your Water Management Plan as CMS Intensifies Focus on Legionella
CMS recently updated a memo to its survey teams on reducing the risk of Legionella to specifically note that facilities must have a water management plan that surveyors can review. That plan should be written and managed by a multidisciplinary committee of people from throughout the hospital with a stake in water use.
Hospitals Can Improve Their Infection Prevention Strategies, Study Finds
Published in the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America’s (SHEA) journal Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the study points out that hospitals can do much more to reduce infections.
FDA Unveils Proposed Hospital Subscription Plan for Antibiotic Use
The FDA, which also rolled out a new antimicrobial resistance information page, is in talks with CMS and other agencies to develop this and other approaches to reduce antimicrobial resistance.
The Pipes Are Calling: CMS Revises Legionella Requirements
The Legionella bacterium is responsible for legionellosis: a respiratory disease that can cause a type of pneumonia called Legionnaires’ disease, which kills about a quarter of the people who contract it.
SHEA to Host Inaugural Outbreak Prevention and Response Week
During the week of September 17-21, SHEA and its partners will lead activities and provide tips and information on a variety of infection prevention-related topics.