APIC Honors Members With Service Awards
The APIC conference aims to provide infection preventionists, physicians, researchers, epidemiologists, educators, administrators, and medical technologists with strategies that can be implemented immediately to improve prevention programs and make healthcare safer.
Antibiotics Delay in Treatment of ER Sepsis Patients Linked to Increased Mortality
The recent research published in CHEST associated each additional hour from emergency room arrival to antibiotic administration to 10% increased odds of 1-year mortality.
CDC: Declines in Staph and MRSA Have Slowed
The data has prompted the CDC to encourage hospitals to take action in defense against outbreaks of bacterial infections such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA).
Seattle Hospital Shuts Down ORs After Finding Fungus
Aspergillus is a common type of mold that poses a low risk to surgical patients, but Seattle Children’s is contacting about 3,000 patients who underwent procedures in the past four months.
Industry Focus—Infection Control: Examine Your Dialysis Space to Ensure Room to Separate Infectious Patients
Among other infection control practices for hemodialysis, surveyors will be observing water and dialysate testing, medication storage, preparation and administration, and “patient placement in full view of staff during dialysis treatment,” according to a Joint Commission official.
Ebola, Zika, and the Flu: CMS and CDC Want Action on Emerging Infections
The CDC issued a bulletin urging hospitals and other healthcare facilities to remain prepared for infectious disease outbreaks.
Prioritize Sepsis Assessments in Your Overcrowded Emergency Department
The recent research found only 46% of emergency department sepsis patients received antibiotics within 3 hours of ED arrival when the emergency room was crowded compared to 63% receiving timely antibiotics when the ER was not crowded.
Innovators Could Receive up to $8M for Early Detection of Sepsis and Pathogens
The HHS Division of Research, Innovation, and Ventures (DRIVe), which operates under the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), is seeking medical product developers, research teams, and companies offering disruptive solutions to health security threats.
FDA: Problems Persist With Duodenoscope Reprocessing
The FDA analyzed 205 medical device reports received between October 15, 2018 and March 31, 2019 and found 45 reports of patient infection, one report of patient exposure, and 159 reports of device contamination, according to an FDA alert released last week.
Multidrug-Resistant Infections Can Cost $4,600 Per Hospital Stay
The development of antibiotic-resistant infections is one of the most severe public health problems in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.