Antibiotic Stewardship Initiative at Urgent Care Clinics Cuts Prescribing by 15%
Most antibiotic prescriptions in the United States are made in outpatient settings and as many as 30% of those prescriptions may be unnecessary. Antibiotic overuse has been linked to antibiotic resistance and antibiotic-associated adverse effects.
Focusing on Hand Hygiene to Prevent HAIs
The report, Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections Through Hand Hygiene: 2022 Update, was published in the journal Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. The Society of Healthcare Epidemiologists of America gathered the subject matter experts who performed and managed the report’s literature review.
WHO Declares End of COVID-19 Global Emergency With ‘Pleasure’
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced the end of the COVID-19 global public health emergency in a statement on May 5 that offered themes of both relief and precaution.
Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades Find Increase in HAIs During Pandemic
The average risk of three healthcare-associated infections reached a five-year high in hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to The Leapfrog Group’s spring 2023 Hospital Safety Grade data.
California Hospital Reinstates Masking Policy After COVID-19 Outbreak Among Staff, Patients
A California hospital has reinstated its masking policy after more than a dozen staffers as well as some patients were diagnosed with COVID-19, according to a statement from the hospital’s parent company, Kaiser Permanente.
Wastewater Surveillance System Looks to Offer Early COVID Detection
One federally funded program is the National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS). Launched in September 2021, the program works to coordinate and improve the nation’s capacity to track the presence of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus causing COVID-19) in wastewater samples across the country.
CDC: Healthcare Facilities Threatened by Growing Antimicrobial Fungus Threat
Clinical cases of C. auris have increased every year since it was first reported in 2016, with a total of 3,270 clinical cases and 7,413 screening cases (where the fungus is detected but not causing infection) reported through December 31, 2021. And during 2019-2021, 17 states identified their first C. auris case ever.
PSQH Innovation Awards Winner: Ascension St. Mary’s Revamps Processes to Reverse HAI Trend
The fifth annual PSQH Innovation Awards recognize healthcare organizations who overcame patient safety or quality improvement challenges. In this article, we highlight the winning submission selected from Ascension St. Mary’s Hospital in Saginaw, Michigan.
CDC Issues Nationwide Alert for Measles Cases After Exposure at Kentucky Gathering
The CDC issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) health advisory “to notify clinicians and public health officials about a confirmed measles case at a large gathering’ from February 17-18, during the infectious stage. According to the Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH), the case involves “an unvaccinated individual with a history of recent international travel.”
Preventing Hospital-Acquired Infections is Everybody’s Job, Not Just Nurses
Awareness is the key to a successful infection prevention program, says Carol Vance, MSN, RN, PHN, CIC, the multi-site prevention director for Advocate Children’s Hospital in Chicago, a 381-bed facility that is one of the largest network providers of pediatric services in Illinois.