Study: Critical Access Hospitals Face Infection Control Challenges
Public health officials reviewed infection prevention and control (IPC) practices at 36 Nebraska CAHs using the CDC’s IPC Assessment Tool. They found the largest gaps existed in the areas of injection safety, central line-associated bloodstream infection prevention, and catheter-associated urinary tract infection prevention, but problems were discovered in all IPC areas.
CMS Delays Hospital Star Ratings Update, Again
No date was given for when CMS anticipates activating the ratings updates. Typically, the updates are issued every July and December. However, CMS has a history of delaying the updates, most recently in May.
SF Hospital Discovers Second Body in Hallway
The second body was found in a hallway last Monday, June 4, at 6 a.m., according to NBC Bay Area, which reported that the woman was in her 40s and being held on an involuntary 72-hour psychiatric evaluation hold. The report said the woman was being treated on a bed in a hallway, but it was unclear whether staff had checked on her between 2 and 6 a.m.
AACN Issues Practice Alert on Reducing Alarm Fatigue
To help address this issue, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses released a Practice Alert at the end of May that outlines the evidence-based practices to reduce false or nonactionable clinical alarms and prevent alarm fatigue, with specific guidelines for both bedside caregivers and nurse leaders.
Study: Provider Preference Could Improve Use of Antibiotics
The study reports responses to a 20-question survey from 211 inpatient providers at Vanderbilt University Hospital in various specialties. The survey covered demographic questions, preferred feedback methods, barriers, and comparison metrics, and a hypothetical patient hospitalization scenario assigning provider responsibility for antibiotic use.
AHRQ Data Shows Drop in Hospital-Acquired Conditions
The AHRQ National Scorecard on Hospital-Acquired Conditions estimated that 350,000 HACs, including adverse drug events and injuries from falls, were avoided and the rate was reduced by 8% from 2014 to 2016.
FDA Issues Recommendations to Prevent Surgical Fires
The FDA says healthcare workers who perform surgical procedures should be trained in practices to reduce surgical fires, including learning about factors that increase the risk of surgical fires, how to manage fires, periodic fire drills, how to use carbon dioxide fire extinguishers on or near patients, and evacuation procedures.
For Immunosuppressed Sepsis Patients, Hospital Experience Matters
The researchers analyzed medical records of 350,183 patients with sepsis at 60 hospitals. One of five of those patients was classified as being immunocompromised based on being HIV-positive or having an intrinsic immune disorder, having a blood cancer or being prescribed an immunosuppressive drug for certain medical conditions while hospitalized.
Dead Woman Found in Stairway of SF Hospital Building
The Los Angeles Times reported that a hospital staff member discovered the body at about 1 p.m. last Wednesday. Hospital officials said the woman was Ruby Anderson, 76, a dementia patient who went missing from a nearby mental health facility on May 20.
Outpatient Colonoscopy Infection Rates Much Higher Than Previously Thought
Using an all-payer claims database, the researchers examined 2014 data from six states — California, Florida, Georgia, Nebraska, New York and Vermont — to track infection-related emergency room visits and unplanned inpatient admissions within seven and 30 days after a colonoscopy or EGD.