-
TB-like infection less transmissible than thought, study finds
Harvard researchers may have debunked a theory about a drug-resistant pathogen linked to severe lung infections, which was previously thought to spread person-to-person. -
AI could end the war on antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Cambridge, Mass.-based MIT and Ontario, Canada-based McMaster University researchers have found a new antibiotic treatment that can kill a common bacteria in hospital infections thanks to machine learning. -
California hospital probes hepatitis C, HIV exposure from pain clinic
Coalinga (Calif.) State Hospital recently informed patients of possible exposure to hepatitis C and HIV through the hospital's pain clinic, radio station KVPR reported May 25. -
Better work environment for nurses tied to lower C. diff rates
Nurses at the bedside play a key role in prevention of hospital-onset Clostridioides difficile in patients, a new study has found. -
Maine confirms 1st death from rare tick-borne disease in 2023
A Maine resident died from Powassan virus, a rare tick-borne disease, the state's Center for Disease Control and Prevention said May 17. -
Hospitals making good progress on HAIs, early data suggests
Preliminary data suggests hospitals are trending back in the right direction to reverse the declines in quality and safety that happened during the pandemic, according to Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. -
Sterile processing: How innovative tray solutions can speed throughput and profitability at ASCs
The ambulatory surgery center ecosystem is thriving. New ASCs, whether owned privately or through cooperative investments with hospitals, are springing up across the nation — and their surgical volumes are growing. This trend, driven largely by changes in reimbursement models that prize cost efficiency and high-quality outcomes, is leading to greater ASC specialization, with some ASCs focusing on orthopedics, ophthalmology and urology procedures. -
1 dead, 4 hospitalized in suspected fungal meningitis outbreak
Texas health officials are warning clinicians about a string of suspected fungal meningitis cases among state residents who underwent surgery in Mexico. -
Debate over masking in healthcare settings persists post-PHE
Now is not the time to do away with masks in healthcare settings, two infectious disease physicians wrote in a commentary published May 16 in Annals of Internal Medicine, an indication that the debate over whether hospitals should continue to mandate masking is not wavering any time soon. -
CDC publishes ventilation guidance for respiratory infection
The CDC published guidance on improving building ventilation to protect people from respiratory infections. -
6 recent findings from infection control studies
Here are six findings from infection control studies Becker's has covered since April: -
Pneumonia may be responsible for most COVID-19 deaths, Northwestern U finds
A new study found a high percentage of COVID-19 deaths may have been caused by a secondary pneumonia infection. -
How Intermountain cut antibiotic overprescribing
Intermountain Health reduced antibiotic prescribing in urgent care clinics by 15 percent after rolling out new stewardship initiatives, according to a study published May 11 in JAMA Network Open. -
The case for letting nurses initiate C. diff testing
Allowing bedside nurses to independently order Clostridioides difficile testing could help hospitals lower the risk of patient infections and associated deaths, according to a study published May 11 in the American Journal of Infection Control. -
Stop antibiotics after surgery, says new guidance
New guidance on surgical site infections calls for physicians to cease antibiotic prophylaxis immediately after surgeries, according to research published May 4 in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. It is the first major revision to the guidelines since 2014. -
Inside Virginia Mason's bacterial outbreak probe
Health officials have yet to identify the source of a Klebsiella pneumoniae outbreak tied to 31 illnesses and seven patient deaths at Seattle-based Virginia Mason Medical Center, NPR affiliate KUOW reported May 5. -
Spike in HAIs should 'stop hospitals in their tracks': Leapfrog
Data released as part of The Leapfrog Group's annual hospital rankings — which analyzed data from late 2021 and into 2022 — revealed a significant rise in healthcare-associated infections — a trend that was in decline prior to the pandemic. -
New 'playbooks' aim to help facilities better prepare for disease outbreaks
Needless to say, the onset of COVID-19 came without a clear road map for the medical profession to follow while navigating it. It's in light of this that the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology launched a series of playbooks designed to help guide healthcare facilities through infectious disease threats. -
Loosened mask rules concern some high-risk patients
The pivot from pandemic-era mandatory masking in healthcare settings to optional masking — even for healthcare staff in most cases — has become a difficult situation for vulnerable, high-risk and immunocompromised patients to navigate. -
How this Texas system prevented HAIs from rising amid pandemic
The Veterans Affairs North Texas Health Care System in Dallas prevented healthcare-associated infection rates from rising during the pandemic — and reduced burnout among infection prevention and control team members — through a 14-month initiative, according to a study published April 26 in the American Journal of Infection Control.
Page 1 of 50