• Best method for surgical antiseptic prep revealed in study

    The age-old practice of applying antiseptic to skin prior to surgery on closed fractures could soon shift after a study, published Feb. 1, in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that iodine in alcohol solutions prevents surgical site infections.
  • Kansas health system embarks on project targeting multidrug-resistant organisms

    Newman Regional Health in Emporia, Kan., has launched a real-time notification system that alerts clinicians across the state, providing them with critical information about patients transferring in who may have multidrug-resistant organisms diagnoses, The Emporia Gazette reported Jan. 31.
  • CDC found 'multiple lapses' in cleaning, disinfection at Florida cosmetic clinic

    The CDC says it found "multiple lapses" in proper infection control and prevention procedures at a Florida outpatient cosmetic surgery clinic linked to 15 cases of infection with nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), according to a report released Jan. 25.
  • The strategy one hospital used to reduce surgical site infections

    Researchers from the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics in Madison formed a "Strike Team" to create oversight and determine the possible cause of surgical site infections that occurred after colorectal surgery.
  • Should you reuse that N95 mask for your hospital shift?

    A shortage of N95 masks in 2020 led the CDC to craft guidelines for healthcare workers who needed to reuse them for multiple shifts, but a new study, published Jan. 26 in JAMA, has found reuse of these masks can hurt their efficacy.
  • Stepping up the fight: Hospital execs urged to intensify sepsis care in 2024

    Kevin Tracey, MD, was trained as a neurosurgeon. In 1985, at what was then New York Hospital Cornell Medical Center, an 11-month-old girl was brought in with severe burns after a boiling pot of spaghetti water splashed onto her skin. After a month of fighting, she died in Dr. Tracey's arms. He didn't know it then, but the moment would define his life's work researching sepsis.
  • An unforeseen reason hospitals are pausing surgeries

    Many health systems made the strategic choice to suspend elective surgeries during the pandemic, reallocating resources to address the public health crisis. However, in recent months, certain facilities have been forced to pause surgeries for a different, unforeseen reason. 
  • How RWJBarnabas cut CLABSIs by 40%

    Efforts to standardize quality and safety practices systemwide are paying off for West Orange, N.J.-based RWJBarnabas Health, with the system achieving a 40% reduction in central line infections last year.
  • New strain of drug-resistant bacteria identified

    A new strain of multidrug resistant Pseudocitrobacter bacteria has been identified by researchers. The novel strain was resistant to seven different classes of antibiotics, according to the data, published Jan. 17 in The Journal of Hospital Infection.
  • Pennsylvania hospital cited over sterilization issues

    State officials have cited Penn Medicine's Lancaster (Pa.) General Hospital for several health code violations, including failure to ensure sterilization equipment was available for surgeries.
  • How Henry Ford's ED nurses are boosting sepsis detection

     As the Biden administration calls on hospitals to do more to reduce sepsis deaths, Henry Ford Health in Jackson, Mich., has started involving its emergency department nurses more in detection practices, the American Medical Association reported Jan. 11.
  • Bacteria remain on hospital surfaces after routine disinfection

    Even after adhering to disinfection routines to a tee, pathogenic bacteria is still detectable on high-touch surfaces in hospitals, new research published Jan. 10 in the American Journal of Infection Control found.
  • Joint Commission chops 70% of performance elements for infection control accreditation

    The Joint Commission has added new and revised standing requirements for accreditation of both critical access hospitals and hospitals for infection control procedures, the organization announced Jan. 10.
  • Healthcare leaders report progress on HAIs

    Hospitals lost significant progress in reducing healthcare-associated infections amid the pandemic, but many organizations are starting to see improvements, according to a LinkedIn poll conducted by Becker's. 
  • FDA updates guidance on medical device sterilization methods

    The FDA now recognizes vaporized hydrogen peroxide as an established sterilization method for medical devices, according to a Jan. 8 update. 
  • CDC urges improved donor screening after 2nd bone allograft TB outbreak

    The CDC is calling for improved donor screening and culture-based testing of donor organs and tissues after the second outbreak of tuberculosis in transplant cases.
  • New tool supports hospitals in determining infection control staffing

    The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology has launched a staffing calculator tool to support infection prevention and control leaders in making decisions around staffing and resource allocation. 
  • Sepsis prevention requires accountable leadership, hospitals say

    Northwell Health, Henry Ford Health and Corewell Health are making strides in reducing sepsis deaths through one key factor: accountability. 
  • How Northwell Health cut sepsis rates in half

    New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health has cut its sepsis infection rates in half amid mounting pressures from the Biden administration for U.S. hospitals to do more to reduce sepsis deaths — which account for about 270,000 deaths annually.
  • C. auris may contaminate environments rapidly, even after disinfection: Study

    When patients are colonized with Candida auris, contamination of their surrounding environments can happen within just a few hours, according to the results of a new study. 

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