The following are 12 recent happenings in infection control, including study results and area-relevant news. Entries are from the last two weeks and start with the most recent story.
1. Researchers found the fist bump has the potential to reduce transmission of disease-causing bacteria from hand-to-hand contact.
2. Eighty percent of physicians own smartphones, and 57 percent of physicians use them during interactions with patients, which may make them a transmitter of healthcare-associated infections, according to a Dutch study.
3. HHS, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America awarded the 2013 Partnership in Prevention Prize to the Madison-based University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics for sustainable HAI reduction.
4. Hospital-onset methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has decreased 54 percent since 2005, according to research published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
5. Oral antibiotics showed promise for the elimination of Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae.
6. Cather-associated urinary tract infection management has improved nationwide since 2001, according to research published in the American Journal of Infection Control.
7. Twenty-six of the world's leading experts on antibiotic resistance wrote a summary of the problem for The Lancet that detailed the source of prevalent antibiotic resistance as well as potential global solutions.
8. A study showed bacteria profiles of emergency departments and inpatient settings are different, in particular for E. coli, Enterococcus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
9. Indiana released its first statewide report on HAIs.
10. Researchers quantified the cost of HAIs in cardiac readmissions and found HAI-related cardiac readmissions cost as much as three times more than non-HAI related readmissions.
11. Meadowbrook, Pa.-based Holy Redeemer Hospital posted positive preliminary results for their pilot program using yogurt to reduce HAIs in patients on antibiotics.
12. A survey published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology identified major trends in pediatric antibiotic resistant pathogens.
More Articles on Quality:
Palliative Care for Chronic Care Management Grows
Top 10 Patient Safety Issues for 2014