Artificial or natural nails that extend more than one-fourth of an inch beyond the fingertip can harbor more pathogens than short nails, leading to more outbreaks, according to a Feb. 8 article published on Nurse.org.
Infection Control
Improper prescribing or overuse of antifungal creams may actually be making some drug-resistant fungal skin infections worse, according to a CDC report published Jan. 11.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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…
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.…
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.
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.