Infection Control

Bacterial infections associated with injectable drugs resulted in more than $1 billion in hospital charges in 2019 in New Jersey, Gothamist reported Nov. 2.

Hand-washing and disinfecting surfaces doesn't do much to curb the spread of respiratory viruses, because airborne transmission plays a much larger role, Jacob Stern wrote in an Oct. 24 piece for The Atlantic. 

The nation's first confirmed cluster of Candida auris infections among children was detected at Las Vegas-based Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center in May, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Oct. 22.

A Florida hospital nurse was exposed to monkeypox through a needlestick in July, representing the nation's first confirmed case from a healthcare exposure, the CDC said Oct. 17.

Face masks have played a crucial role in reducing COVID-19 transmission in hospitals, but clinical and infection control experts are not convinced the pandemic has set a new precedent for widespread use of facial coverings in healthcare settings. 

The U.S. healthcare industry would benefit from investing in infection prevention in control, especially in light of the missteps from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Devin Jopp, EdD, CEO of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control & Epidemiology,…

Indianapolis-based Riley Hospital for Children is preparing for a rise in respiratory syncytial virus cases by adjusting visitation policies and expanding its pediatric intensive care unit, WishTV reported Oct. 5.

Hospital floors and shoes could be an overlooked source for dissemination of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and other healthcare-associated pathogens, according to a study performed at a VA hospital in Ohio. 

The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology urges all infection preventionists to maintain mandatory mask requirement policies for all healthcare employees in patient care areas despite the CDC's recent guidance shift.

The CDC dropped its universal masking guideline for healthcare workers after a weeklong slowdown in COVID-19 hospitalizations and nursing home infections nationwide, CBS News reported Sept. 23.