Infection Control Today Articles

Will Science and Common Sense Prevail in the N95 Issue?

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:45:14 PDT

Editor's Note: This commentary is being published online ahead of print and will appear in the SHEA Synopsis column in the December 2009 issue of Infection Control Today.In the midst of the resurgent outbreak of novel H1N1 influenza and with the likely appearance of seasonal strains of influenza on the ...(712 words)

Bacterial Contamination of Surgical Scrubs and Laundering Mechanisms: Infection Control Implications

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:15:07 PDT

By Carolyn L. Twomey, RN, BSN; Heather Beitz, BA, MEd; and Helen Boehm Johnson, MD Objective: To assess the bioburden associated with surgical scrub garments separated into eight categories based on single-use/re-usable status, use status (prior to use versus after use), and, for re-usable scrub garments, laundering mechanism (facility-laundered, third-party laundered ...(3415 words)

Hand Hygiene: Challenges and Strategies

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:59:09 PDT

Despite acknowledgement of the critically important role of hand hygiene in reducing the transmission of pathogenic microorganisms, overall compliance with hand hygiene is less than optimal in healthcare settings. This article addresses hand hygiene best practices, measuring compliance and considerations for improvement strategies. In this context, the term hand hygiene ...(1726 words)

Control and Prevention of MDROs

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:03:42 PDT

While multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE), Clostridium difficile (C. diff) and certain Gram-negative bacilli (GNB ) continue to alarm the general public and are frequently misunderstood by patients, now there’s an even better reason for healthcare professionals to not become complacent about these ...(2910 words)

Solving the Conundrum: Which Surfaces to Disinfect, How and How Often?

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:56:58 PDT

Few doubt the value of regular surface disinfection in hospitals, schools, and other institutions. However, there is a healthy debate taking place within the environmental services and infection control communities, attempting to address a fundamental conundrum – which surfaces to disinfect, how and how often? Two questions are central to ...(1024 words)

Managing and Treating Wound Infection: Taking a Holistic Approach

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:50:12 PDT

Managing wound infection requires a holistic process, from assessment strategies to determine the level and severity of bacteria present, to identifying and understanding a patient’s particular risk factors. This requires a team approach, bringing together clinicians with specific expertise, including certified wound ostomy and continence nurses (CWOCNs). With wound treatment, ...(1135 words)

Designing a Getting-to-Zero Program That Works for You: A Focus on Process Improvement

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:33:08 PDT

Building on Our Successes to Leverage Momentum, Gain Buy-In and Foster AccountabilityThe journey to zero began in 1998 for BJC HealthCare and the BJC Infection Control and Healthcare Epidemiology Consortium. Education had a huge impact in reducing central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs). The program that was developed was part of ...(1580 words)

Getting to Zero: Implications for Infection Prevention

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:27:13 PDT

Just how many infections are preventable? That’s the question with which every hospital grapples these days. While facilities are preventing more infections than ever before, the news still reports illnesses and deaths attributable to breaches in infection prevention and control, prompting infection preventionists to ask themselves, “How low can we ...(3865 words)

Are You Ready for the Next Influenza Outbreak?

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:57:27 PDT

Conflicting reports in the media have healthcare professionals wondering exactly what this year’s influenza season will bring – a pandemic of novel H1N1 flu or a mild seasonal outbreak. In late August, the media seized upon a presidential advisory panel report that indicated as many as 90,000 U.S. deaths could ...(7661 words)

Putting a Pandemic in Perspective

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:48:34 PDT

A USA Today headline reads, “Flu could kill 90,000 Americans this year.” Obviously, sophisticated computer models have been used to make projections of morbidity and mortality related to the two flu viruses expected to circulate this season. Some say it is a scare tactic or maybe just fuel to sell ...(871 words)