Category: Infection Control

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 J…

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.

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.