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 hurt their efficacy.
Category: Infection Control
Stepping up the fight: Hospital execs urged to intensify sepsis care in 2024
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. After a month of f…
An unforeseen reason hospitals are pausing surgeries
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 differe…
How RWJBarnabas cut CLABSIs by 40%
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.
New strain of drug-resistant bacteria identified
A new strain of multidrug resistant Pseudocitrobacter bacteria has been identified by researchers. The novel strain was resistant to seven different classes of antibiotics, according to the data, published Jan. 17 in The Journal of Hospital Infection.
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.
