ICCS Infection Prevention & Infection Control Newsletter: December 2019 (1st Half)
This issue of the ICCS Infection Prevention & Control Newsletter covers news from the first half of December. Topics include HAIs, hospital mold, salmonella outbreak, duodenoscope reprocessing and a new MRSA test.
Note: Catch up on news you may have missed from the latter half of November here.
* * *
CDC: Medical Device-Associated HAIs More Likely to Be Antibiotic Resistant — A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicated that healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) linked to medical device use are more likely to be antibiotic resistant than surgical site infections (SSIs).
Healthcare Workers Contaminated With Respiratory Viruses Following Care — A study indicated that the skin, clothing and personal protective equipment of healthcare workers are frequently contaminated with respiratory viruses following the delivery of care to patients with acute viral infections.
Salmonella Outbreak Sickens Patients at Multiple PA Healthcare Facilities — An outbreak of Salmonella Javiana sickened more than 30 patients at four healthcare facilities in southeast Pennsylvania.
Disinfecting Duodenoscopes: Does the Method Make a Difference? — Investigators have compared disinfection methods to determine whether reprocessing duodenoscopes with double high-level disinfection or chemical sterilization is more effective.
FDA Hopes New App Will Help With Treatment of Infectious Diseases — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched an app that will allow healthcare professionals to share new uses of FDA-approved drugs to treat difficult-to-treat infectious diseases.
Children's Health Relocating 28 Patients Out of 'Abundance of Caution' After Tests Show Aspergillus Mold — Mold problems are challenging more hospitals. The same mold found in this Dallas hospital — aspergillus — has been linked to the deaths of patients at a Seattle hospital.
Flu Season Begins Earlier Than Usual as It Harshly Hits Southern States, CDC Reports — Flu season is now in full swing — hitting the United States sooner than it has in more than a decade.
Honey 'Dressings' Could Ward Off Infections After an Operation — The antibacterial properties of the natural sweetener have been known for thousands of years.
Social Risk Factors Associated With Post-Colectomy Surgical Site Infections — Infection prevention programs targeting low-income groups undergoing colectomy may be important in SSIs, according to a study.
FDA Approves Test That Speeds MRSA Screening — FDA approved a new test to diagnose methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which will allow health workers to screen patients for MRSA colonization more quickly.
Global Measles Deaths Rise to 140,000; Young Kids Hit Hard — Last year 140,000 people worldwide died from complications of measles infections. In 2017, there were 110,000 measles deaths tracked. Most of measles-related deaths are in children under the age of 5.
Request a Consultation
If your matter is urgent,
please call (215) 692-3485.
