Ebola Outbreak in Congo Declared Global Emergency By WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as a "public health emergency of international concern."

As a WHO news release notes, the declaration follows recent alarming developments concerning the outbreak, including the first confirmed case in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province located in the eastern DRC. About two million people reside in Goma, which is on the border with Rwanda and is described by WHO as "the gateway to the rest of DRC and the world."

WHO released a statement that included a series of recommendations for affected countries, neighboring countries and all countries.

Despite the declaration, WHO acknowledged that the risk of Ebola spreading beyond the affected area is presently low. During a press conference, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is quoted as stating, "Our risk assessment remains that the risk of Ebola spread in DRC and the region remains very high, and the risk of spread outside the region remains low."

The latest Ebola outbreak in DRC was declared in August 2018. As of July 15, 2019, WHO reports the total number of confirmed Ebola cases in the DRC at more than 2,400 and nearly 1,600 confirmed deaths.

Study: Efforts to Reduce Catheter-Induced Infections Coming Up Short

The results of a new study show that despite awareness of the infection risks posed by indwelling urinary and vascular catheters, barriers remain that contribute to reduced effectiveness in decreasing these infections.

For the study, conducted by the University of Michigan and published in the American Journal of Critical Care, researchers interviewed a group of nurses, physician assistants, nurse practitioners and physicians, according to a news release. The interviews addressed problems associated with monitoring and communicating among teams about patients' indwelling catheters. As the release notes, indwelling devices like catheters have been shown to cause about 25% of all hospital infections.

Those interviewed noted that factors such as poor communication between physicians and nurses; workflow misalignment between clinicians; issues with electronic medical records and pagers; and strained relationships between clinicians and hierarchies all helped stifle efforts to decrease catheter use and misuse.

The study results indicate that 60% to 90% of intensive care unit (ICU) patients and 10% to 30% of patients outside the ICU have urinary catheters, many of which are unnecessary or remain in patients for too long.

Study: Patients Who Experience Joint Infection 3X More Likely to Suffer Future Infection

The results of a new study show that patients who experience a prosthetic joint infection following primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) or total hip arthroplasty (THA) are at three times higher risk of suffering another such infection if they undergo another TKA.

The study, published in The Bone and Joint Journal and conducted by researchers from Mayo Clinic, examined 95 patients (undergoing 102 primary TKAs) who were treated between 2000 and 2014 and had a history of prosthetic joint infection in another TKA or THA. Of these patients, 27% were on chronic antibiotic suppression. 

In addition to identifying the three-fold higher risk of prosthetic joint infection, researchers found that the risk was 15 times higher for those patients on chronic antibiotic suppression.

Infection Control Consulting Services (ICCS) has experienced an increase in the number of requests to conduct observations at facilities that perform prosthetic joint replacement surgeries because of concerns about or reports of infections attributable to various organisms. Our highly skilled team of certified infection control consultants works with the surgical staff of these organizations, including surgeons, to determine likely causes and implement mitigation strategies.

Joint infections are complex, and it takes a team approach to conduct an in-depth workup. At times, the potential cause(s) is not obvious and there are often several factors that play a role in joint infections. We can proudly report that we have had tremendous success with assisting in the reduction or elimination of joint infections, particularly when we are able to determine what processes and/or products, devices and equipment contribute to the infections.

June 2019 Issue of Infection Prevention & Control Newsletter Published

The June 2019 issue of the ICCS Infection Prevention & Control Newsletter has published.

The issue includes stories on new Joint Commission antimicrobial stewardship requirements, faucet dangers, cell phone bacteria, dental antibiotics, fecal transplants and CAUTI technology.

Access the latest issue of our infection prevention and control newsletter.

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CDC Publishes TB Screening, Testing and Treatment Infographic

In May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in partnership with the National Tuberculosis Controllers Association (NTCA), released updated tuberculosis recommendations for screening, testing and treatment of healthcare personnel.

In support of these new TB guidelines, CDC has published a helpful infographic that summarizes the recommendations, shared below.

The infographic is available as a downloadable PDF, which can be accessed by clicking the image.