CDC Shares New Infection Prevention and PPE Research

In conjunction with International Infection Prevention Week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced the availability of new research into infection prevention and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

The research is available as a supplement to the October issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases. Titled "Personal Protective Equipment for Preventing Contact Transmission of Pathogens: Innovations from CDC's Prevention Epicenters Program," it is composed of more than a dozen CDC-funded, in-depth studies on recent PPE work in U.S. healthcare settings. The research, CDC states, provides evidence to improve routine use of PPE and prevent contact transmission of infectious diseases in healthcare settings.

Topics covered in the studies include:

• antibiotic-resistant bacteria in hospitals;

• doffing;

• gown design;

• hand hygiene;

• glove decontamination; and

• biocontainment unit design.

More specifically, the research was supported by the CDC's Prevention Epicenters Program, a 20-year-old research program intended to implement strategies to improve healthcare quality and patient safety.

Infection Prevention Remains National Patient Safety Goal for All Programs

The Joint Commission continues to stress the importance of infection prevention by including it as a 2020 National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) for all eight of its programs.

The infection prevention NPSG — goal #7 — is described as "Reduce the risk of healthcare-associated infections."

For the hospital and critical access hospital programs, the infection prevention NPSG includes the following standards:

• NPSG.07.01.01: Use the hand cleaning guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the World Health Organization. Set goals for improving hand cleaning. Use the goals to improve hand cleaning.

• NPSG.07.03.01: Use proven guidelines to prevent infections that are difficult to treat.

• NPSG.07.04.01: Use proven guidelines to prevent infection of the blood from central lines.

• NPSG.07.05.01: Use proven guidelines to prevent infection after surgery.

• NPSG.07.06.01: Use proven guidelines to prevent infections of the urinary tract that are caused by catheters.

For the nursing care center program, the infection prevention NPSG includes the following standards:

• NPSG.07.01.01: Use the hand cleaning guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the World Health Organization. Set goals for improving hand cleaning. Use the goals to improve hand cleaning.

• NPSG.07.03.01: Use proven guidelines to prevent infections that are difficult to treat.

• NPSG.07.04.01: Use proven guidelines to prevent infection of the blood from central lines.

• NPSG.07.06.01: Use proven guidelines to prevent infections of the urinary tract that are caused by catheters.

For the ambulatory healthcare and office-based surgery programs, the infection prevention NPSG includes the following standards:

• NPSG.07.01.01: Use the hand cleaning guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the World Health Organization. Set goals for improving hand cleaning. Use the goals to improve hand cleaning.

• NPSG.07.05.01: Use proven guidelines to prevent infection after surgery.

For the behavioral healthcare, home care and laboratory programs, the infection prevention NPSG includes the following standard:

• NPSG.07.01.01: Use the hand cleaning guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the World Health Organization. Set goals for improving hand cleaning. Use the goals to improve hand cleaning.

The 2020 NPSGs become effective Jan. 1, 2020.

Sterile Processing Errors Earns Spot on ECRI Top Health Technology Hazards List

ECRI Institute has issued its annual list of the top 10 health technology hazards, and sterile processing errors in some ambulatory settings, including medical and dental offices, comes in at #3.

As ECRI notes in a news release, the challenge associated with sterile processing concerns the "failure to consistently and effectively sterilize contaminated items can lead to patient infections."

An executive brief for the "Top 10 Health Technology Hazards for 2020" report elaborates, stating the following: "Insufficient attention to sterilization processes in medical offices, dental offices and some other ambulatory care settings can expose patients to contaminated instruments, implants or other critical items. … failure to consistently and effectively clean and disinfect or sterilize contaminated items before use can expose patients to virulent pathogens. This concern exists in all healthcare settings where patients may come in contact with contaminated items, particularly those intended to enter sterile tissue or the vascular system."

ECRI also highlighted the infection risks associated with the #4 hazard on the list: central venous catheter (CVC) risk in at-home hemodialysis. ECRI notes that the risks associated with CVCs can be particularly dangerous in the home setting because family members may lack the ability to effectively manage such risks. The executive brief states, "CVCs are typically placed through the jugular vein (or other large central vein), providing a pathway directly from the outside of the body to the patient’s heart. As a result, the conse­quences of infection, clotting, disconnection and air embolism can be severe."

The hazards taking the top spots on the 2020 list are surgical stapler misuse (#1) and point-of-care ultrasound (#2).

The 2019 top hazards list included mattresses remaining contaminated after cleaning, retained surgical sponges and recontamination of endoscopes after disinfection.