Infection Control Consulting Services Launches Division to Support Non-Healthcare Businesses

July 16, 2020 — Infection Control Consulting Services (ICCS), a nationally renowned consulting firm, announces the launch of a dedicated division to support non-healthcare businesses as they work to navigate the challenges, requirements, and ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While ICCS is primarily recognized for its work providing infection prevention and control services to a variety of healthcare facilities, the firm has a history of assisting businesses in other industries. As stay-at-home orders expired and businesses began to reopen, ICCS saw a significant uptick in requests from companies seeking epidemiologists trained in infection prevention to provide guidance concerning how to safely and properly resume operations and stay open.

The increase in demand for services has necessitated the forming of a division dedicated to helping non-healthcare companies, says ICCS Founder and President Phenelle Segal, RN, CIC, FAPIC.

"These businesses are hiring our certified infection preventionists to benefit from the vast experience we have accrued over the course of the past four decades, which includes pandemic preparedness and management during crises such SARS, MERS, H1N1, Ebola, and now the novel coronavirus," Segal says. "We understand the stress companies are going through as they attempt to follow federal and state safety guidelines, which are often vague and confusing. Our team is ready to help business owners and their management teams determine what steps to take to keep employees and customers safe while reassuring an understandably nervous public."

ICCS services available to non-healthcare companies include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Development and assistance with implementation of a written plan and protocols

• Social distancing

• Screening of employees and visitors

• Appropriate purchasing and usage of personal protective equipment (PPE), including face mask requirements

• Environmental cleaning and disinfection, including product selection

• Managing COVID-19 positive employees and/or those in contact with positive individuals

• Return-to-work rules for employees diagnosed with COVID-19

Businesses interested in scheduling a complimentary telephone consultation with Infection Control Consulting Services should click here or email info@iccs-home.com.

About Infection Control Consulting Services

Infection Control Consulting Services (ICCS) is a national provider of infection prevention and infection control services to healthcare and non-healthcare industries. The firm is well known for the personal touch, expertise, and value that clients receive when utilizing the company's services, which includes developing, implementing, and maintaining evidence-based infection prevention and control programs as well as providing exceptional educational programs. ICCS is led by Phenelle Segal, RN, CIC, FAPIC, who has almost 40 years of experience. For more information, visit www.iccs-home.com and follow ICCS on LinkedIn.

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CDC Warns of Serious Adverse Events From Methanol-Based Hand Sanitizers

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a health advisory concerning the potential for serious adverse health events associated with the use of methanol-based hand sanitizer products (sanitizers or rubs).

Most commercially available alcohol-based hand sanitizer products contain ethanol or isopropanol as active ingredients. In June, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advised consumers not to use any hand sanitizer manufactured by "Eskbiochem SA de CV" due to the potential presence of methanol as an active ingredient. Methanol, considered a "toxic alcohol," can cause blindness and/or death when absorbed through the skin or when swallowed. The FDA has since identified additional alcohol-based hand sanitizer products that contain methanol and is working on a voluntary recall of these products.

In the health advisory, CDC provided the following recommendations for clinicians and public health officials:

1. Clinicians should advise patients to immediately seek medical treatment if they have been exposed to methanol-containing alcohol-based hand sanitizers on the "FDA's testing and manufacturer's recalls" list and are experiencing symptoms.

2. Clinicians should have a high index of suspicion for methanol poisoning when a patient presents with a history of alcohol-based hand sanitizer product ingestion or repeated use of these products on the skin. Signs and symptoms include headache, blurred vision or blindness, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, loss of coordination, decreased level of consciousness, and laboratory findings (e.g., anion gap metabolic acidosis).

3. Clinicians and public health practitioners should educate patients and the public to use alcohol-based hand sanitizer products only for hand hygiene.

4. Clinicians and public health practitioners should educate patients and the public on the serious adverse health risks of ingesting alcohol-based hand sanitizer products.

5. Clinicians and public health practitioners should educate patients and the public that some alcohol-based hand sanitizer products may contain a significant amount of methanol and using these products may result in the serious adverse health events noted above.

6. Clinicians should contact the local poison center (800-222-1222) to report cases and to obtain specific medical management advice of methanol poisoning.

Infection Prevention Standards Challenge AAAHC-Accredited Facilities

Infection prevention and safe injection practice standards are among those with high deficiency percentages for organizations accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC).

This is according to the 2020 AAAHC Quality Roadmap, the accreditor's annual review and analysis of AAAHC standards compliance. The 2020 report reflects data from nearly 1,500 surveys conducted against AAAHC's 2018 standards, which were applied in 2019. Surveyed organizations include Medicare deemed status ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), office-based surgery practices, and primary care settings.

Medicare Deemed Status Ambulatory Surgery Centers

For the 360 Medicare deemed status ambulatory surgery centers included in the surveys, standards rated as deficient on at least 15% of the surveys were identified. The following infection prevention and safe injection practice standards met this parameter (with approximate % deficient included in parentheses):

• 7.I.C.2 (27%) — The infection control and prevention program reduces the risk of healthcare-acquired infection as evidenced by education and active surveillance, consistent with: (2) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or other nationally recognized guidelines for safe injection practices.

• 9.S (24%) — A safe environment for providing anesthesia services is ensured through the provision of adequate space, equipment, supplies, medications, and appropriately trained personnel. Written policies must be in place for safe use of injectables and single-use syringes and needles. All equipment should be maintained, tested, and inspected according to the manufacturer's specifications. A log is kept of regular preventive maintenance.

• 11.J (22%) — The organization must have policies in place for safe use of injectables and single-use syringes and needles that, at minimum, include the CDC or comparable guidelines for safe injection practices. [416.51(a)]

• 11.B.1 (18%) — Pharmaceutical services are provided in accordance with ethical and professional practice and applicable federal and state laws. [416.48(a)] (1) Drugs are prepared and administered according to established policies and acceptable standards of practice. [416.48(a)]

• 7.I.C (17%) — The infection prevention and control program is under the direction of a designated and qualified healthcare professional with training and current competence in infection prevention and control.

• 11.M (16%) — If look-alike or sound-alike medications are present, the organization identifies and maintains a current list of these medications, and actions to prevent errors are evident.

Office-Based Surgery Practices

For the 138 office-based surgery practices included in the surveys, standards rated as deficient on at least 10% of the surveys were identified. The following infection prevention and safe injection practice standards met this parameter (with approximate % deficient included in parentheses):

• 7.II.E (14%) — All products, including medications, reagents, solutions, and supplies that have a manufacturer's printed expiration date are monitored and disposed of in compliance with facility policy and manufacturers' guidelines.

• 11.F (10%) — Procedures are in place to prevent errors from look-alike, sound-alike and high-alert medications, if present.

• 7.I.B (10%) — The written infection prevention and control program describes how infections and communicable diseases are prevented, identified, and managed.

• 7.I.C (10%) — The infection prevention and control program is under the direction of a designated and qualified healthcare professional with training and current competence in infection prevention and control.

Primary Care Settings

For the 161 primary care organizations included in the surveys, standards rated as deficient on at least 10% of the surveys were identified. The following infection prevention and safe injection practice standards met this parameter (with approximate % deficient included in parentheses):

• 7.II.E (14%) — All products, including medications, reagents, solutions, and supplies that have a manufacturer's printed expiration date are monitored and disposed of in compliance with facility policy and manufacturers' guidelines.

• 7.I.C (11%) — The infection prevention and control program is under the direction of a designated and qualified healthcare professional with training and current competence in infection prevention and control.

Noel Adachi, president and CEO of AAAHC, states in a news release, "The AAAHC Standards focused on infection prevention and control have never been more important. Today, healthcare organizations need to be even more vigilant about adherence to these practices to promote employee and patient safety."

The 2020 report is available for free download after filling out a form here.

Infection Control Consulting Services (ICCS), a national infection control and prevention consulting firm, reports that its findings during onsite visits and review of written programs in the outpatient setting, including ambulatory surgery centers and outpatient clinics, are generally consistent with this report.