ICCS Infection Prevention & Infection Control Newsletter: March 2021

This issue covers some of the most significant news from March. Topics include top patient safety concerns, Joint Commission surveys, nursing home citations, CLABSIs, hand dryers, and a hand sanitizer recall.

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ECRI Top Patient Safety Concerns for 2021 Include Multiple Infection Risks — Multiple safety challenges associated with infections earned places in ECRI's annual list of top 10 patient safety concerns.

Effective March 15 Joint Commission returning to unannounced onsite surveys — The Joint Commission announced it had resumed unannounced onsite surveys for most programs.

Top 10 Nursing Home Survey Citations — An analysis of federal survey data showed that infection prevention and control deficiencies are among the top citations for nursing home providers.

Lawmakers Want Obama-Era Infection Control Regulations for Nursing Homes Restored — Stricter infection control and emergency preparedness regulations could be on the horizon for skilled nursing and other long-term care providers.

C. auris Taking Advantage of Focus on COVID-19 — Experts warned that pathogens like Candida auris are taking advantage of gaps in monitoring and containment efforts.

National CLABSI rate increased significantly during pandemic — Research showed that the rate of central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) in acute care hospitals increased significantly during the pandemic.

Though Risk is Minuscule, Infection After COVID-19 Vaccination is Possible — A study of vaccinated healthcare workers found a tiny percentage tested positive, underscoring need for mitigation measures until the population has achieved herd immunity through vaccination.

High Speed Air Hand Dryers Spread Contamination More than Paper Towels — A study showed air dryers spread bacteria from poorly washed hands to clothing and surfaces beyond the restroom.

Durisan Hand Sanitizer Recall Due to Microbial Contamination — Durisan announced a recall of select lots of its antimicrobial hand sanitizer, non-alcohol products due to microbial contamination.

Real-World Study Shows MS Patients Have High Infection Risks — A study revealed that outpatient claims and inpatient hospitalizations for infections — especially urinary and kidney infections — were higher among people with multiple sclerosis (MS) than controls.

Health Experts Establish Targets to Improve Hospital Antibiotic Prescribing — A CDC study estimated that ~56% of antibiotics prescribed in hospitals for selected prescribing events were inconsistent with recommended prescribing practices, which led to the first-ever national targets to reduce inappropriate prescribing of certain antibiotics in U.S. hospitals.

Cross-Sector Coalition Calls for Significantly Increased Investments to Combat AMR — A coalition of more than 50 organizations called on the federal government to increase investments to combat antimicrobial resistance and develop new infection-fighting drugs.

ECRI Top Patient Safety Concerns for 2021 Include Multiple Infection Risks

ECRI Institute's "Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns 2021" report includes multiple safety challenges associated with infections.

ECRI states that it creates the annual list of patient safety concerns to help healthcare organizations proactively identify and respond to safety threats. With each of the top 10 patient safety concerns, ECRI provides guidance (i.e., "action recommendations") to help organizations address these areas of concern.

Coming in second on the list is "Emergency Preparedness and Response in Aging Services." Among the action recommendations included in the report: "Adhere to strict infection prevention and control precautions."

Third on the list is "Pandemic Preparedness Across the Health System." ECRI notes infection prevention and control is a key component of pandemic preparedness.

Fourth is "Supply Chain Interruptions." An action recommendation: "Determine which devices are appropriate to reuse when feasible and follow all proper disinfection protocols."

In seventh is "Improvised Use of Medical Devices." One of the action recommendations: "Analyze device impact on heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and other facility structures through an infection control risk assessment."

Coming in ninth is "Peripheral Vascular Harm." ECRI notes, "Peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVCs) are the most widely used invasive devices among inpatients. Severe cases of PIVC infection require intensive care or long-term care. They can lead to extended lengths of stay and antibiotic treatments — and even death."

Last on the list is "Infection Risk from Aerosol- Generating Procedures." ECRI notes, "Aerosol-generating procedures have always posed risks to healthcare workers, but COVID-19 has amplified these risks. COVID-19 spreads to humans via exposure to respiratory droplets. Comparisons with two similar viruses, SARS and MERS, suggest that aerosolization of particles — and thus potential infection of clinicians during aerosol-generating procedures — is possible."

To address this final challenge, ECRI states, "Infection control leaders across the continuum of care should assess practitioners’ safety during aerosol-generating procedures and work to develop, implement, and enforce appropriate precautions."

Taking the top spot on the 2021 list is "Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Healthcare."

The annual list of patient safety challenges is compiled using data on patient safety events and concerns and on the "judgment of interdisciplinary patient safety experts from inside and outside ECRI."

To download ECRI’s report, go here.

The top 10 patient safety concerns list of 2020 included challenges concerning sterile processing and antimicrobial stewardship.

ICCS Infection Prevention & Infection Control Newsletter: February 2021

This issue covers some of the most significant news from February. Topics include OSHA guidance, mask recommendations, UTIs, counterfeit N95s, and spine surgery SSIs.

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Infection Hazards Appear on ECRI's Top Health Technology Hazards List — Multiple infection-related issues earned places in ECRI's annual list of top 10 health technology hazards.

OSHA Issues Guidance On Mitigating, Preventing Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace — OSHA issued employer guidance on mitigating and preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace.

2 Masks Are Better Than 1 but Fit is Most Important Factor, UNC Researchers Say — Research confirmed the value of double-masking but also revealed that ensuring a single mask is fitted appropriately increases protection effectiveness more.

Visitation at ICF/IIDs and PRTFs During the COVID-19 PHE — CMS issued a memo providing visitation guidance for intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities and psychiatric residential treatment facilities during the pandemic.

Most Women Receive Inappropriate Treatment for Urinary Tract Infections — A study showed that nearly half of women with uncomplicated UTIs received the wrong antibiotics and almost three-quarters received prescriptions for longer than necessary.

Homeland Security Seizes More Than 11 million Counterfeit N95 in Nationwide Scam — Department of Homeland Security seized more than 11 million counterfeit 3M N95 respirator masks. Suspected victims of the scam include healthcare organizations in at least 12 states.

WHO Lists Two Additional COVID-19 Vaccines for Emergency Ese and COVAX Roll-Out — WHO listed two versions of the AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, giving the green light for these vaccines to be rolled out globally through the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access initiative.

Maximizing Fit for Cloth and Medical Procedure Masks — CDC released findings showing that wearing a cloth mask over a surgical mask and tying knots on the ear loops of surgical masks offer more protection against the novel coronavirus.

Spine Surgery Site Infections Differ "Dramatically" by Level — Researchers recommended personalized SSI prevention strategies for spinal procedures.

Barrier Face Covering Standard — ASTM released its first national standard for face masks.