ICCS Infection Prevention & Control Newsletter: January 2022

This issue covers some of the most significant news from January. Topics include Supreme Court rulings, health tech hazards, superbugs, LTC surveys, and vaccine mix-ups.

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ICYMI: Check out our Special Edition: 2021 Year in Review newsletter.

Supreme Court Upholds HHS' Vaccine Requirement for Healthcare Workers, Blocks OSHA's Large Employer Mandate — The Supreme Court decided to allow HHS to require COVID-19 vaccination among healthcare facilities employees but blocked the federal government's broader vaccine-or-mask mandate for employers with at least 100 employees.

ECRI's 2022 Health Technology Hazards List Includes Infection Issues — Multiple infection-related issues are highlighted in ECRI's 2022 annual list of top 10 health technology hazards.

Why Humans Are Losing the Race Against Superbugs — Drug-resistant bacteria are on the rise globally and killing more people annually than either HIV/AIDS or malaria.

CMS Clarifies COVID-Related LTC Survey Process — Long-term care providers have more information on how surveyors will interpret infection control and vaccination requirements moving forward after CMS updated guidance to the LTC survey process procedure guide.

New Study Suggests N95 Respirators Can Be Safely Reprocessed to Augment Supply in Future Epidemics — Study findings suggest no significant differences in respirator function or effectiveness after 25 decontamination cycles

Age-Related COVID-19 Vaccine Mix-Ups — The Institute for Safe Medication Practices issued an important alert for those administering adult and pediatric COVID-19 vaccines.

75% of COVID ICU Survivors Have Physical Symptoms 1 Year On — Another study shows the importance of looking at and discussing the impact of COVID in ways going beyond cases and deaths.

Machine Learning Predicts C. Diff Infection — Data show that several commonly used machine learning algorithms can accurately predict which hospitalized patients will become infected with C. diff.

Effectiveness of mRNA Vaccines Against COVID-19 Hospitalization by Age and Chronic Medical Conditions Burden Among Immunocompetent US Adults — A study found that mRNA vaccines reduced the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization by >95% in healthy adults without chronic medical conditions regardless of age, sex, obesity or race/ethnicity.

ECRI's 2022 Health Technology Hazards List Includes Infection Issues

Multiple infection-related issues are highlighted in ECRI's 2022 annual list of top 10 health technology hazards, according to a news release.

Coming in at #8 on the top 10 list is poor duodenoscope reprocessing ergonomics and workflows, which ECRI notes can put patients and healthcare workers at risk. An executive brief for the "Top 10 Health Technology Hazards for 2022" report elaborates, stating, "The failure to adequately reprocess contaminated duodenoscopes between uses is a well-known hazard, one that has led to the spread of deadly pathogens. Perhaps less well known are the risks of injury to the healthcare workers who perform this function, and the ways in which ergonomic and workflow factors can compromise reprocessing effectiveness, putting patients at risk."

At #9 is disposable gowns with insufficient barrier protection, with ECRI noting that its testing of such gowns has raised concerns about manufacturing quality, particularly in gowns from nontraditional suppliers. The executive brief states, "Gown wearers can be put at risk of cross-contamination if the wrong type of gown is purchased and worn for the intended application, or if the gown does not provide the level of protection that is claimed."

The hazards taking the top three spots on the 2022 list are:

1. Cybersecurity attacks can disrupt healthcare delivery, impacting patient safety

2. Supply chain shortfalls pose risks to patient care

3. Damaged infusion pumps can cause medication errors

The 2021 top hazards list included imported N95-style masks, ultraviolet (UV) disinfection, remote operation of medical devices designed for bedside use, and 3D printing quality.

ICCS Infection Prevention & Infection Control Newsletter: 2021 Year in Review

Another year — and another with COVID — is behind us. It was a wild year of some highs and more lows than any of us wanted. Let's look back at what happened with infection prevention and control during 2021 in this special edition of the ICCS Infection Prevention & Control Newsletter.

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Delta Variant Reaches the United States — The delta variant strain of SARS-CoV-2 was first detected in the United States in March. By the end of June, it was detected in all 50 states and Washington, DC. By the end of July, it became the dominant variant in the country. Delta held this title until…

Omicron Becomes the Dominant Variant — Near the end of the year, the omicron variant overtook delta as the dominant strain circulating in the United States, accounting for nearly 60% of all variants by Christmas. ICCS Founder Phenelle Segal, RN, CIC, FAPIC, provided advice on how people could travel and gather more safely as the variant continued its rapid spread. Omicron now accounts for about 95% of all reported cases.

Impact of COVID-19 on Healthcare-Associated Infections in 2020 — A CDC analysis comparing infection rates before and during pandemic revealed a significant increase in healthcare-associated infections in 2020.

Personal Protective Equipment: An Ongoing Challenge — While 2020 was full of stories about PPE shortages, 2021 was more about PPE fatigue. Phenelle discussed the subject and importance of employers keeping current with and following guidelines and best practices.

Drug-Resistant Infections Claims Thousands of Lives, Nearly $2 Billion in Healthcare Costs — Results of a study published in October reminded us of the significant burden of antibiotic-resistant infections on patients and the healthcare system.

FDA Authorizes COVID Booster for All U.S. Adults — In November, FDA gave the green light for fully vaccinated Americans age 18 and older to receive the booster.

Joint Commission Infection Control Standards Among the Most Challenging in 2020 — The Joint Commission issued its top 5 most challenging requirements for 2020. Once again appearing on multiple programs' lists: infection control standards.

Infection Control Immediate Jeopardy Citations of Nursing Homes Tripled — An analysis of citations of non-compliance with federal regulations received by nursing homes showed that the F-tag F880, for the presence of an infection prevention and control program, was cited more than 11,500 times in 2020. That figure was expected to increase in 2021.

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.

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.

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

Infection Prevention Getting More Closely Scrutinized — Reports indicated that new hospital Joint Commission standards for 2022 are expected in areas that include medication management, antimicrobial stewardship, community-acquired pneumonia, and other infections.

2021 Focused Update Guidelines on Management of C.Diff in Adults — In June, IDSA and SHEA published new clinical guidelines for C. diff in adults.

Nursing Homes: CMS Adds New Triggering Factors for Focused Infection Control Surveys — In January, CMS expanded the criteria that would trigger a focused infection control survey at nursing homes.

Joint Commission Spotlights Non-Ventilator Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia — It is estimated that one in every 100 hospitalized patients will be affected by NVHAP. The Joint Commission issued an advisory on preventing the condition.

Antibiotic Development, Stewardship Advocates See Window of Opportunity — Clinicians, scientists, and public health advocates called for renewed attention to antimicrobial resistance, which was in the spotlight before the pandemic.