ICCS Infection Prevention & Control Newsletter: January 2023

This issue covers some of the most significant news from January. Topics include FDA warnings, artificial tears, end of the PHE, surgical gloves and instruments, and COVID vaccine campaigns.

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FDA Issues Two Warning Letters to Leading Manufacturer of Endoscopes — FDA issued a fresh round of warning letters to Olympus and a subsidiary concerning violations of medical device reporting requirements and quality system regulations for endoscopes and accessories.
 
Multistate Cluster of Carbapenem-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Linked to Use of Artificial Tears — The CDC issued a statement urging the immediate discontinuation of the use of EzriCare Artificial Tears until epidemiological investigation and laboratory analyses are complete.
 
Biden Administration To Wind Down COVID Emergencies in May — The White House announced it would end public health and national emergencies for COVID on May 11.
 
ECRI Issues Top 10 Health Technology Hazards Report — ECRI released its "Hazards List for 2023." Hazards with infection-related concerns on this year's list include confusion surrounding ventilator cleaning and disinfection requirements can lead to cross-contamination and the growing number of defective single-use medical devices puts patients at risk.
 
Routine Change of Surgical Gloves/Instruments Significantly Lowers SSIs — An international study found that a simple routine change of surgical gloves and instruments could prevent 1 in 8 SSIs.
 
OIG: Pandemic Data Shows Major Changes Needed in Nursing Home Staffing, Surveys, Infection Control — The OIG called for "significant changes" to nursing home operations and oversight in light of new data on COVID-19 infection rates.
 
FDA Panel Recommends Move Toward Streamlined COVID Vaccine Approach — The FDA vaccine advisory group recommended streamlining COVID-19 vaccine campaigns by offering just the newer bivalent (two-strain) versions of the vaccine for both primary and booster series.
 
New Omicron Subvariant Is 'Crazy Infectious,' COVID Expert Warns — As we enter the fourth year of the pandemic, new variants keep surfacing and each one appears to be more transmissible than the others. While it is understandable that we need to continue living our lives, we need to continue to be smart and safe.
 
See It Clearly: Central Sterile Processing's Role in Reprocessing Eye Devices — At ICCS, we routinely note deficiencies in reprocessing eye devices during our onsite visits. This Infection Control Today article is a win for all that work in that space.

ICCS Infection Prevention & Control Newsletter: December 2022

This issue covers some of the most significant news from December. Topics include N95s, COVID-19 testing, sharps safety, antibiotic resistance, and flushed toilets.

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Study: Wearing Surgical Masks Over N95s Can Cause Dangerous Leaks — A study showed that for optimal protection against respiratory pathogens, procedure masks should not be worn over N95 filtering facepiece respirators.
 
The Checkup With Dr. Wen: Yes, N95s Are Still Superior to Surgical Masks — It is important to understand when reviewing data that study bias can have "dangerous consequences." A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine receiving significant attention was challenged by Dr. Leana Wen in this column. She pointed out noteworthy flaws in the study's design. ICCS endorses the continued use of N95 masks during respiratory pandemics for superior protection.
 
Pre-Procedure and Pre-Admission COVID-19 Testing No Longer Recommended for Asymptomatic Patients — Rather than routinely screen symptom-free patients for COVID-19 upon admission or prior to surgical procedures, the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America advised healthcare facilities to rely on enhanced layers of infection prevention interventions.
 
Sharps Safety Guidelines — This column outlined key sharps safety guidelines in conjunction with International Sharps Injury Prevention Awareness Month.

WHO Report Shows Rising Antibiotic Resistance, Need for Better Data — Key takeaway from this new WHO report: "This report supports the view that antimicrobial resistance represents a global health security threat requiring concerted cross-sectional action by governments and different stakeholders in society." 

Masks for COVID Also Prevented Pertussis — Research found that public health prevention measures taken during the COVID pandemic led to a dramatic drop in whooping cough cases in a large health system. 
  
Providers Have Big Shoes to Fill With Infection Preventionists — A McKnight's article notes that while infection preventionists should now be in all of the nation's nursing homes, IPs should expect their responsibilities to grow as the industry grapples with workforce issues.
 
Scientists Shine a Light on What Comes Up When the Toilet is Flushed — Important research, with this key takeaway: "While these results may be disconcerting, the study provides experts in plumbing and public health with a consistent way to test improved plumbing design and disinfection and ventilation strategies, in order to reduce exposure risk to pathogens in public restrooms."

ICCS Infection Prevention & Control Newsletter: November 2022

This issue covers some of the most significant news from November. Topics include HAIs, dental infections in children, nursing homes, bacterial pathogens, RSV and "mpox."

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National and State Healthcare-Associated Infections Progress Report — A CDC report showed significant increases in some HAIs for some facility types. As infection preventionists, we will continue to put our best efforts forward to fight for patient safety.

Outbreaks of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Infections Highlight Importance of Maintaining and Monitoring Dental Waterlines — CDC issued a health advisory following outbreaks of nontuberculous Mycobacteria infections in children who received pulpotomies in pediatric dental clinics. ICCS has reported on the risk of these infections in pediatric patients undergoing pulpotomy and how to best manage the lines.

A Day in the Life of an Infection Preventionist — Infection Preventionist Isis Escandon Lamphier spelled out the numerous responsibilities of an IP and demonstrates why this position is so vital to safety and maintaining compliance.

Why Infection Control in Nursing Homes is 'Inadequate,' Needs Major Change — This article explored the infection control and prevention shortcomings in U.S. nursing homes.

Most Global Bacterial Deaths in 2019 Linked to Five Pathogens — The five bacterial pathogens responsible for more than half of the bacterial deaths in 2019:

• Staphylococcus aureus

• Streptococcus pneumoniae

• Escherichia coli

• Klebsiella pneumoniae

• Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Increased Respiratory Virus Activity, Especially Among Children, Early in the 2022-2023 Fall and Winter — CDC issued an advisory about increased respiratory virus activity, especially among children.

New Yale Study Finds Promising Results With Nasal COVID-19 Vaccine — A team of researchers published their findings that a nasal booster vaccine for COVID-19 may be a key way to help prevent the infection and transmission of the virus.

Damage to Health Mounts With Each New COVID Infection — A study showed that every time a person gets infected with COVID-19, their risk of dying or suffering serious long-term health problems increases significantly.

WHO Recommends New Name for Monkeypox Disease — WHO announced it will begin using the term "mpox" as a synonym for monkeypox. The names will be used simultaneously for a year while monkeypox is phased out.