ICCS Infection Prevention & Control Newsletter: April 2023

This issue covers some of the most significant news from April. Topics include MRSA, sharps injuries, C. diff, antimicrobial resistance and hand hygiene.

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CMS: Lapses in Infection Control, Vaccine Compliance to Garner 'Aggressive' Enforcement — Federal regulators have put in place new, stricter enforcement measures for nursing homes that struggle to meet infection control and vaccine immunization requirements for residents and staff.
 
Study Finds Excess Harm From Commonly Overprescribed Antibiotics for Patients, Resulting in Widespread Side Effects — A major study found that overprescribing and inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics is not only leading to antibiotic resistance, but also causing significant patient harm.
 
Fewer MRSA Cases When Facilities Practice Surveillance and Contact Precautions — A study showed there was a reduction in bacterial infection in healthcare settings where infection prevention practices were continued during the pandemic.
 
When Safety Precautions Are Faithfully Followed, Sharps Injuries Are Lower, Study Shows — Hospital units that consistently follow standard safety precautions experience nearly 40% fewer needlesticks and other sharps injuries than other units, according to a study.
 
FDA Approves First Orally Administered Fecal Microbiota Product for the Prevention of Recurrence of Clostridioides difficile Infection — A new drug, Vowst, has been approved for the prevention of recurrence of C. diff infection (CDI) in individuals 18 years of age and older, following antibacterial treatment for recurrent CDI.
 
New Guidance Deems Antibiotic Stewardship Essential for Preventing C. Diff Infections — New guidance from five U.S. medical organizations stated that implementing antimicrobial stewardship programs in acute care hospitals is essential for preventing CDI.
 
Review Suggests Fecal Transplant More Effective Than Antibiotics for Recurrent C. Diff — A clinical trial review found that stool transplantation is significantly more effective at resolving recurrent CDI than antibiotics.
 
US Lawmakers Hold Hearing on Antimicrobial Resistance — Experts in infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance went to Capitol Hill to discuss the rising threat of drug-resistant pathogens to the U.S. healthcare system and federal efforts to address the issue.
 
Our Covid Data Project Is Over, but the Need for Timely Data Is Not — This opinion essay, the authors of which helped lead the effort to build the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, emphasizes the importance of investing in our public health agencies and data-gathering capabilities.
 
Hand Hygiene, It Is More Than Washing Our Hands — A summary of hand hygiene guidelines and best practices published by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

ICCS Infection Prevention & Control Newsletter: March 2023

This issue covers some of the most significant news from March. Topics include Candida auris, eye drops recall, top patient safety concerns and C. diff.

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An Emerging Fungal Threat Spread at an Alarming Rate in Us Health Care Facilities, Study Says — CDC published data revealing the rapid rise in number of clinical cases of Candida auris.
 
Here’s What You Need To Know About the Flurry of Eye Drop Recalls — CBS News published a summary of the FDA's recent recalls on eye drops.
 
ECRI: Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns — ECRI published its annual "Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns" report. There are a few concerns on the list of particular interest to those involved in infection prevention and control, including delayed identification and treatment of sepsis, clinicians expected to work outside their scope of practice and competencies, and preventable harm due to omitted care or treatment.
 
Study: Antibiotics Don’t Reduce Risk of Death From Viral Respiratory Infections — A study revealed that prescribing antibiotics for hospital patients with viral respiratory infections appears to have no protective effect and that patients who received antibiotics during their hospitalization were more than twice as likely to die as those who did not.
 
Infant’s Death Linked To Contaminated Breast Pump; CDC Warns Parents About Rare Infection — CDC advised clinicians providing care for infants aged <2 months or those who were born prematurely or are immunosuppressed to explain the risks of C. sakazakii infection to caregivers, especially if the infant is fed with powdered formula or expressed milk.
 
COVID-19 in Nursing Homes: Experts Identified Actions Aimed at Improving Infection Prevention and Control — GAO issued a new report with recommendations to improve nursing home infection prevention and control.
 
New Treatment for Invasive Fungal Infection Candidiasis Approved by FDA — FDA approved rezafungin for injection, a treatment for patients with candidemia and invasive candidiasis. The new treatment is the first approved for the invasive fungal infection in over a decade.
 
Scientists Make Critical Progress Toward Preventing C. Diff Infections — A study performed in mice identified a compound that prevented C. diff infection caused by multiple strains of the bacterium, including those that cause serious illness. 
 
Hospital Survey Highlights Challenges for Infection Control, Antibiotic Stewardship Programs — A hospital survey revealed that infection prevention and control and antibiotic stewardship program interventions requiring staff, time and specialized training were implemented less frequently in 2021 than 2013 and 2018.

ICCS Infection Prevention & Control Newsletter: February 2023

This issue covers some of the most significant news from February. Topics include updated hand hygiene best practices, Shigella infections, ANSI/AAMI ST91, C. diff and dialysis.

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Hand Hygiene is Focus of Updated Advice to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections — Five medical organizations recommended updated best practices for hand hygiene in healthcare settings in areas including healthy skin and nails and access to alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
 
CDC Issues Warning Over an Increase of Drug-resistant Bacteria — CDC issued a health advisory warning concerning a significant increase in drug-resistant Shigella infections (shigellosis).
 
Inspector General Provides Recommendations for Nursing Home Infection Prevention — Findings in a data brief from OIG looking at nursing homes with high infection rates during the first year of the pandemic show the need for a new approach to infection prevention.
 
Updated ANSI/AAMI ST91: Progress to Date and Challenges Faced One Year Later — This Healthcare Purchasing News article about ANSI/AAMI ST91 included valuable insight and recommendations from many industry experts.
 
Antibiotic-resistant UTIs Are Common, and Other Infections May Soon Be Resistant, Too — A Scientific American article reported on urinary tract infections increasingly becoming resistant to first-line antibiotics and how this may be a warning for our ability to treat other microbial infections.
 
Near Patient Testing for C Difficile Infections Results in Drop in Patient Isolation — Research revealed that implementing a rapid near patient testing program for suspected C. diff cases in hospitals improves outcomes and cuts costs.
 
APIC: Masks are a Critical Public Health Tool in Preventing the Spread of Respiratory Infections — APIC issued a statement on the use of respiratory protection, including well-fitting N95s and surgical masks.
 
Preventing Bloodstream Infections in People on Dialysis — A CDC Vital Signs report focused on preventing bloodstream infections in people on dialysis.
 
Preventing Hospital-acquired Infections Is Everybody's Job, Not Just Nurses — This HealthLeaders interview with Carol Vance, multi-site prevention director for Advocate Children's Hospital, explored how communication, awareness and teamwork can contribute to an effective infection prevention program.

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."