ICCS Infection Prevention & Control Newsletter: June 2023

This issue covers some of the most significant news from June. Topics include MRSA, nursing homes, Candida auris, malaria, hand hygiene and flexible endoscopes.

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Updated Guidance Shows How Hospitals Should Protect Patients from Resistant Infections — Five medical organizations led by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) issued updated recommendations for preventing MRSA.
 
Decolonization Protocol Tied to Dramatically Reduced MRSA in Critically Ill Infants — Research showed a decolonization protocol normally used in older patients was associated with a sharp reduction in MRSA infections in critically ill infants.
 
APIC Calls for Dedicated Infection Prevention Staff at All Long-Term Care Facilities to Prevent Deaths of Seniors — APIC called on the federal government to require full-time infection control specialists at nursing homes.
 
US Hospital Data Show High Death Rate With Candida Auris Infections — An analysis of US hospitalizations linked to Candida auris found an estimated mortality rate of about one-third.
 
Better Tests Needed to Identify Candida auris Susceptibility — The American Society for Microbiology called for the development of antifungal susceptibility testing for Candida auris.
 
IDSA 2023 Guidance on the Treatment of Antimicrobial Resistant Gram-Negative Infections — IDSA released updated guidance on the treatment of antimicrobial-resistant gram-negative infections.
 
Locally Acquired Malaria Cases Identified in the United States — CDC issued an alert following reports of locally acquired malaria infections in Florida and Texas.
 
Gentle Cleansers and Harsh Soaps Equally Effective at Killing Deadly Viruses, Study Finds — Research found that gentle cleansers are just as effective as harsh soaps at killing certain viral pathogens that are common targets in healthcare facility infection control.
 
Best Practices for Flexible Endoscopes Storage — An Infection Control Today column shared recommendations for storing endoscopes clean, safe and intact.
 
WHO Lays Out Research Priorities for Antimicrobial Resistance — The World Health Organization published its first global research agenda for combatting antimicrobial resistance.
 
CDC Advisors Recommend RSV Vaccine Approval. What It Means for Older Adults — A respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine for older adults could soon be available after a CDC advisory committee voted to recommend them.

ICCS Infection Prevention & Control Newsletter: May 2023

This issue covers some of the most significant news from May. Topics include SSI prevention guidelines, assisted living guidance, eyedrops, outpatient dialysis and RSV.

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Strategies To Prevent Surgical Site Infections in Acute-Care Hospitals: 2022 Update — Five medical organizations led by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) issued updated recommendations for preventing SSIs. This SHEA news release summarizes the key recommendations.
 
New Guidance: Antibiotics Should be Halted Upon Closure of Incisions — Included in the updated SSI recommendations: discontinue antibiotics administered before and during surgery immediately after a patient's incision is closed.
 
Assisted Living Infection Prevention Guidance Updated by CDC With PHE Expiration — CDC issued updated infection prevention guidance for assisted living, group homes and other residential care settings (not including nursing homes).
 
Ending of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency & Other Policy Changes: What Clinicians Need to Know — IDSA published an infographic on policy changes related to the expiration of the COVID-19 public health emergency and certain federal legislation/funding.
 
Tainted Eye Drops Tied to 81 Cases of Highly Resistant Pseudomonas, 4 Deaths — CDC issued an update on the eye drops linked to an outbreak of drug-resistant bacteria responsible for multiple deaths and more than a dozen people experiencing vision loss.
 
Study Shows Hospital Policy Allowing Nurses to Initiate C. Difficile Testing Could Reduce Infection Spread and Associated Morbidity — The results of a study found that allowing bedside nurses to independently order testing for C. diff significantly decreased the amount of time to receive test results as compared to requiring physician approval.
 
5 Unsafe Injection Practices That Can Harm Dialysis Patients — An article from the American Medical Association discussed unsafe injection practices in outpatient dialysis.
 
Building a Culture of Safety in Health Care — The American Hospital Association issued a report highlighting key takeaways from a series of AHA-hosted listening sessions on the state of infection prevention and control.
 
Why Is RSV Different Now Than in Past Years? — An article from the Cleveland Clinic explored how the respiratory syncytial virus is changing.

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.