U.S. Blood Collection System Faces Multiple Threats
Less-invasive surgeries and new drugs have stanched demand, but more government oversight is needed to safeguard the supply of blood to hospitals.
HHS: New HAI Targets for 2020
This October, the Department for Health and Human Services (HHS) announced ambitious, new targets for reducing healthcare-associated infections (HAI) in acute care hospitals, long-term care facilities, and ambulatory surgical centers.
Deadly Superbug Linked to Four Deaths in The U.S.
A deadly new drug-resistant fungus has been linked to the deaths of four hospital patients in the U.S., according to a report released Friday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The fungus, called Candida auris, preys on the sickest patients and can spread in hospitals.
Hospitals Explore a New Approach to MRSA and VRE: Eliminating Contact Precautions
Amid mounting evidence that contact precautions may not be necessary to prevent the transmission of certain infections, experts are calling for hospitals to reconsider what has been a staple of infection prevention guidelines for decades.
Nudge Helps Practices with Antibiotics
A new study finds programs that appeal to the competitive spirit of physicians are effective in getting them to reduce their incidence of prescribing unnecessary antibiotics.
UN Declares Drug Resistance a Global Threat
The fight against antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) infections has become a hot topic in 2016, and the United Nations (UN) has now joined the fray. This year, The Joint Commission and CMS making antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP) mandatory for all healthcare facilities. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, 74 drug makers, 11 diagnostic test manufacturers, and … Continued
How MRSA Rates Sunk 42% at SC Health System
After a South Carolina health system introduced an electronic system for monitoring handwashing compliance among clinical staff, it saw MRSA rates plummet.
Nurses At The Frontline of Hand Hygiene
Hospitals are always looking for ways to improve hand hygiene at their facility, given both the financial incentive of avoiding fines and patient safety concerns. The Mayo Clinic in Florida expanded the role of nurses in hand-hygiene compliance, making them the frontline advocates and “watchdogs” of hand hygiene.
New Resources Aim to Simplify Stewardship Implementation
A finalized Joint Commission standard, along with proposed CMS regulations, place more emphasis on program leadership and providing resources for measurement and action.
Joint Commission and CDC Team Up on Ambulatory Infection Prevention
The Joint Commission and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are working on a new initiative to improve infection control in ambulatory care settings. The Adaptation and Dissemination Outpatient Infection PrevenTion (ADOPT) project will promote existing CDC infection prevention (IP) guidance while also making updated and alterations.