How Ohio Hospitals Are Tackling Sepsis
Last year Ohio’s hospitals began a campaign to reduce sepsis encounters and related deaths by 30% by 2018. Nine months into the initiative, the OHA is reporting an 8% reduction in mortality.
CMS Proposes Making Antibiotic Stewardship Programs Mandatory
Last week, CMS published a list of proposed rule changes for hospitals and laboratories. One of the more notable proposals would make antibiotic stewardship programs (ASP) mandatory. ASPs are considered a way to prevent antibiotic misuse and the spread of drug-resistant disease.
“We propose to change the introductory paragraph (in Infection Control Condition of Participation §482.42) to require that a hospital’s infection prevention and control of antibiotic stewardship programs be active and hospital wide for the surveillance, prevention, and control of HAIs and other infectious diseases, and for the optimization of antibiotic use through stewardship,” according to the proposed rule.
CDC’s Core Elements of Hospital Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs
Just over a year after President Barack Obama issued an executive order calling for federal agencies to combat antibiotic resistance, The Joint Commission has released proposed standards that would require a broad range of healthcare providers to implement a structured, evidence-based antimicrobial stewardship program.
Olympus Recalls Duodenoscopes, FDA Approves New Model
Olympus Corp., the largest seller of duodenoscopes in the U.S., last week recalled all of its TJF-Q180V model scopes. The move came just one day after a Senate committee report linked Olympus products to 142 antibiotic-resistant infection (ARI) cases. Duodenoscopes are flexible cameras inserted into a patient’s mouth or digestive tract to diagnose a number … Continued
C.diff Infection Raises Hospital Costs by 40% per Case
By Alexandra Pecci, for HealthLeaders Media
Treating Clostridium difficile adds about $7,285 in hospital costs per patient, not including readmissions, research finds.
It can be difficult to quantify the exact economic burden of C. diff on hospitals and the health system as a whole. But a recent study puts a dollar amount on the cost of C. diff, that number is not only big, but also likely underestimated.
Published in the November issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the study found that C. diff-associated diarrhea (CDAD) increases hospital costs by 40% per case and puts those infected at high risk for longer hospital stays and readmissions.
Is Your Facility Bugged?
There are bugs and then there are bugs. Hospitals have long fought against the invisible bugs, bacteria and viruses, but they often overlook the larger kinds such as flies and bedbugs. Environmental services must keep both in mind as they strive to make a facility safe. To maintain the best environment for patient and staff … Continued
Process Improvements in the ED increase sepsis bundle compliance, reduce mortality
By improving compliance with the sepsis three-hour bundle, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center reduced patient mortality by 50% in just 90 days Effectively treating any infection requires a certain measure of early identification and rapid response. Infections, by their nature, worsen over time, so hospitals with successful care processes that rapidly identify and treat infections often see … Continued
Spectra 900 UVC Overhead Light Disinfection System for Labs, Operating Rooms, and Telemedicine
Spectra254, a provider of UVC light disinfection solutions, has released the Spectra 900 Series Overhead Cleaning System, a fixed decontamination system similar to a ceiling light fixture that kills MRSA, Clostridium difficile (C. difficile), and other pathogens. Using three custom-built germicidal bulbs with protective FEP sleeves, the Spectra 900 Series Overhead Cleaning System is appropriate … Continued
DebMed Announces Results of 2015 Survey on Hand Hygiene
DebMed® has announced the results of its 4th annual survey on the state of healthcare hand hygiene compliance. Results from more than 850 healthcare professionals throughout North America show that while improved methods for gathering reliable data with electronic hand hygiene compliance monitoring are known to contribute to increased hand hygiene compliance, competing healthcare priorities … Continued
AHRQ Report Finds Gaps in Evidence for Best Ways to Clean Hospital Rooms
A new report funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) reviews clinical studies examining methods for cleaning and disinfecting hospital rooms to prevent healthcare-associated infections. The literature reviewed also covered strategies for monitoring rooms for cleanliness and “contextual” factors, such as organizational culture, that influence implementation and effectiveness of room cleaning. The … Continued