Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is one of the most frequent healthcare-associated infections found in intensive-care units (ICUs). New research on the prevalence of VAP in community hospitals shows small hospitals (less than 30,000 patient-days/year) have a higher rate of VAP than their larger counterparts, despite less use of ventilators.

GOJO Industries, a leader in hand hygiene and skin health and inventors of PURELL® Hand Sanitizer, is assisting Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children (TSRHC) in measuring and improving hand hygiene compliance through its SMARTLINK Activity Monitoring System.

Medical Simulation Corporation (MSC) has releases an updated version of the SimSuite Sepsis Quality Initiative Program that aligns with the Surviving Sepsis Campaign International Guidelines for Management of Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock 2012 Guidelines released earlier this year at the 2013 Society for Critical Care Medicine Annual Congress.

GE Healthcare and HCA’s Summerville Medical Center have collaborated to develop and deploy a data driven technology solution that tracks hand washing data as it relates to patient care through the use of small sensor tags.

Emergency medical services system (EMS) responders provide the first point of care in unique environments and are at often at high risk of exposure to biohazards and infectious diseases. Understanding the critical importance of infection prevention in the daily delivery of care is imperative.

PDI, leader in infection prevention education, support and products has launched its new Advanced Skin Antisepsis platform, PDI Prevantics. Under this platform, the company is investing in innovations that provide the most efficient and advanced evidence-based solutions for preventing healthcare associated infections.

PDI, owner of Sani-Hands^® Instant Hand Sanitizing wipes, has announced the launch of new educational packaging to help aid in hand hygiene for patients and education at the bedside. Four educational “when to use” icons have been added to the Sani-Hands Bedside Pack to help healthcare staff communicate critical opportunities for patients to practice hand hygiene¹—after using the bathroom, before eating and drinking, after contact with others and after coughing and sneezing.

DebMed, creator of the world’s first electronic hand hygiene compliance monitoring system based on the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) “Five Moments for Hand Hygiene,” has released enhanced functionality for the hand hygiene compliance reports that are available in the DebMed GMS (Group Monitoring System).

By Susan Carr

The Nov/Dec issue of PSQH included news coverage and commentary about the fungal meningitis outbreak caused in late 2012 by contaminated medications that had been shipped throughout the country by a compounding pharmacy in Massachusetts. In The New England Journal of Medicine, Smith et al. report that as of Dec. 10, 2012, the outbreak resulted in 590 reported cases of infection in 19 states and 37 patient deaths. According to the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, this outbreak is one of the most harmful adverse events ever associated with compounding pharmacies in the United States.