Targeting and Eliminating Bloodborne Pathogens It is estimated that, on average, about 1 in 25 inpatients acquire an infection related to hospital care. In fact, healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) can occur in any healthcare facility – hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and long-term care facilities. This results in the tragic loss of tens of thousands of lives […]
A relatable similarity It’s a beautiful weekend afternoon. You’ve been marinating succulent chicken breasts for a couple of hours. Now it’s time to pop them on the grill. Cover and cook for 15 minutes on each side and you’re good to go. Or are you? Without using a meat thermometer to accurately measure the internal […]
In the realm of infection control, much has been made of UV-C robots coming to market and their potential for enabling the reduction of disinfection time and FTE technician workload. But do they live up to their claims, much less their hype? Recent studies raise questions and concerns that reveal operational limitations which cast doubt […]
Since being first identified in 2009, C. auris, a multi drug resistant yeast (a type of fungus), has become a cause of severe infections worldwide. Often multidrug resistant, some common healthcare disinfectants are less effective at eliminating it. Furthermore, C. auris can be carried on the skin without causing infection, allowing it to be spread […]
A Personnel Problem The labor shortage that currently plagues all sectors of the economy is also reflected by a healthcare workers shortage. Specifically, hospital staffing shortages continue to be a significant problem across the healthcare industry, especially the ongoing nurse shortage. It’s a challenge made worse by the ongoing impact of COVID-19 which, among a […]
Who Lives in Long Term Care Facilities? Long term care facilities are for patients who require 24 hour medical care and monitoring. Patients who live in these facilities are often elderly or are recovering from serious medical events such as heart attack, stroke or cardiac surgeries. The Importance of Protecting Long Term Care Patients from […]
The number of C.diff infections has decreased in recent years because of improved prevention measures, such as UVC disinfection. Prevention measures are critical because 1 in 11 people over the age of 65 diagnosed with a C.diff infection die within 1 month.
Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) can easily spread by touching pieces of contaminated equipment and by not washing hands after contact with bodily fluids. If a surface is left uncleaned, it can easily become a source of cross-contamination.
Infection Prevention Control (IPC) teams and Environmental Services (EVS) teams need to ensure that their infection control methods are effective at killing harmful pathogens that cause HAIs.
