Infection Prevention Bundles with Nasal DecolonizationA bundle approach has been used to support prevention of many types of healthcare associated infections including CLABSI, CAUTI, VAP, and SSI.  Over the past few years, nasal decolonization has been added as a bundle element with increasing frequency, to reduce the risk of all of these types of infections.  […]

Baylor Orthopedic and Spine Hospital at Arlington, Texas presented a poster at ID Week 2016: Pre- and Post-Operative Participation of Orthopedic Patients and Surgical Staff in a Novel Intervention to Reduce Staphylococcus aureus Infection. The premise of the poster abstract presentation was “overall reduction of potentially infectious bacteria in the immediate patient environment is critical to effective infection […]

In an article by Sue Barnes, RN, CIC (the former national program leader for infection prevention at Kaiser Permanente) on Infection Control Today, she discusses nasal decolonization and hospital acquired infection prevention and lists out applications and evidence. Nozin® Nasal Sanitizer® antiseptic was one of the products suggested to be considered for nasal decolonization as antimicrobial resistance […]

Antibiotic resistance and development of antibiotic stewardship programs are ongoing issues for healthcare providers. The annual  “Get Smart about Antibiotics Week” developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other partners highlights events, educational resources, and a spotlight for organizations to coordinate strategies around stewardship programs and the overuse and misuse of antibiotics. Press Release […]

While the incidence of the most common strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections has decreased in hospital-onset cases, new research shows that it has failed to decline in the general community, as evidenced from the study in The Journal of Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. MRSA infections are an ongoing issue in healthcare settings, but the […]

by Phenelle Segal Despite significant advances in the reduction of healthcare-associated methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the process for prevention of transmission remains tedious, time consuming, demanding of healthcare personnel, costly and, oftentimes, unsuccessful. The traditional approach to prevention of transmission of multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs) has included screening for colonization (e.g., MRSA screening of […]

Daily monitoring of patients receiving antimicrobial injections targeting methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is associated with improved clinical outcomes, according to a study published online in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics. The study included daily reviews of prescriptions and the review occurred within 24 hours after initiation of therapy. The researchers found that implementation of daily review correlated […]

The Joint Commission has developed two new resources to help healthcare providers in their efforts to reduce patient readmissions and improve the discharge process. The resources are a new Speak Up campaign for providers and organizations to educate patients, including an infographic, animated video and podcast; and a Quick Safety newsletter for healthcare professionals that […]

Read the Full Study on American Journal of Infection Control A Rhode Island Hospital and The Miriam Hospital study found that a small percentage of nursing home patients carrying multidrug-resistant bacteria are admitted to hospitals without showing symptoms caused by the bacteria. The research – published in the American Journal of Infection Control – highlights […]

The American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation, in partnership with the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), released a list of five practices to avoid for better infection prevention and control and safer care as part of the ABIM Foundation’s Choosing Wisely® campaign. The recommendations can support conversations between patients and physicians about what care […]