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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Martin J. Blaser, MD, is one of the world’s foremost authorities on the human microbiome – and he proved it last year with the publication of his critically acclaimed, best-selling book, “Missing Microbes,” which helped lay audiences better understand the microbiome’s often complex make-up and the important role it plays in human health.Now, Blaser will […]

Over-bed tables, bed rails, other flat surfaces, bed linens and patient gowns tend to be the surfaces in a hospital room that are most contaminated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, according to EOS Surfaces. See the infographic below. This infographic was created by EOS Surfaces.

The Core Elements of Antibiotic Stewardship for Nursing Homes adapts the CDC Core Elements of Hospital Antibiotic Stewardship into practical ways to initiate or expand antibiotic stewardship activities in nursing homes. Nursing homes are encouraged to work in a step-wise fashion, implementing one or two activities to start and gradually adding new strategies from each […]