Mixed martial artists aren’t averse to risk or to pain. Cuts, bruises, and occasional broken bones are the price they willingly pay for a sport they love. However, injuries aren’t the only concern in such a close-contact sport. In mixed martial arts (MMA), staph infections can often pose a greater threat. Even in the Ultimate […]

With the global focus set on public health and infection prevention, some employees may find themselves at a higher risk of exposure to germs. In particular, people who work in jobs that involve high levels of physical contact with others are more likely to be exposed to germs. Professionals who may need to take extra […]

For Healthcare Professionals     What are secondary infections? Many different types of pathogens can cause infection, including viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Sometimes, getting one infection can lead to a weakening of the immune system or to damage to the respiratory tract, which can result in an increased risk of acquiring an additional infection, known […]

If you work in healthcare, you already have a good idea of how to prevent staph infection, but is your organization doing enough to minimize the risks? Thanks to better screening and prevention protocols, Staphylococcus aureus (staph) infection rates were on a steady decline in the US the last 15 years. […]

Clean hands, don gloves, gown and mask.  Treat the patient. Discard gloves, gown and mask using correct process and sequence to avoid hand and clothing contamination. Exit room.  The same patient rings the call bell.  EXHALE.  Re-enter the room.  Repeat the procedure. Anyone experienced with contact precautions (isolation) understands the importance of preventing transmission.  Unfortunately, […]

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 […]

According to the Centers for Disease Control, Hospital acquired infections (HAIs), including the infections caused by Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), are costing hospitals more than $30 billion per year. New federal health care rules are also reducing reimbursements to hospitals for HAI treatment. Studies show that nasal carriage plays a major role in HAI and […]

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 […]