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Infection Control Monitor

Each week, Infection Control Monitor will provide important information to help health care facilities improve their infection control efforts. With this resource, facilities can catch up on the latest infection control news and learn valuable tips on keeping their facilities safe.

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Infection Control Monitor

Issue 42, December 28, 2007

• New Jersey to require HIV test for pregnant women

  Physicians in New Jersey will soon test all pregnant women for HIV under a new law signed Wednesday.

• Study finds seasonal flu shot may help fight bird flu

  A seasonal flu shot may offer some protection against bird flu, according to results of a new study.

• Tip of the week: Expand the criteria to treat C. diff

  In an effort to combat C. diff, the Cleveland VA Medical Center expanded its criteria for patients...

Issue 41, December 21, 2007

• Some antibiotics may not help fight sinus infections

  Physicians may have to rethink how they treat patients' sinus infections in the light of new...

• Addicts steal hospital hand sanitizers

  A Canadian hospital has been hit with an unusual round of thefts. Drug addicts are stealing...

• Tip of the week: Cut liability risk by providing proper training

  To help reduce your facility's liability risk when it comes to IC practices, it's critical to...

Issue 40, December 14, 2007

• Form of adenovirus is circulating in some states

  A virus that starts like a cold but has the capability of causing severe respiratory illness in...

• New Jersey may become first state to require flu shots for children

  The state of New Jersey took a step this week that may make it the first state in the nation to...

• Tip of the week: Make changes in response to risk assessments

  Once you have done an IC risk assessment at your facility and you've developed your conclusions...

Issue 39, December 7, 2007

• CMS revises interpretive guidelines for infection control regulations

  While the regulations themselves haven't changed, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services...

• Many vaccines ruined by improper refrigeration

  Hospitals may want to take a close look at the temperature settings for refrigerators in which they...

• Tip of the week: Create ties with other organizations

  Here's an idea that hospitals can use to track postdischarge infections that occur after patients...

Issue 38, November 30, 2007

• Drugmaker to put stronger warning label on flu drug

  A Swiss drug manufacturer has agreed to put a stronger warning label on its flu drug Tamiflu...

• Look for revised Joint Commission IC standards in 2009

  The Joint Commission (formerly JCAHO) plans to implement revised infection prevent and control...

• Tip of the week: Improve environmental cleaning efforts

  Housekeeping staff members are a critical resource when it comes to reducing the transmission of...

Issue 37, November 16, 2007

• Four patients get HIV from organ transplants

  Four patients contracted HIV and hepatitis C from an infected organ donor in January, the first...

• Researchers say CA-MRSA attacks immune cells

  Findings that community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or CA-MRSA...

• Tip of the week: Take steps to cut IC-related legal risks

  Public awareness of MRSA and healthcare-associated infections (HAI) may make it more likely that...

Issue 36, November 9, 2007

• MRSA is the "cockroach of bacteria," CDC chief tells Congress

  As all ICPs know, MRSA is not a new problem. What is new is public anxiety about drug-resistant...

• OSHA warns to avoid hazards in cleaning electronic medical equipment

  An October 31 public health notification identified hazards to patients and healthcare workers when...

• Tip of the week: Involve a team in analyzing risks

  Key to conducting an effective IC risk assessment at your facility is completing an analysis once...

Issue 35, November 2, 2007

• Family to sue for $25 million in boy's death

  The family of a 12-year-old Brooklyn boy who died October 14 from a methicillin-resistant...

• Study says AIDS virus carried to U.S. from Haiti

  The AIDS virus was brought to the United States in about 1969 from Haiti, a date earlier than some...

• Tip of the week: Develop tip sheets for staff members

  An effective infection control surveillance plan identifies problem areas in a facility. Using tip...

• Tip of the week: Develop tip sheets for staff members

  An effective infection control surveillance plan identifies problem areas in a facility. Using tip...

Issue 34, October 26, 2007

• Did White House edit down report?

  The White House on Wednesday denied that it severely cut congressional testimony given this week by...

• Tuberculosis outbreak in St. Maarten blamed on stripper

  Dozens of people in St. Maarten are being treated for latent tuberculosis after a stripper was...

• Tip of the week: Make the most of surveillance time

  To maximize your surveillance time on your hospital's units, refrain from visiting the units during...

Issue 33, October 5, 2007

• Dengue fever outbreak in Latin America

  Physicians need to raise their level of suspicion for travelers to Latin American and the Caribbean...

• MRSA makes major news this week

  Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was in the headlines this week, making news...

• Six deaths this year from brain-eating amoeba

  While encounters with a microscopic amoeba that lives in warm lakes are extraordinarily rare, it...

• More MRSA news

  An invasive form of MRSA is being blamed for the death of a Virginia teenager on Monday, October...

• Tip of the week: Educate visitors about isolation precautions policy

  Regardless of whether your hospital decides to ask all visitors to wear a gown and gloves when...

• Tip of the week: Play a role in shaping HAI reporting

  In Pennsylvania, infection control professionals (ICPs) are now required by the state to report all...

Issue 32, September 28, 2007

• Spread immunization efforts

  Just a reminder: This week is National Adult Immunization Awareness Week. The annual health...

• Salmonella outbreak linked to recalled frozen pot pies

  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an advisory for consumers this week not...

• Staph infection rates increasing in U.S. hospitals

  Researchers found the number of infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus, commonly called staph...

• C. diff deaths in Britian called 'scandalous'

  At least 90 patients died and more than 1,100 became infected as hospital managers in Great Britain...

• Tip of the week: Take off the gloves

  However common it is to see healthcare workers doing so, there are few times when it’s...

• Tip of the week: Train staff to avoid losing reimbursement

  On August 1, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services finalized regulations that will cut...

Issue 31, September 21, 2007

• Healthcare system honored for MRSA reduction efforts

  Kudos to Evanston Northwestern Healthcare in Illinois. The healthcare system, which runs three...

• Study says new drug combo could cut TB treatment time

  Substituting a new antibiotic in the standard mix of drugs physicians use to treat tuberculosis...

• Tip of the week: Get familiar with a new name

  Infection control professionals may want to get familiar with a revamped version of a federal...

Issue 30, September 14, 2007

• New York City puts public hospital data online

  Eleven public hospitals, owned by the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, began...

• New York City puts public hospital data online

  Eleven public hospitals, owned by the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, began...

• Outbreak of deadly ebola confirmed in Congo

  Lab results confirmed a deadly outbreak in southeastern Congo as Ebola fever, health officials said...

• Tip of the week: Focus flu prep efforts on employee vaccinations

  A strong employee influenza vaccination program should be a top priority for the 2007-2008 flu...

• Tip of the week: Focus flu prep efforts on employee vaccinations

  A strong employee influenza vaccination program should be a top priority for the 2007-2008 flu...

Issue 29, September 7, 2007

• Employees sue hospital over tuberculosis

  Seven employees at Pinecrest Hospital in Beckley, WV filed a lawsuit against the facility saying...

• FDA approves new smallpox vaccine

  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a second-generation smallpox vaccine on...

• Tip of the week: Involve staff in pandemic preparations

  A key component of preparing for a pandemic is involving staff in the process, says Jim Kendig...

Issue 28, August 31, 2007

• Study links nurse staffing to infection rates in ICU

  A study found that understaffing of registered nurses in hospital intensive care units increases...

• Research shows virus may contribute to obesity

  Infection with a common virus may be contributing to the growing problem of obesity in the United...

• Tip of the week: Identify MDROs upon admission

  There's a definite benefit for identifying patients who test positive for a multidrug-resistant...

Issue 27, August 24, 2007

• Study finds hospitals should test water systems for bacteria

  Hospitals should regularly test their water systems for bacteria that cause Legionella pneumonia...

• Scientists link fruit bats to deadly Marburg virus

  Scientists have identified a common species of African fruit bat that harbors Marburg virus, a...

• Tip of the week: Use MRSA data to press for IC resources

  A recent study by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology shows...

Issue 26, August 17, 2007

• Study shows vaccines can prevent, but not treat HPV

  New vaccines that prevent infection from two strains of the human papillomarvirus (HPV) that causes...

• CDC suspends research at university lab

  The CDC in early July ordered a Texas A&M University lab to stop all research experiments with...

• Needlesticks linked to needle use and work schedules

  Despite advances in protecting healthcare workers from needlestick injuries, extended work...

• Tip of the week: Children present a challenge with contact precautions

  Children can present a particular challenge when it comes to enforcing contact precautions. It's...

• Tip of the week: WHO guidelines worth a read

  In June, The Joint Commission released its 2008 National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG), and expanded...

Issue 25, July 6, 2007

• Joint Commission expands hand hygiene goal

  The Joint Commission has expanded its hand hygiene requirements as part of the 2008 National...

• Under new regulations, Medicare won't pay for certain HAIs

  Under new Medicare regulations finalized by CMS on August 1, hospitals will no longer receive...

• Study finds many surgical residents don't report needlesticks

  While surgeons in training are at a high risk for needlestick injuries, many fail to report the...

• Quarantines, isolation can help in pandemics

  Traditional public health tools-such as quarantines, isolation, closing schools, and...

• Tip of the week: Offer IC training to resident physicians

  Many facilities introduce their resident physicians to infection control (IC) topics in a daylong...

• Tip of the week: Be aware of cough etiquette and respiratory hygiene

  The CDC isolation precaution guidelines are out, and facilities need to be on top of respiratory...

Issue 24, June 29, 2007

• CDC releases long-awaited isolation guidelines

  The CDC on June 25 released a new set of guidelines that updates and expands the isolation...

• Physician sues hospital over infection rate reports

  A former physician alleges in a lawsuit that she lost her job after the hospital where she headed...

• CDC panel recommends more teens receive bacterial meningitis vaccine

  A panel of advisors to the CDC recommended this week that more teens be vaccinated against...

• Crocs are out at Pennsylvania hospital

  It's see you later, alligator to Crocs at one Pennsylvania hospital.

• Tip of the week: Take precautions when pets visit

  There are numerous factors hospitals should consider to help ensure that visits from pets and...

• Tip of the week: A good ICP has ability to work with other disciplines

  An infection control professional's (ICP) job requires a number of different skills, from educating...

Issue 23, June 22, 2007

• Respiratory tract vaccine may protect against Ebola

  Researchers have found that a topical respiratory track vaccine may protect against Ebola virus...

• West Nile epidemic could be on the horizon

  A dramatic rise in cases of West Nile virus in the United States may be a forecaster for a large...

• Funding cut could delay reporting of HAIs

  A New Hampshire law, which was to take effect July 1, requires every hospital in the state to...

• Early diagnosis and treatment critical for HIV-infected babies

  HIV-infected babies given antiretroviral drugs in the first weeks of life are four times more...

• Tip of the week: Set times for employee health responsibilities

  Learning to manage your time effectively is an important skill for busy infection control...

• Tip of the week: Younger nursing home residents at risk

  If you are trying to screen patients who come into your hospital for mutli-drug resistant...

Issue 22, June 15, 2007

• Study questions CDC's recommendations for HIV screening

  A new study released this month finds that testing only those people at high risk of HIV, rather...

• TB patient undergoes surgery to remove infected lung tissue

  Andrew Speaker, the Atlanta lawyer infected with tuberculosis who caused an international health...

• FDA to increase inspections to ensure safety of human transplant tissues

  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concluded this week that there are no significant...

• More work needed to ensure national flu defenses

  More than a year after President Bush unveiled plans for dealing with a pandemic flu outbreak, the...

• Tip of the week: Training can help ensure proper glove use

  It's a common sight in hospitals across the country: Workers wearing gloves in facility hallways...

• Tip of the week: A checklist can help ensure proper cleaning of IV pumps

  It's often helpful to make a checklist including the steps outlined by the manufacturer to ensure...

Issue 21, June 8, 2007

• New law to require Minnesota hospitals to report HAIs

  Minnesota hospitals soon will be required to publicly report healthcare-associated infections (HAI).

• Dengue fever epidemic in Singapore

  Singapore and neighboring countries in Southeast Asian are in the midst of a new epidemic of dengue...

• WHO warns of increase in drug-resistant TB

  The World Health Organization (WHO) said this week that tuberculosis (TB) may reach the point where...

• Tip of the week: Use a checklist

  It's important that infection control professionals regularly make rounds through a hospital's ICU.

Issue 20, June 1, 2007

• CDC says eye infections linked to contact lens solution

  A company recalled one of its contact lens solutions after the CDC last week issued a health alert...

• Tip of the week: Pneumonia measures revisited

  The Joint Commission's pneumonia core measures criteria call on physicians to administer...

• Quarantined TB patient moved from Atlanta

  A patient diagnosed with extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB and placed under the first federal...

Issue 19, May 25, 2007

• New pandemic flu guidance released by OSHA

  In an effort to prepare the healthcare industry for a possible influenza pandemic, OSHA officials...

• Study touts cure for hepatitis C

  Use of the drug peginterferon, either alone or in combination with the drug ribavirin, is a...

• Tip of the week: Tool helps predict avian flu risks

  To help healthcare organizations prepare for a potential avian flu outbreak, the University of Iowa...

Issue 18, May 18, 2007

• CDC provides training on bird flu preparedness

  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has developed an online training course to help...

• Illinois legislation would mandate MRSA testing

  The Illinois legislature is now considering a bill that would require hospitals to test at-risk...

• Tip of the week: Remind staff about hand hygiene

  While the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston has a hand hygiene program as good as...

Issue 17, May 11, 2007

• U.S. troops hit with parasitic infection

  Deployments by U.S. troops to remote combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan have been responsible for...

• Hepatitis C infections rise dramatically in Massachusetts young people

  Hepatitis C infections among Massachusetts adolescents and young adults have risen dramatically...

• Tip of the week: Make rounds through the ICU

  It should be a goal of every infection control professional (ICP) to round in every ICU at least...

Issue 16, May 4, 2007

• Hepatitis B transmitted to dental patient

  Despite proper infection control measures, a dental patient contracted the hepatitis B virus after...

• Hand hygiene on WHO's list

  Improving hand hygiene to prevent healthcare-associated infections was on a checklist of nine key...

• Tip of the week: Hand gel can be intoxicating

  A patient at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center apparently got intoxicated after consuming...

Issue 15, April 27, 2007

• Joint Commission posts recommended changes to IC standards

  Infection control professionals should check The Joint Commission's Web site to see recommended...

• Vaccine ineffective against new strains of bacteria

  A new vaccine has been effective in all but eradicating common causes of pneumonia, meningitis, and...

• Tip of the week: Get involved now with state activities

  With more states considering laws to require hospitals to report healthcare-associated infections...

Issue 14, April 20, 2007

• Johns Hopkins begins screening children for

  Infection control and critical care experts at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore have ordered...

• Medical devices seized because of infection concerns

  Concerned about their safety, U.S. marshals and investigators from the Food and Drug Administration...

• Tip of the week: Block alcohol foam dispensers

  There are some instances where staff should not use alcohol-based hand sanitizers, but should...

Issue 13, April 13, 2007

• Washington state considers law to require reporting of HAIs

  Hospitals in Washington state may soon need to report healthcare-associated infections (HAI) to...

• Indiana boy recovering from infection tied to father's smallpox vaccination

  The two-year-old Indiana boy who became ill after exposure to his soldier father's smallpox...

• Tip of the week: Encourage flu shots for healthcare workers

  One focus of Joint Commission surveyors in 2007 is on flu vaccines for healthcare professionals. In...

Issue 12, April 6, 2007

• Family members pass whooping cough to young infants

  Infants, who are to too young to be vaccinated themselves, most often catch pertussis, commonly...

• Choice of antibiotics can cut Clostridium difficile infection rates

  A new study reports that reminding physicians which antibiotics to prescribe to patients can cut...

• Tip of the week: Clostridium difficile outbreak challenges housekeeping staff

  Increased housekeeping efforts were among the strategies employed by Trillium Health Centre in...

Issue 11, March 16, 2007

• Children should get second dose of chickenpox vaccine

  The vaccine used in the United States to inoculate children against varicella or chickenpox weakens...

• In Japan, warning about giving Tamiflu to teens

  A government health agency in Japan warned physicians on Wednesday against prescribing the...

• Texas considers public reporting of HAIs

  Add Texas to the list of states looking to require hospitals to publicly report...

• Lack of infection control at closed New Jersey clinic

  An Englewood, NJ clinic was ordered closed by state health officials February 24 after a two-day...

• Smallpox vaccine infects Indiana boy

  A two-year-old Indiana boy is being treated in a Chicago hospital for a rare and life-threatening...

• New Jersey considers HIV testing requirements

  New Jersey would become the first state in the nation to require HIV testing for both pregnant...

• Tip of the week: Start small in fight against MRSA

  When it comes to reducing infections from Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the...

• Tip of the week: Staff relationships bolster infection control efforts

  Staff relationships can play an important role in efforts to reduce catheter-related bloodstream...

• Tip of the week: Immunizing children against infectious diseases

  When children come to Denver Health and Hospital Authority's community health services with the...

Issue 10, March 9, 2007

• Flu shots cut children's risk of infection by half

  If you needed data to convince people of the value of flu shots for young children, consider this...

• MRSA spread through sexual contact

  Community-associated Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can be spread by...

• Tip of the week: Verify that your staff know the rules

  When two infants in a neonatal intensive care unit at White Memorial Hospital in Los Angeles died...

Issue 9, March 2, 2007

• Advisory panel endorses first avian flu vaccine

  A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel on February 27 endorsed the first vaccine for...

• CDC study finds HPV infection common among U.S. women

  About one in four U.S. women ages 14 to 59 may have the sexually transmitted infection human...

Issue 8, February 23, 2007

• Educational campaign to prevent flu

  The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) announced this week the launch of a...

• Herpes drug found to reduce HIV levels

  A drug used to treat genital herpes can also help keep the AIDS virus under control in women with...

Issue 7, February 16, 2007

• Data shows most bird flu victims under 40

  Ninety percent of the people infected with avian influenza were under the age of 40, according to a...

• CDC publishes new patient safety protocol

  The CDC has published a new Patient Safety Component Protocol. The 88-page document includes some...

Issue 6, February 9, 2007

• CDC releases guidance on pre-pandemic planning

  The CDC on February 2 released a guidance on the use of nonpharmaceutical intervention--from...

• Identify and quarantine patients to stop MRSA

  Hospitals can successfully tackle the spread of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA...

Issue 5, February 2, 2007

• HAIs costly under new PA plan

  A new healthcare plan offered by Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell would over time stop paying...

• Contagious infection takes wrestling to the mat

  High school wrestling events came to a temporary halt across Minnesota this week because of an...

Issue 4, January 26, 2007

• Association calls for mandatory flu shots

  The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) (www.idsociety.org) yesterday called for all...

• Pseudo-epidemics a concern with quick tests

  New molecular tests are coming into increasing use and can provide healthcare officials with a...

Issue 3, January 19, 2007

• Poor infection control blamed for 2003 SARS outbreak in Toronto

  Poor hospital infection control procedures led to the deadly SARS epidemic in the Toronto area that...

• New Hampshire hospitals to report HAIs

  A new law that takes effect July 1 will require New Hampshire hospitals to report information on...

Issue 2, January 12, 2007

• Massachusetts looks at public reporting of infection rates

  Add Massachusetts to the growing list of states looking to require hospitals to report rates of...

• Stomach flu making people sick across the country

  In recent weeks, health officials say they have seen two to three times as many cases of contagious...

Issue 1, January 5, 2007

• Report says test more foreign-born residents for TB

  Current guidelines should be changed to reclassify all foreign-born residents from high-incidence...

• Classes canceled in Rhode Island as illness investigated

  Rhode Island officials cancelled school January 4 and 5 for more than 20,000 students, as health...