Hospital Employee Health – June 1, 2006
June 1, 2006
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Mumps outbreak sparks HCW vaccine questions and public health debate
An outbreak of mumps in Iowa has led hospitals to re-examine the immunization records of health care workers, with some checking for serologic evidence of immunity in employees who have had an exposure. -
PEP may become easier with 'opt-out' testing
HIV testing would become a routine part of health care under a proposed recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. -
Analysis reveals the true cause of injuries
When an accident occurs, the best way to prevent a recurrence is to ask a simple question: Why did this happen? But you don't want an easy answer. -
Five rules to follow with root-cause analysis
The five rules of causation are designed to improve the root-cause analysis (RCA) process by creating minimum standards for where an investigation and the results should be documented. -
Combat C. difficile with better hand hygiene
As hospitals across the country struggle to combat a highly virulent strain of Clostridium difficile, compliance with hand hygiene takes center stage as a primary defense. -
Healthy hands: Products provide relief for HCWs
Alcohol-based hand gels have been an infection control success story. Health care workers are more likely to comply with hand hygiene and less likely to suffer from broken or raw skin from hand washing. -
Success story: Improving treatment for latent TB
A newly hired health care worker tests positive in the tuberculin skin test. She comes from a country where TB is endemic, and she received the BCG vaccine as a child. -
FAQs from CDC: Treating latent TB infection
These questions and answers were excerpted from the 2005 CDC "Guidelines for Preventing the Transmission of TB in Health-Care Settings"... -
JCAHO Update for Infection Control: JCAHO tip: Make HCWs 'accountable' on hand hygiene
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) continues to emphasize that the historic lack of compliance with hand hygiene practices by health care workers will no longer wash. -
JCAHO Update for Infection Control: 'Smart Patient' book demands hand hygiene
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations is listed as a co-authoring agency on a recently published book that urges patients to demand that health care workers wash their hands. -
JCAHO Update for Infection Control: Joint Commission Q&A on alcohol hand rubs
In February, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations provided some new answers to commonly asked questions about complying with its National Patient Safety Goal on hand hygiene. -
JCAHO Update for Infection Control: JCAHO patient safety practices posted on web
The Joint Commission International Center for Patient Safety has launched a new "in-development" Patient Safety Practices resource on the center's web site.