Hospital Infection Control & Prevention – February 1, 2017
February 1, 2017
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Is Infection Prevention a Bipartisan Issue? APIC Urges IP Advocacy
While the current political landscape is certainly unpredictable, APIC has several key legislative issues that should have bipartisan appeal. Foremost among these is support of antibiotic stewardship programs to prevent the fading efficacy of drugs against an increasing array of resistant bacterial infections.
A New Focus on PPE Compliance
Considering widespread problems with personal protective equipment reported during the Ebola outbreak, the CDC is assessing ways to better train and observe workers using PPE.
CDC Updating HCW Infection Control Guidelines
Infection preventionists who work closely with employee health colleagues — or wear the proverbial “two hats” for both jobs — should be aware that the CDC is updating its 1998 “Guideline for Infection Control in Healthcare Personnel.”
Healthcare Workers Fired for Refusing Flu Shots Win Legal Fight
The case could have implications for the increasing number of hospitals requiring influenza vaccination as a condition of employment, as the hospital agreed to compensate the workers some $300,000 for lost wages and compensatory damages after the EEOC filed suit in September 2016.
Research on Antibiotics Raises Ethical Questions
With drug-resistant bacteria on the rise, clinical trials are being undertaken to determine whether antibiotics can be used less often for shorter durations without sacrificing clinical effect. Attempts to answer that question raise ethical issues of their own.
SHEA Epidemiologists training for ‘All Hazards” Outbreaks
After a succession of emerging infections from SARS to Ebola in this young century, healthcare epidemiologists are trying to shift the response from reacting to a single pathogen to a more all-hazards approach.
Joint Commission Antibiotic Stewardship in Effect
Infection preventionists should be aware that with the turn of the new year, The Joint Commission’s antibiotic stewardship standard is now in effect. The new Medication Management (MM) standard (MM.09.01.01) requires antimicrobial stewardship programs for hospitals, critical access hospitals, and nursing care centers.