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Authors from the Helsinki University Central Hospital, a tertiary hospital in Finland, retrospectively reviewed patient records from 2005 to 2009 to define the causes of fever in returned travelers and to evaluate the diagnostic approach.
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During april-june of 2010, 2 new cases of dracunculiasis were confirmed by extracted worm identification of Dracunculus medinensis and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in Chad, Africa. Chad's National Guinea Worm Eradication Program (NGWEP) initiated an outbreak investigation and with the help of the World Health Organization (WHO) uncovered 8 additional cases, all confirmed by worm collection.
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The continuing state and federal mandates requiring hospitals to report healthcare associated infections threatens to outstrip their original justification, raising questions about whether the labor-intensive efforts will result in true reductions of HAIs, warned Patricia Stone, PhD, FAAN, professor of nursing and director of the Center for Health Policy at Columbia University in New York City.
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services controversial 2008 policy to cut reimbursement for selected health care associated infections (HAIs) has led to some positive prevention measures while fulfilling some predicted unintended consequences, according to an unpublished national survey of infection preventionists.
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As the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration moves deliberatively toward an infectious diseases standard, two paradigms could spell very different fates for a proposed rule.
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The U.S. public health system is trying to catch up with the explosion of infections with multidrug resistant gram negative rods (MDR-GNR) by standardizing surveillance definitions and changing laboratory breakpoints.
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It is safe to say various professionals in healthcare are expected to participate in activities beyond their original area of expertise.
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While IPs would no doubt like to see even higher numbers, one effect of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 2008 reimbursement cuts is that more hospital senior administration and clinical leaders are preaching the gospel of infection prevention.
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A proposed National Quality Forum measure may standardize the way hospitals calculate their health care worker influenza immunization rates.
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Add TDAP to the growing list of recommended (and often required) vaccinations for health care workers (HCWs) in hospital, including MMR, hepatitis B, influenza, and possibly varicella.
