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Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) is most often nosocomially acquired and usually affects older, sicker patients. The incidence of hospital discharges with a diagnosis of CDAD in the United States increased by 26% between 2000 and 2001.
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The nations leading health care epidemiology groups have crafted model state legislation for infection rate disclosure laws to ensure ICPs have a leading voice in the process.
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New guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on immunizing health care workers against seasonal influenza make the following key points and recommendations:
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In a major new emphasis on patient safety, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations is warning that failure to keep track of the medications needed by transferred patients is resulting in preventable deaths.
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The availability of new diagnostics for latent tuberculosis infection signals a sea change in the way hospitals conduct annual testing of health care workers, a veteran TB controller emphasizes.
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An emerging highly virulent strain of Clostridium difficile is doing more than causing concern in the hospital its spurring research in the lab.
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The aftermath of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Canada is that health care workers are paying unusually close attention to infection control inservicing and education programs, an epidemiologist reports.
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The nations leading infection control professional societies have drafted model state legislation for collecting and reporting health care-associated infections that includes the following provisions:
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Issuing a recommendation that soon may become a health care accreditation requirement, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is calling for workers who decline seasonal flu shots to sign off on declination statements unless they have medical contraindications.