Hospital Infection Control & Prevention
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Spore wars: C. difficile takes a staggering toll as top HAI
While CRE and other “superbugs” have been much in the headlines of late, Clostridium difficile has quietly become one of the most deadly pathogens in the country. Some 500,000 people are being infected annually in the U.S., with 29,000 patients dying within 30 days of the initial diagnosis of a C. diff infection (CDI). That is three times the number of people that have died of Ebola since the epic outbreak began in December of 2013.
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Enterovirus D68 a prime suspect, but CDC still investigating cause of paralytic syndrome in kids
With more than 100 children in 34 states still suffering from a mysterious flaccid paralysis syndrome that coincided with a national outbreak last fall of Enterovirus D68, the CDC looks for answers.
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CMS publically reporting hospital flu vac rates
Public reporting is raising the stakes for HCW flu vaccinations.
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FDA says it’s time to inform patients about risk as CRE outbreaks linked to endoscopes continue
An upper endoscopy procedure performed on some half million U.S. patients annually poses a risk of transmission of practically untreatable carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), FDA warns.
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CRE recommendations for facilities, clinicians
An absolute most for CRE: Whem transferring a patient notify the other facility about infections
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Reservoir bugs: CRE in long term acute care hospitals threatens to spread to other facilities
Long term acute care (LTAC) hospitals have been described as a "perfect storm" for emergence of multidrug resistant organisms (MDROs).
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HAI report: Hard-won gains fall short of ‘ambitious’ targets
Nobody said this was going to be easy. While much progress has been made, the unvarnished truth is that not one of the national health care associated infection (HAI) five-year reduction goals from 2009 to 2013 were met, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.1
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CDC hiring IPs for Ebola jobs in West Africa
For those both compassionate and incredibly brave at heart, there are some job openings in West Africa. Though beaten back into its cage in some areas, Ebola continues to find victims in others. Infection preventionists are being asked to help.
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CMS hits hospitals for high rates of infections
Hundreds of U.S. hospitals this year will revisit their infection control and safety programs in hopes of producing results that will get them out of the penalty box.
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Feds lower the boom on compounding pharmacy
A 131-count criminal indictment was unsealed Dec. 17, 2014 in Boston in connection with the 2012 nationwide fungal meningitis outbreak, the U.S. Justice Department announced.