Infection Control
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The ‘Vaccine Wars:’ Will Science Prevail?
In a year marked by more than 1,000 infections with a disease that once was eradicated in the United States, the tide of public opinion may be turning against the antivaccine movement. Measles resurgence coincides with parents citing unsafe vaccines as a reason not to immunize their children. However, there is a growing pushback against the antivaccine movement, with herd immunity threatened and the real risk of measles to immunocompromised patients and those who cannot be immunized.
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Quantifying the Occupational Risk of Tuberculosis
The CDC published data on the level of tuberculosis in healthcare workers, which was used in part to support the recent recommendations to drop routine annual TB testing in the absence of an exposure or ongoing transmission. The epidemiology has shifted, with workers coming from countries endemic for TB much more likely to manifest later symptoms. Although it must be underscored that there still is TB in the United States, healthcare workers are not at the risk they once were.
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Healthcare Workers at Risk of Slips, Trips, and Falls
In a study that has implications for preventing slip injuries in healthcare, researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health found that wearing slip-resistant shoes dramatically reduced workers’ compensation claims for school food service workers. The study included some 17,000 food service workers from 226 school districts.
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WHO Declares Ebola Outbreak an International Emergency
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared an international health emergency for the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo after a case appeared in a highly populated city with global air travel. In declaring an international emergency, the WHO is calling for international aid and assistance while emphasizing that it would be counterproductive to shut down travel to the region.
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The Joint Commission: Preventing Nursing Burnout
The Joint Commission (TJC) has identified nurse staffing, recruitment, and retention as “priorities for further evaluation in the coming year” to prevent nursing burnout. TJC recently issued a Quick Safety alert, emphasizing that nursing burnout can worsen patient outcomes, including mortality. The report cited a 2017 literature review on preventing nursing burnout that identified six studies, representing 3,248 nurses worldwide. These studies revealed that the most common factors related to burnout are exclusion from the decision-making process, the need for greater autonomy, security risks, and staffing issues.
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Physician Burnout: Seeking Resilience in a Broken System
Healthcare facilities and employee health professionals have responded to an epidemic of physician burnout with programs to build resiliency, such as yoga and mindfulness meditation. However, even advocates of these approaches say they are not a panacea, as larger system-level problems are driving physician frustration and subsequent burnout.
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New Target May Lead to Chlamydia Treatment Options
Reproductive health providers battle against chlamydia every day, as it is the most commonly reported sexually transmitted infection in the U.S. According to data from the CDC, more than 1.7 million cases were diagnosed in 2017, with 45% among females ages 15-24 years. New research has identified a potential target for drug treatment that may help develop alternate approaches to stem infections.
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HIV Screening, PrEP Receive USPSTF Recommendation
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has issued final recommendations that providers screen for HIV in everyone ages 15-65 years, and all pregnant women as well as younger adolescents and older adults at increased risk for HIV. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) also should be offered to people at high risk of HIV, USPSTF recommends. Since 2006, the CDC has recommended universal HIV screening at least once for people ages 13-64 years, with annual or more frequent rescreenings for persons at increased risk. However, new data indicate that such recommendations have not been fully implemented.
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Research Continues Toward Potential Herpes Vaccine
After promising research for a potential herpes vaccine stalled in 2018, scientists are finding new paths for investigation that may lead to a potential candidate. Recently published research by Yale University investigators may offer clues to an effective vaccine option.
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ACIP Recommends HPV Vaccination for Older Men and Women
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recently approved use of the 9-valent HPV vaccine for persons ages 27-45 years. The recommendation to expand use of the vaccine comes as findings from a large meta-analysis indicate that the HPV vaccine has substantially reduced infections and precancerous lesions. Providers are encouraged to discuss the potential benefits of HPV vaccination with patients in the mid-age category, addressing the reduced efficacy compared to vaccination within the younger target age range, as well as the reduced risk of high-grade disease and cervical cancer.