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The ancient ritual of the handshake evolved in human dynamics in part as a way to instill trust by extending the weaponless hand. Ironically, this act of goodwill could put a frail patients life at risk if pathogens on the hands are exchanged as well as greetings.
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About one in six U.S. dialysis patients die annually from an infection and 12% of dialysis patients are hospitalized due to septicemia, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
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The wider availability of PCR tests to rapidly detect MERS coronavirus is enabling hospitals in Saudi Arabia to better identify cases and prevent transmission to patients and health care workers, infection preventionists from the Kingdom tell Hospital Infection Control & Prevention.
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Though the health care continuum is currently under siege by a host of emerging gram negatives like CRE, at one time a much-feared single pathogen was thought to herald the arrival of the post-antibiotic era: Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA).
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The adult neuro/trauma unit at Essentia Health System of Duluth, MN, targeted ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) for an intervention several years ago and it's a gift that keeps on giving.
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Ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) rates have dropped significantly in a level II adult neuro/trauma unit at Essentia Health System in Duluth, MN, largely as a result of the unit following this six-step intervention:
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) controversial plan to survey the nation's hospital infection control programs is drawing fire for both going beyond its regulatory authority in some areas and not mandating more specific infection prevention resources in others.
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Increasingly common across the health care landscape, construction and renovation can make patient safety challenging. The need to expand facilities or upgrade existing space creates dust and particles that can easily become aerosolized, potentially transporting infectious Aspergillus and other fungal and bacterial organisms toward vulnerable patient populations.
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