Hospital Infection Control & Prevention
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U.S. Mpox Outbreak Down to Two Cases Daily
Mpox (monkeypox) virus, which startled epidemiologists when it appeared suddenly in many non-endemic countries in May 2022, has subsided dramatically in the United States. The infection also is decreasing rapidly in affected regions of the globe.
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Under-Resourced Public Health Leaves Healthcare Vulnerable
Allison McGeer, MD, an infectious disease specialist in the Sinai Health System and a professor at the University of Toronto, was on the front lines when SARS-1 hit the city in 2003. Hospital Infection Control & Prevention asked her about emerging infections and other issues in this interview.
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OSHA Draft COVID-19 Rule in Healthcare Expected Soon
As this report was filed, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) had finalized the COVID-19 draft standard to protect healthcare workers and submitted it to the White House. On Dec. 8, 2022, OSHA sent the standard to the Office of Management and Budget, with a decision on its fate expected sometime in early 2023.
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‘Vast Majority’ of Mild SARS-CoV-2 Cases Clear Long COVID by One Year
A recent Israeli study tries to deflate the haunting specter of long COVID by examining the association of mild SARS-CoV-2 infection and long-term health outcomes.
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HIC at 50: Looking Back, Looking Forward in a Time of Pandemic
In Hospital Infection Control & Prevention's 50th year of publication, we find ourselves in a perilous world, where the emergence of viral infections and antibiotic-resistant organisms seems to be accelerating.
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Timeline: Key Stories and Topics in HIC This Century
A look back at infection control and prevention topics in HIC over the last two decades.
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Viral Swarm: ‘Tripledemic’ Pushes Healthcare Facilities to the Brink
Respiratory infections are causing hospitalizations and deaths nationally in an unprecedented trifecta of influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, and COVID-19.
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Device Nurses Can Prevent CLABSIs
A recent study estimated the average central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) costs $48,108, while increasing patient mortality by 12% to 25%. These costs and patient consequences may ensue if the central line is not routinely observed and maintained. Thus, one hospital system justified hiring two epidemiology nurses in 2018 after years of trying to claw back CLABSI rates by various interventions.
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Vaccine Second Shot, Boosters Kick in Protective Effect
A study of healthcare and other frontline workers with COVID-19 showed that a history of two or three messenger ribonucleic acid vaccine doses lessened the severity of illness significantly.
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EPINet: Needlesticks Spike 13% from 2020 to 2021
The largest noticeable needlestick increases from 2020 to 2021 were among injections with disposable syringes, especially with insulin needles and those used for vaccinations, says Amber Mitchell, DrPH, director of the International Safety Center, noted for its longstanding EPINet surveillance system for needlesticks, sharps injuries, and mucosal blood exposures.