Hospital Infection Control & Prevention
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FDA Panel Greenlights RSV Vaccine for Elderly
With some concerns and caveats that put a strong emphasis on post-marketing surveillance, vaccine advisors for the Food and Drug Administration have greenlit two vaccines against respiratory syncytial virus infections in people aged 60 years and older.
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Once Eradicated in the United States, Measles Comes Back
Undiagnosed hospital measles introductions are notoriously labor-intensive, making it necessary to track potential exposures to patients and healthcare workers and determine immune status as necessary.
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Drug Diversion Increasing Risk of Patient Outbreaks
With experts warning drug diversion by healthcare workers has increased during the pandemic, infection preventionists should welcome the news that the medical tech who caused hepatitis C outbreaks in hospitals in eight states remains in a Florida prison.
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Gratitude, Kindness, and Joy: The Light Out of the Pandemic
With approximately 80% of counties in the United States reporting “low” COVID-19 transmission levels as this report was filed, the pandemic has slowed to a still point. Infection preventionists reflect on the damage done and the work that remains.
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CDC: Candida auris Spreading at ‘Alarming’ Rate
The agency reported the number of clinical cases has risen each year since 2016, with the worst spike occurring during the 2020-2021 period.
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FDA Adopts Flu-Like Plan for an Annual COVID Vaccine
The Food and Drug Administration took a decisive step recently in pivoting to fight COVID-19 with an approach similar to that used for decades against influenza, a seasonal virus for which a vaccine is concocted annually based on the circulating strains.
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CDC: Vaccine Safety ‘Signal’ of Stroke Risk in the Elderly
A vaccine safety surveillance system has detected a “signal” of a possible higher risk of ischemic stroke following vaccination in those age 65 years and older with the bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 shot, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.
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Hybrid IPs: With Autonomy Comes Responsibility
For better or worse, infection control and prevention programs had to reinvent themselves as COVID-19 hit the healthcare system in 2020. Some hospitals went to “hybrid” programs, with staff working both inhouse and from home on a rotating basis.
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New Hand Hygiene Guidance Stresses Skin and Nail Care
A coalition of epidemiology and infection control groups, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have issued a comprehensive update of hand hygiene recommendations that emphasizes care of hands and fingernails.
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The Short, Unhappy Life of Ignaz Semmelweis
Ignaz Semmelweis, the 19th century Hungarian obstetrician who made the lifesaving connection between unwashed hands and patient infections, is widely known to have had his findings soundly rejected by his physician peers. But that is only part of the story.