healthcare epidemiology

(Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America) Inadequate use of masks or respirators put health care workers at risk of 2009 H1N1 infection during the earliest stages of the 2009 pandemic in the US, according to a study published in the December issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

(Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America) Healthcare workers who wear gloves while treating patients are much less likely to clean their hands before and after patient contact, according to a study published in the December issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

This failure of basic hand hygiene could be contributing to the spread of infection in healthcare settings, the researchers say.

(Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America) Residential washing machines may not always use hot enough water to eliminate dangerous bacteria like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter, a Gram-negative bacteria, from hospital uniforms, according to a study published in the November issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

(Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America) A study published in the October issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, uses a famous case of international intrigue and murder to shed new light on the risks health care workers face while treating patients with radiation poisoning.

(Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America) An outbreak strain of Clostridium difficile, a bacterium that causes diarrhea and sometimes life-threatening inflammation of the colon, is common in Chicago-area acute care hospitals, an investigation published in the September issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, suggests.

(Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America) A study in the August issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, suggests that documentation of hepatitis B vaccination for health care students may fall short of current recommendations.

(Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America) A systematic effort to improve flu vaccination rates for health-care workers has increased flu vaccinations rates from 59 percent to 77 percent at the University Health System (UHS) in San Antonio.

A report detailing their interventions to increase vaccination was published in the June issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

(Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America) A study of antibiotic use in Veterans Health Administration's acute care facilities demonstrates increased use of carbapenems, over the last five years.

These drugs are often considered the last treatment option for severe infections with multi-drug resistant pathogens.

The increased carbapenem use is alarming because carbapenem-resistant bacteria are becoming more common. The study will be presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

(Infectious Diseases Society of America) Influenza vaccination of health-care personnel is a professional and ethical responsibility and non-compliance with health-care facility policies regarding vaccination should not be tolerated, according to a position paper released today by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA).

(Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America) A joint panel of experts from the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology and the Infectious Diseases Society of America today released online new clinical practice guidelines for Clostridium difficile infection in adults.

The guidelines, to be published in the May issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, update recommendations regarding the epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment and infection control and environmental management of this disease.