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Avoiding the unnecessary use of indwelling catheters and promptly removing catheters that are no longer needed are the first steps in preventing catheter-associated urinary tract infections in acute care hospitals, according to new recommendations developed by five medical societies and published today in the journal Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.
Antibiotics administered before and during surgery should be discontinued immediately after a patient’s incision is closed, according to updated recommendations for preventing surgical site infections. Experts found no evidence that continuing antibiotics after a patient’s incision has been closed, even if it has drains, prevents surgical site infections. Continuing antibiotics does increase the patient’s risk of C. difficile infection, which causes severe diarrhea, and antimicrobial resistance.
Five medical organizations say it is essential that hospitals establish antimicrobial stewardship programs to prevent Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) infections. These infections, linked to antibiotic use, cause difficult-to-treat diarrhea, longer hospital stays, and higher costs. C. difficile infections are fatal for more than 12,000 people in the United States each year.
E-Mail NEW YORK (March 17, 2021) -- High speed air dryers not only leave more contamination on poorly washed hands compared to paper towels, but during hand drying, they can also spread germs onto clothing, ultimately transferring more bacteria to other surfaces, according to a study published today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. Past research has shown recommended handwashing practices for healthcare workers are often not followed with average adherence of 40%. To better understand the impact of hand dryin...
E-Mail ARLINGTON, Va. (March 2, 2021) -- The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) has named Gonzalo Bearman, MD, MPH, chair of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, the inaugural editor-in-chief of its new journal, Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology (ASHE). "Dr. Bearman was chosen from a large field of highly qualified candidates because of his energy and commitment to advancing the field of antimicrobial stewardship through innovation and strong research," said Mary Hayden, MD, president of the SH...