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Hospital workers often transfer germs when removing gloves, gowns

Nov 12, 2015/ Comments 0 / in News / by

Florescent lotion and black light revealed that health care workers often contaminate their skin and clothing while removing their protective gear, researchers say. This contamination can spread germs and place the health care workers at risk for infection, the authors write in JAMA Internal Medicine. Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/12/us-health-germspread-scrubs-idUSKCN0S61UH20151012#QmBCy7wTXO57YwHm.97

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Cleaning Hospital Rooms with Chemicals, UV Rays Cuts Superbug Transmissions

Oct 8, 2015/ Comments 0 / in News / by

In a hospital, what you can’t see could hurt you. Healthcare facilities continue to battle drug-resistant organisms such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) that loiter on surfaces even after patient rooms have been cleaned and can cause new, sometimes-deadly infections. But a new study from Duke Medicine has found that using a combination of chemicals…

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Flu Season is Around the Corner

Sep 26, 2015/ Comments 0 / in News / by

Influenza (flu) is a contagious respiratory disease that infects the nose, throat, and lungs and can lead to serious complications, hospitalization, or even death. Pneumonia and bronchitis are examples of serious flu-related complications. The flu also can cause certain health conditions, like diabetes, asthma, and heart and lung disease, to become worse. Even healthy people…

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MRSA . . . Coming soon to a locker room near you

Sep 25, 2015/ Comments 0 / in News / by

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (staph) is a type of bacteria that is resistant to certain antibiotics. Staph are common bacteria that normally live on the skin. The bacteria also live harmlessly in the nasal passages of roughly 30 percent of the U.S. population. If you have staph on your skin or in your nose, but aren’t…

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Infection Prevention Role Stress: A New Look at the Underlying Causes Within the Profession

Sep 5, 2015/ Comments 0 / in News / by

The need for infection prevention, as a multidisciplinary function, is a longstanding and widely acknowledged component of safe healthcare. Accreditation and regulatory standards specify that this function must be an organized program coordinated by an individual qualified to assure that the necessary assessments, priorities, key metrics are achieved. This individual must also assure that the…

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Healthcare Risk Manager Shares Her Advice After Personally Surviving Sepsis

Sep 4, 2015/ Comments 0 / in News / by

At a minimum, a sepsis initiative should include: Education for all providers and staff on symptom recognition; Policies reflecting the clinical guidelines on immediate treatment; Sepsis response ‘crash carts’ with resources needed to start treatment; Facility-wide signage outlining the symptoms for ease of recognition by patient families and friends; Respect for the word – if…

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Infections Increase Death Risk by 35 Percent for ICU Patients, Study Finds

Sep 3, 2015/ Comments 0 / in News / by

Elderly patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) are about 35 percent more likely to die within five years of leaving the hospital if they develop an infection during their stay, a new study finds. Preventing two of the most common healthcare-acquired infections – bloodstream infections caused by central lines and pneumonia caused by ventilators…

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Deadly hospital infections will rise unless changes are made

Aug 12, 2015/ Comments 0 / in News / by

Each year an estimated 648,000 Americans develop infections during a hospital stay and about 75,000 die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A new study from the agency concludes that hospitals need to make important changes or the rate of deadly hospital infections will continue to rise. Source: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/08/deadly-hospital-infections-will-rise/index.htm

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Spectra254 Launches Alternative Financing Program – Offers Healthcare Facilities Rentals for Up To Three Years

Aug 10, 2015/ Comments 0 / in News / by

Spectra254 has partnered with Americorp Financial to offer its entire suite of UVC light disinfection solutions to healthcare facilities, clinicians and others through its rental program. The systems may be rented for up to three years, at which point the customer has the option to purchase, return or re-rent the disinfection solution. Spectra254’s finance program,…

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How HAIs lead to direct, indirect and unintended hospital costs

Jul 19, 2015/ Comments 0 / in News / by

According to Dr. White, the estimated direct medical cost of HAIs is around $10 billion annually, not including cost-shifting to private payers. Including cost-shifting, HAIs may cost closer to between $35 billion and $45 billion for acute-care hospitals annually. The total direct, indirect and nonmedical social costs of HAIs are estimated at around $96 billion…

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