July 16, 2012
Many hospitals scored fewer than 50 points on the 100-point hospital safety scale, which rated facilities based on their performance in six categories.
Despite the overall positive impact, some hospitals are spending less time on infections not targeted in the CMS rule.
April 05, 2012
Drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus identified in 69% of Chicago-area ambulances.
Norovirus outbreaks predominated in behavioral health and rehabilitation/long-term care facilities, whereas bacterial infections were more likely to occur in medical and surgical units.
December 05, 2011
The number of hospital-acquired MRSA infections is down; however, community-acquired MRSA infections continue to rise.
October 31, 2011
A quick review of influenza A and influenza B viruses in children, providing information on the infections' epidemiology and associated complciations, as well as tips for diagnosis, treatment and prevention.
Vaccination of U.S. infants against rotavirus appears to provide indirect protection to older children and adults, too.
Health-care workers who were required by their employers to be vaccinated against influenza and who had the service offered onsite, had near universal coverage levels.
October 13, 2011
Considered "magic bullets" when they first arrived on the scene, antibiotics must be used appropriately to protect their effectiveness.
Delaying and skipping certain vaccines are the most common modifications to the recommended childhood vaccine schedule, mainly because parents feel these options are safer.
Take a few extra minutes to convince reluctant parents to get their children vaccinated against influenza.
September 28, 2011
Hepatitis B vaccination rates among medical students lag behind national recommendations.
Is there any evidence that changing a patient's cephalexin dose from 500 q.i.d. to 1,000 b.i.d. has decreased efficacy in terms of infection control?
September 13, 2011
Clinicians should consider screening women aged 45 and older for the sexually transmitted infection.
More than half of clinician uniforms sampled from a large hospital tested positive for harmful pathogens, including MRSA.
August 24, 2011
Parents today are more likely than ever to have questions or concerns about the safety of immunizations, and clinicians must be prepared to have effective discussions about the benefits and risks of vaccination.
Clindamycin therapy resulted in fewer recurrences and treatment failures among children with skin and soft tissue infections vs. trimethroprim-sulfamethoxazole or beta-lactam antibiotics.
In adolescents aged 11 to 14 years, must the human papillomavirus; meningococcal (MCV4); tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap); and, if needed, varicella vaccines be given simultaneously?
Research shows that universal nasal surveillance, contact precautions and hand hygiene can reduce hospital-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus transmission.
Current FDA indications for tetanus, diptheria and pertussis vaccine call for only one dose between ages 11 and 64 years. What strategies or processes have been employed to communicate to the patient whether he or she has received the one-time-only tetanus shot?
Current Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations state that all patients aged 6 months and older receive an annual influenza vaccine.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued an action plan for the prevention, care, and treatment of viral hepatitis.
The CDC recently issued outpatient infection control guidelines to ensure basic standards are met in ambulatory settings including primary care offices, public health clinics, imaging centers, oncology clinics and rehabilitation centers.
Many parents of kids with asthma are not having their children vaccinated against influenza due to unfounded fears about the vaccine's adverse events.
Clinicians asks advice for appropriate vaccine procedure for health care workers who received childhood vaccines, but cannot supply documentation and no longer have immunity to measles, mumps or rubella.
Researchers stopped the HPTN 052 trial ahead of schedule after interim results indicated triple-drug therapy dramatically reduced HIV transmission in heterosexual couples.
With ongoing changes in the healthcare field, certification demonstrates an advanced level of knowledge and skills in a specialty practice area.
Injection drug use the most common risk factor among adolescents and young adults with HCV infection.
A new test is available that can distinguish between methicillin-resistant and methicillin-susceptible forms of Staphylococcus aureus in a matter of hours.
What are bacterial biofilms, and is there a link between these communities and chronic infections? What treatment strategies are recommended?
