Seeing is believing: Visual triggers increase hand hygiene compliance

Can you use the “ick factor” to get healthcare workers to clean their hands more often? Yes, according to a new study being presented on June 11 at the 43rd Annual Conference of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC)

CDC establishes Zika pregnancy registry

As part of the response to the Zika outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with state, local, tribal, and territorial health departments, established a pregnancy registry for comprehensive monitoring of pregnancy and infant outcomes following possible Zika virus infection. The registry is an active surveillance system of pregnant women with laboratory evidence of possible Zika virus infection in the 50 U.S. states and DC, and in the U.S. territories. 

Listen to Sanjay Saint’s inspirational TED Talk

Handwashing gets skipped a third of the time in outpatient healthcare: study

APIC issues free resource to prevent CLABSI

Just released—CDC healthcare-associated infection resources

Location of hand sanitizer affects its use by hospital visitors: study

Zika virus: Info on mosquito-borne illnesses

APIC's Infection Prevention and You webpage on mosquito-borne illnesses provides a brief summary of the Zika Virus with links to the CDC website for the most up-to-date information. 

Remember that Infection Prevention and You contains resources and news for infection preventionists and other healthcare professionals, and has a sister site for consumers.

Fewer than 1 in 5 nurses comply with guidelines for standard precautions

Washington, January 20, 2016 – Only 17.4 percent of ambulatory care nurses reported compliance in all nine standard precautions for infection prevention, according to a study published in the January issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).

Clinical workstations: an overlooked reservoir for deadly bacteria?

Clinical workstations within hospital intensive care units (ICUs) may get overlooked during routine cleanings and could therefore harbor more dangerous bacteria than regularly cleaned objects in patient areas, according to a pilot study published in the December issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).

Non-tuberculous Mycobacterium (NTM) infections and heater-cooler devices

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified a need for increased vigilance for NTM infections by health departments, healthcare facilities, and individual healthcare providers.

APIC survey finds U.S. healthcare facilities are more prepared to confront Ebola compared to last year

Staffing and infection control resources remain issues.

Schools are underprepared for pandemics and natural disasters: study

Missouri schools are no more prepared to respond to pandemics, natural disasters, and bioterrorism attacks than they were in 2011, according to a study published in the October issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).

CDC and FDA alert facilities to review procedures for device reprocessing

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have issued a health alert about reusable medical devices.

Simplified handwashing steps help reduce sickness-related absenteeism for kids

A simplified handwashing routine, with five steps instead of seven, helps to reduce sickness-related absenteeism for students with mild intellectual disability (MID), according to a study published in the September issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).

Endoscopes still contaminated after cleaning, study shows

Potentially harmful bacteria can survive on endoscopes used to examine the interior of the digestive tract, despite a multi-step cleaning and disinfecting process, according to a study published in the August issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). 

Healthcare workers are not removing protective garments correctly: report

Fewer than one in six (4/30) healthcare workers (HCW) followed all CDC recommendations for the removal of personal protective equipment (PPE) after patient care, according to a brief report published in the July issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).

Film festival uses humor and education to promote infection prevention

Nashville, Tenn., June 26, 2015—A video created for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), highlighting the key benefits of engaging patients in hemodialysis infection prevention activities, is the winner of the fifth annual Film Festival at the 42nd Annual Conference of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). 

Daily bathing of pediatric patients with antiseptic cuts bloodstream infections by 59%

Nashville, Tenn., June 26, 2015—Daily bathing of pediatric patients with disposable cloths containing 2 percent chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) reduced central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) by 59 percent and saved approximately $300,000 in one hospital over a six-month period, according to a new study. 

Infection preventionists may spend more time collecting data than protecting patients

Nashville, Tenn., June 25, 2015—Collecting and reporting hospital infection data to federal health agencies takes more than 5 hours each day, at the expense of time needed to ensure that frontline healthcare personnel are adhering to basic infection prevention practices such as hand hygiene, according to a recent case study, to be presented on Saturday, June 27 at the 42nd Annual Conference of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).