Archive for: Infection Control
Ohio OKs surgical masks after N95 study retraction
At least one state isn’t hesitating to change respiratory protection requirements after authors of an influential Australian study retracted findings that N95 respirators provide more protection than surgical masks against the flu.
Ohio state officials have backed out on previous support of CDC requirements that recommend N95 respirators for healthcare workers treating patients with suspected H1N1, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. State requirements will now permit the use of surgical masks.
Lab infections don’t always translate to sloppy practices
It’s been a tough last couple weeks at Boston hospitals between a stabbing at Massachusetts General Hospital, and tainted coffee at a Harvard medical laboratory.
You can add another one to the list. An incident at a Boston University medical lab completed the safety trifecta last week when a BU graduate student developed a bacterial infection days after conducting experiments with dangerous meningitis germs, according to The Boston Globe.
H1N1 settlement avoids strike, sets standard
A settlement between the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (CNA/NNOC) and Catholic Healthcare West in San Francisco averted a planned nurses strike on October 30, and potentially set the pace for other states regarding healthcare worker protection against H1N1, according to a November 2 press release.
The centerpiece of the settlement is a new system-wide emergency task force made up of RNs in the association and hospital representatives that will set uniform standards using federal, state, and local guidelines during a pandemic emergency. Each facility will also have CNA/NNOC nurse committees that will team up with infection control to implement system-wide policies and procedures.
H1N1 vaccine demand clogs hotline
Healthcare facilities around the country are feeling the effects of a decreased supply of H1N1 vaccines. Here in Nebraska an Iowa public health clinics are dealing with long lines of frightened people looking for protection this winter.
In the months before flu season began, many experts suggested setting up influenza hotlines, to mitigate the surge of patients, particularly in smaller facilities where isolation precautions are harder to adhere to.
Environmental cleaning: Bleach vs. disinfectant
For many years it was recommended that healthcare facilities use 1:10 or 1:100 bleach-to-water mixture to clean patient rooms because it was the best at killing infectious organisms. Now manufacturers have produced EPA-registered quaternary ammonium (Quat) or other low-level or intermediate-level disinfectants.
Weekly poll: Hand hygiene games
We’ve all heard it 1,000 times: Hand hygiene compliance is the number one way to reduce infections.
Despite that fact, medical facilities continually struggle with hand hygiene compliance. Many facilities have found that games and lighthearted competition usually create an atmosphere where employees are easily motivated to wash their hands. Some others believe handwashing is strictly serious business.
What do you think? Does your facility use games to improve hand hygiene?
Hand hygiene fun and games
Back in May I wrote about a hand hygiene tag, a game created by employees at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC). The idea was an interesting and well-received approach to hand hygiene compliance.
NY lifts required flu vaccinations for healthcare workers
New York Governor David A. Paterson announced Thursday evening that the State Health Commissioner Richard F. Daines, M.D. has suspended the mandatory influenza vaccines for healthcare workers.
The rationale has more to do with a shortage of the H1N1 vaccine than the temporary restraining order that was handed down by a judge last week, State Department of Health spokeswoman Claudia Hutton told the New York Times.
The legal battle for required flu shots
Two impending court hearings on required flu vaccines for healthcare workers in New York carry significant weight. New York is the first state to require flu shots for healthcare workers, and subsequently both cases could set precedent for years to come, potentially impacting the way states and hospitals handle future flu vaccination requirements.
CMS says wrap it up before you flash
Last week the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a memo to state survey directors clarifying its position on flash sterilization for ambulatory surgery centers (ASC).
According to the memo, state survey agencies using the new Infection Control Survey Worksheet, have experienced challenges evaluating the use of flash sterilization. The clarification states that, “utilization of a short sterilization cycle of a wrapped/contained load may no longer be a concern so long as the ASC is following ALL manufacturers’ instructions for the devices involved.”
