Hospital Employee Health 2005-04-01

Health care workers may need a new vaccine to fight pertussis

Another vaccine is on the horizon for health care workers this time to protect them and their patients from a troubling resurgence of pertussis, the whooping cough illness that is particularly dangerous for young infants.

Pertussis and Health Care Workers

Epidemiology; Laboratory Diagnosis/Testing; Clinical Findings; Treatment/Prophylaxis; Prevention

Shortage doesn’t sway HCWs on flu vaccine

This years flu vaccine shortage failed to budge the nations health care workers from their typically dismal rate of vaccination. About 43% of health care workers with direct patient care responsibilities received the vaccine, which is similar to that of prior years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported.

National flu vaccine shortage may continue

Shortage of influenza vaccine may continue into the 2005-2006 influenza season. As of late February, it was unclear whether Chiron Corp. of Emeryville, CA, would be able to resolve manufacturing problems in time to produce influenza vaccine by next fall. Chiron was one of the two major suppliers of flu vaccine in the United States.

Rapid HIV tests are reducing unneeded PEP

New highly accurate rapid HIV tests are reshaping the way hospitals are handling bloodborne pathogen exposures.

New book offers information on bloodborne exposures

If youre looking for information on how your bloodborne pathogen exposures compare to other facilities, a new book offers a compilation of information.

Draw sheets shown to be lateral transfer hazard

When a patient needs to be moved from a bed to a stretcher, do your nurses reach across for the draw sheet and pull? If so, theyre at risk for debilitating back injury.

Friction-Reducing Devices: Biomechanical Study Rankings

These are the overall rankings of lateral-transfer devices from a study by Andrea Baptiste and John Lloyd of the Patient Safety Center of the James A. Haley VA Medical Center in Tampa, FL.

Lateral Transfer Devices

On3 Lateral Transfer Device; TotaLift II Transfer Chair;TotaLift PTS; AirMatt Lateral Transfer System; and more.

Strongly divided views emerge in TB comments

The draft tuberculosis guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sparked widely ranging comments with divergent opinions from those who think N95 filtering facepiece respirators are inadequate, to those who think they are unnecessary.

Don’t miss infection rate audio conference

Is your state next? Laws requiring disclosure of individual hospital infection rates are sweeping the nation. Four states Pennsylvania, Illinois, Florida, and Missouri have passed infection rate disclosure laws, and 20 others have introduced bills.

AAOHN hosts its own conference this spring

For the first time in more than 60 years, the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN) in Atlanta is hosting an independent conference distinct from the occupational medicine physicians in the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Hospital Employee Health – April 1, 2005

April 1, 2005