Hospital Infection Control & Prevention – April 1, 2012
April 1, 2012
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Time to put the gloves on: C. diff patient deaths hit a historic high
Dramatic progress in reducing several major health care associated infections (HAIs) in recent years has been offset by the unrelenting rise of Clostridium difficile, the spore-forming pathogen that can cling steadfast to hands even after washing with soap and water. -
Lessons learned from C. diff collaboratives
Amid the generally depressing news about the national epidemic of Clostridium difficile there were hopeful reports of hospital collaboratives driving infection rates down. -
IPs valuable partners in drug stewardship
With the misuse and overuse of antibiotics driving drug resistance in general and emerging Clostridium difficile in particular, infection preventionists and health care epidemiologists want to have a greater role in antimicrobial stewardship programs. -
Troubling shortfall in HBV vaccinations
While the pressure grows to raise the rate of influenza vaccination of health care workers to 90%, an identical Healthy People 2020 goal for hepatitis B vaccination of health care workers remains quietly unmet.