Hospital Infection Control & Prevention – October 1, 2003

October 1, 2003

• CDC draft urges universal masking of incoming patients to prevent SARS

  Draft guidance by public health officials preparing for a seasonal resurgence of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) calls for taking the controversial step of masking all incoming patients with respiratory symptoms, Hospital Infection Control has learned.

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• Use this CDC guidance when no SARS is in facility

  Draft guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ratchet up increasing infection control and administrative measures depending on whether severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has appeared globally, within a community, or within a facility.

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• CDC balks at linking SARS and flu shots

  Diverging from the position taken by the Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will not urge influenza vaccination for the 2003-2004 season specifically as a response to the possible return of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Hospital Infection Control has learned.

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• Duke ICPs work to remove stigma of patient isolation

  There is an increasing emphasis in infection control on doing active surveillance cultures and detecting and isolating patients colonized with pathogens such as vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE).

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• Q&A education tool for patients on isolation

  The following questions and answers are summarized with permission from an educational brochure developed at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC, for patients who are being placed in contact isolation:

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• ASHE interim guidance during fire-alcohol flap

  While the flap continues over fire safety and placing alcohol hand hygiene dispensers in hospitals, the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) has developed some interim guidelines to help infection control professionals.

  Read more about ASHE interim guidance during fire-alcohol flap - Hospital Infection Control & Prevention – October 1, 2003

• What’s the C-difference? Oh, $15,000 an infection

  Editors note: As this issue of Hospital Infection Control went to press, these studies were presented in Chicago at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. Look for more in-depth coverage of this conference in our next issue

  Read more about What&#8217;s the <I>C</I>-difference? Oh, $15,000 an infection - Hospital Infection Control & Prevention – October 1, 2003

• Improved hand hygiene in NICU with alcohol products

  Use of an alcohol-based product was associated with significantly improved hand hygiene in a study of neonatal intensive care units (NICU), a new study had found.

  Read more about Improved hand hygiene in NICU with alcohol products - Hospital Infection Control & Prevention – October 1, 2003

• Patient Safety Alert Supplement

  Read more about Patient Safety Alert Supplement - Hospital Infection Control & Prevention – October 1, 2003