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A firestorm over fit-testing has spilled over to another agency, derailing the release of draft tuberculosis guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If CDC recommends periodic fit-testing, will that be interpreted as annual fit-testing? If the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires annual fit-testing, should the TB guidelines be consistent with that?
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Hospitals seeking to make alcohol-based hand gels as accessible as possible have run into a firewall. Some state or local fire marshals have prohibited dispensers in corridors because of concerns about flammability.
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To improve hand hygiene among health care workers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Health care workers only need to use the traditional soap and water if their hands are visibly soiled, according to the CDC.
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Confirmed cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in China and the emergence of a new strain of avian flu in Vietnam set the public health world on edge and highlighted one important message for hospitals: Be prepared to encounter newly emerging diseases.
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TB, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), smallpox, monkeypox: Your respiratory protection program needs to take into account the different transmission characteristics of each agent.
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Hospitals are buying powered air purifying respirators (PAPRs) and trimming the ranks of employees who potentially would use respirators as a way to cut down on fit-testing.
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According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), An effective [respiratory protection] program requires a systematic approach to evaluating workplace conditions, selecting the appropriate respirator, ensuring the respirator fits, and maintaining the respirator properly. Here are some provisions of the standard.
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New infection control standards by the Joint Com-mission describe a widely supported and collaborative program that represents one of a hospitals top priorities.
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Despite an infusion of federal money, states are not substantially better prepared to respond to bioterrorism, according to a report by the Trust for Americas Health in Washington, DC.
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Employees who have suffered from medical injuries related to the smallpox vaccine now can file for federal benefits.
