There comes a time in infection control when there are enough epidemiological indicators and sufficient risk of patient harm that one must take decisive action, a la public health pioneer John Snow removing the Broad Street water pump handle to end a legendary cholera outbreak in 19th century London.
Threat of untreatable infections could prompt regulatory action
A proposed guideline by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on hospital antimicrobial stewardship programs includes the following key aspects, as outlined recently in Atlanta at a meeting of the CDC Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee.
New guidelines provide a simple response to occupational exposure to HIV: Take three anti-retrovirals as soon as possible and re-evaluate after 72 hours.
