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Infectious Disease

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  • The Joint Commission Update for Infection Control: VA programs cuts CLABSIs by >50%

    The Joint Commission targets central lineassociated bloodstream infections in its 2011 national patient safety goals, with NPSG.07.04.01 calling for hospitals to "implement evidence-based practices to prevent (CLABSIs)."
  • iP Newbe: Part II: 'The Just One More Thing Strategy'

    [Editor's note: In this issue we continue with the second part of Patti Grant's IP Newbie column that was featured in our September issue. As you may recall, she described an all too common situation: How various professionals in healthcare are expected to participate in activities beyond their original area of expertise. This expectation does not seem so much a direct consequence of the struggling economy as a reflection of the attempt by various specialties to move from "silos" to a team approach to problem solving, Grant noted, observing that "Patient safety will most likely be less precarious in this multi-disciplinary improvement environment, but it can come with hefty growing pains." Of course, as an IP Newbie, you're often the one growing.]
  • The Joint Commission Update for Infection Control: Joint Commission: New year will usher in new CAUTI prevention requirements

    The Joint Commission's new National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) on preventing indwelling catheter-associated urinary tract infections which emphasizes prompt removal of unnecessary devices and surveillance for CAUTIs is effective January 1, 2012 for hospitals.
  • Do you know where your flagged MDRO pts are?

    With the increasing reliance on computer tools and electronic records, infection preventionists may reasonably assume patients flagged for isolation on admission end up under the appropriate precautions.
  • The Joint Commission Update for Infection Control: Follow the fab four

    The elements of performance for the CAUTI prevention safety goal are as follows:
  • FDA Notifications

    Updates to the darunavir (Prezista®) package insert, specifically sections: 6 Adverse Reactions, 12.4 Microbiology, 14 Clinical Studies and were approved on Oct. 19, 2011, to include results from the 192-week safety, resistance and efficacy data from study TMC114-C211, "A randomized, controlled, open-label Phase 3 trial comparing darunavir/ritonavir 800/100 mg once daily versus lopinavir/ritonavir 800/200 mg per day (given as a twice daily or as a once daily regimen) in antiretroviral treatment-naïve HIV-1-infected adult subjects."
  • HIV/AIDS epidemic at 30 years: Promised land or wasteland?

    Thirty years after the world first became aware of a strange syndrome that caused young men to acquire rare diseases like Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) and Kaposi's Sarcoma, nations across the globe continue to battle against the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
  • Rethinking metrics used for goals

    One obstacle to the success of the U.S. national HIV/AIDS strategy involves the accuracy of metrics used for monitoring HIV care, including late diagnoses and linkage to sustained care, a new study notes.
  • AMA: Amend HIV transplant law

    The American Medical Association recently voted to support amending a federal law that bars clinical research of HIV-infected organ donation, as a potentially lifesaving measure for people living with HIV infection.
  • Study looks at state disparities in HIV

    HIV/AIDS mortality data highlight disparities between states, suggesting differences in HIV treatment and care, a new study shows.1