Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI)

Gonzalo Bearman, MD, MPH, shares a few things to keep in mind when using bundled approaches against C. difficile.

Researchers from Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy highlight correlations between antibiotic use and horizontal transmission of Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) bacterial species.

Superbugs, Zika, antibiotic development, C. difficile, and HIV are the article topics making up this week’s Top 5 articles.

Contagion® sat down with Rodrigo Mendes, PhD, to discuss research exploring evolving resistance among antibiotics to treat skin infections.

Kirk Hevener, PharmD, PhD, explains the drawbacks of first-line drugs that are currently used to treat C. difficile infections.

Prof. Josh Davis, MBBS, PhD, discusses the role of combination therapy when it comes to treating invasive Staphylococcus aureus infections.

Niaz Banaei, MD, discusses some reasons why healthcare-associated C. difficile tends to be over-diagnosed.

Khalid Eljaaly, PharmD, MS, CAPPS, BCPS, explains why carbapenem antibiotics cause higher rates of C. diff and superinfections.

In an interview at the ASM Microbe 2017 meeting, held in New Orleans, Louisiana, Vice-Chair David Relman, MD, discussed with Contagion® microbiome research and its potential utility in medicine.

Jerod Nagel, PharmD, highlights how rapid diagnostic tools can be utilized in antibiotic stewardship programs to improve outcomes for patients with S. aureus.

Researchers from Pasteur Institute, Paris, France, and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, examine the genomic features of the E. anophelis strain behind the 2015-2016 Wisconsin outbreak.

Snigdha Vallabhaneni, MD, MPH, Medical Epidemiologist, Mycotic Diseases Branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, explains CDC’s recommendations for disinfecting hospital surfaces from Candida auris.

Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute of Patient Safety and Quality researchers have shown that by adhering to evidence-based practices, frontline healthcare staff members can reduce ventilator-associated events.

Nicola Thompson, PhD, explains how her research can lead to initiatives that aim to result in a decline in the burden of infections in nursing homes.

Gonzalo Bearman, MD, MPH, professor of medicine, and hospital epidemiologist, Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Virginia Commonwealth University, explains how controlling antibiotic use can impact Clostridium difficile rates.

In case you missed them, here are our top 5 articles for the week of May 14, 2017.

Researchers at Houston Methodist Hospital have identified that a surprising percentage of Klebsiella pneumoniae infections at their facility are caused by uncommon strains of the pathogen.

Gonzalo Bearman, MD, MPH, professor of medicine, and hospital epidemiologist, Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Virginia Commonwealth University, discusses methods to disinfect hospital rooms so as to limit the transmission of healthcare-associated infections.

Nicola Thompson, PhD, Epidemiologist, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), explains why research and surveillance of HAIs in US nursing homes has been limited.

A new report highlights that all links in the hospital reporting chain are tragically weak.

Gonzalo Bearman, MD, MPH, professor of medicine, and hospital epidemiologist, Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Virginia Commonwealth University, discusses a cost-effective way to control Clostridium difficile in the hospital setting.

Gonzalo Bearman, MD, MPH, professor of medicine, and hospital epidemiologist, Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Virginia Commonwealth University, examines the importance of nurse-driven Clostridium difficile protocols.

As the repeal of the Affordable Care Act remains stalled in the US government, action plans are being put into place to address other major areas that are affecting the health of the American public.

What can healthcare providers do to stop these infections before they start?

Nicola Thompson, PhD, Epidemiologist, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), explains that, in order to decrease the national prevalence of HAIs in the United States, we can’t just focus on acute care settings.

Gonzalo Bearman, MD, MPH, professor of medicine, and hospital epidemiologist, Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Virginia Commonwealth University, discusses some alternative approaches to contact precautions for patients with Clostridium difficile.

In case you missed them, here are our top 5 articles for the week of April 30, 2017.

Matt Linam, MD, MS, Assistant Professor, Pediatric Infectious Diseases, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, stresses the importance of healthcare workers staying home when they’re ill.

Today, May 5th, is Hand Hygiene Day, a day that reminds healthcare workers, visitors, and policy makers alike, that frequent handwashing can be used to fight the growing threat of antibiotic resistance, and ultimately, save millions of lives.

The results of a recent study reveal a high prevalence of colonization of multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria in nursing home residents, emphasizing the need to enhance infection control and prevention in these institutions.