Study: Leadership support yields better job satisfaction for infection prevention workers
By
Kristen Fischer
Sep 15, 2023
Leadership support may be just what healthcare workers — and particularly infection preventionists — at long-term care communities need to avoid burnout.
More antibiotics didn’t prevent joint replacement infections, trial reveals
By
Kristen Fischer
Oct 19, 2023
Doctors typically give the antibiotic cefazolin to people who have knee and hip replacements in order to prevent infection. Some physicians have debated if adding another antibiotic — vancomycin — ...
Providers with adequate equipment and training stay COVID-19 free: study
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 08, 2020
None of the 420 doctors and nurses participating in the study developed COVID-19-related symptoms or tested positive for antibodies after working in a high-risk environment.
Decrease costs and boost morale by fostering a culture that prioritizes infection prevention and control
By
Buffy Lloyd-Krejci, DrPH, CIC
Aug 07, 2023
Before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, infection prevention and control (IPC) in long-term care facilities was usually relegated to the sidelines. If it was focused on at all, IPC often fell squarely on...
Antigen tests just as effective as PCR in preventing COVID outbreaks, NIH study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 02, 2021
A “highly anticipated” study now shows that both testing approaches can give 98% sensitivity when used at least twice weekly in a screening program.
Study: C. difficile transmission may hinge on individuals, not infection control tools
By
Kristen Fischer
Sep 19, 2023
A person’s biology may play more of a role in how Clostridioides difficile, or C. diff, spreads more so than healthcare facility preventive measures, a new study finds. This means that transmission of...
FDA: Viral mutations unlikely to cause false negatives in COVID-19 tests
By
Alicia Lasek
Jan 11, 2021
The agency has alerted healthcare providers that it is monitoring approved SARS-CoV-2 molecular tests to ensure that new viral mutations do not alter their accuracy.
Nursing facilities in ‘hot spots’ to receive first batch of COVID-19 test equipment
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 16, 2020
About 2,000 nursing homes in regions where COVID-19 case counts are high will be the first to receive on-site diagnostic testing equipment from the federal government.
Early vaccination sped up decline in COVID infections, study in Genesis facilities finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Apr 20, 2021
Nursing homes that administered shots early in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout experienced a lower rate of new infections compared to later-vaccinating sites. The results underscore the efficacy of the drugs...
Untracked COVID: Nursing home workers have died at twice the rate of hospital workers
By
Alicia Lasek
Apr 09, 2021
Nursing home care providers have the sad distinction of accounting for a large proportion of healthcare workers’ COVID deaths, according to new 2020 data that was not tracked by the U.S. government....