Tap water is not sterile for use in medical devices; many people unaware, CDC finds
Jan 13, 2023
Large numbers of Americans mistakenly believe that tap water is safe for use in home medical devices such as CPAP machines, a CDC survey reveals.
CMS: A quarter of Medicare recipients skipped needed healthcare during pandemic
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 21, 2020
Fully 21% of beneficiaries have forgone needed healthcare for something other than COVID-19. Nearly half say they did not want to risk being at a medical facility, according to CMS.
Most seniors support virus mitigation efforts, national survey finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Jun 15, 2020
Seniors reported feeling safer with COVID-19 public health measures in place. They’re also more likely to adhere to guidelines meant to reduce transmission, such as avoiding large gatherings.
Clinical briefs for Friday, April 9
By
Alicia Lasek
Apr 09, 2021
Focus shifts to short-stay residents to prevent future COVID-19 outbreaks … U.S. COVID vaccination rates to plateau in April, survey results suggest … U.S. hits COVID shot target; 25% of adults now...
Nearly half of nursing home residents with COVID-19 show no symptoms, national study finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 21, 2020
A multi-state study in Genesis HealthCare facilities found that more than 40% of nursing home residents with COVID-19 are asymptomatic. Facility-wide testing was more successful in detecting these lurking...
Coordinate locally to lower COVID-19 burden, facility study suggests
By
Alicia Lasek
Oct 13, 2020
Three Michigan nursing homes worked hand-in-hand with local referral hospitals and labs to successfully contain facility COVID-19 outbreaks.
Nurses union to FDA: Mask decontamination never should have been OK’d
By
Alicia Lasek
Jan 29, 2021
The reuse of N95 respirators and other single-use PPE is unsafe, according to the lead hygienist of National Nurses United. The union is heartened by President Joe Biden’s promise to use the Defense...
Faithfully merging palliative care and infection control reduces harmful resident transfers: study
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 02, 2021
The more a nursing home adheres to the newer concept of integrated best practices in these areas, the fewer hospital transfers in residents with advanced dementia, researchers say.
Diaries of infection preventionists offer peek into pandemic struggles
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 06, 2021
Real-time reports from the height of the pandemic offer a glimpse into the highs and lows infection preventionists faced as they tackled unprecedented challenges.
Flu shot disparities in short-stay residents could drop by 60 percent with intervention, investigators...
By
Alicia Lasek
Jun 11, 2021
A dramatic racial and ethnic gap exists in influenza vaccination rates among short-stay and long-stay nursing homes residents, a new study has found.