In the long-term care sector, we have to address patients who may have been through multiple hospital visits and may have been infected with a wide range of multi-drug resistant organisms. Some of them...
Heavily soiled healthcare linens not ‘regulated waste,’ OSHA confirms
By
Tim Mullaney
Dec 16, 2013
Long-term care facilities and other healthcare providers are not required to dispose of contaminated linen as “regulated waste,” the Occupational Safety and Health Administration clarified...
Catching bad bugs
By
John Andrews
Jun 01, 2013
New strains of drug-resistant pathogens are targets of more scrutiny among infection control professionals employed in long-term care environments.
Stomach acid drugs raise risk of C. diff
By
Elizabeth Newman
May 01, 2013
Stomach acid is often treated with medications such as Pepcid, but that could put long-term care residents or hospitalized patients at risk for Clostridium difficile, according to a new analysis.
Three risk factors could help uncover C. diff. carriers, researchers say
By
McKnight's Staff
May 01, 2013
Long-term care providers might want to pay special attention to residents with certain recently identified risk factors for Clostridium difficile. These factors are chronic dialysis, recent hospitalization...
Limiting use of common antihistamines could reduce C. diff in facilities, researchers say
By
McKnight's Staff
Mar 29, 2013
Taking antihistamines such as Tagamet, Pepcid and Zantac increases the risk that people in healthcare settings will be infected with Clostridium difficile, according to a recently published study.
Efforts to combat Clostridium difficile are coming up short, survey finds
By
McKnight's Staff
Mar 12, 2013
Long-term care operators and other healthcare providers are having limited success in combating Clostridium difficile infections, despite increasing their efforts in the last three years, according to...
September 11 death count, times 10
By
John O'Connor
Aug 27, 2012
Many people shudder when they think about the 9/11 tragedy, and rightfully so. The four suicide attacks carried out on September 11 of 2001 caused nearly 3,000 deaths. But imagine if there were 10 such...
Experimental drug is helpful against c. diff, animal study finds
Aug 24, 2011
An experimental compound, which investigators say could be used as an alternative to antibiotics, has been shown to be effective in fighting Clostridium difficile in laboratory mice.