Thank you for visiting HAI Focus.  This website is updated regularly to provide you with current news and information about healthcare-associated infections and infection prevention.  I hope you find the information useful.
Sincerely, Julie Reagan, Founder of HAI Focus

The following message is provided by Evelyn McKnight, the founder and president of HONOReform Foundation.

May 19 is Hepatitis Testing Day, which may seem to be just another health observance.  Unfortunately, as someone who contracted hepatitis C as a result of unsafe injection practices, I know the importance and urgency of testing for hepatitis.

Over the past twelve years, there have been over 40 documented outbreaks of bloodborne pathogens in U. S. healthcare settings. More than 125,000 patients have been notified that they needed to be tested for potentially fatal diseases hepatitis C or HIV. Why? A health care provider did not follow injection safety guidelines. Or he or she simply did not know the proper procedures in the first place.

I know it’s hard to believe, but can you imagine the emotional toll, not to mention the financial impact, of being infected with HCV? In my case, I was battling a recurrence of breast cancer when I was diagnosed. With no other risk factors, attention turned to the clinic where I was receiving chemotherapy. Before long, it was discovered that the same syringes were being reused on multiple patients and a community saline bag was being misused. Ninety-nine of us were infected.

With my story, just one of many, in mind, I want to urge anyone who has risk factors for hepatitis to get tested. More and more Americans, particularly Baby Boomers, are becoming affected by this “silent epidemic.” For more information, do an Internet search for “CDC Hepatitis C Information for the Public.” Information on Hepatitis A and B is also included.

To everyone else, I issue this challenge. Become an empowered patient! If you are getting an injection or IV treatment, follow the recommendations of the Safe Injection Practices Coalition (SIPC), and ask, “Will there be one needle, one syringe and only one time?”

Encourage your state or local health department to become involved in the effort to prevent disease outbreaks associated with unsafe infections. SIPC has just released a “State and Local Health Department Toolkit” that offers helpful strategies and practical advice.  Health officials can download it from the One & Only Campaign website:  http://www.oneandonlycampaign.org/content/one-only-campaign-toolkits.

It seems inconceivable that a patient could, while receiving medical treatment, end up with a deadly disease. But, sadly, it’s happening all over the country.  It’s real.  It’s recent.  It could become your problem. Again, I urge anyone with risk factors for hepatitis to get tested. And everyone who is responsible for giving injections to always follow the proper procedures.

Evelyn McKnight is the founder and president of HONOReform Foundation and the co-author of A Never Event: Exposing the Largest Outbreak of Hepatitis C in American Healthcare History.

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According to a CDC study, the number deaths associated with gastroenteritis (inflammation of the stomach and intestines causing vomiting and diarrhea) more than doubled from 1999 to 2007.   The findings, based on data from the National Center for Health Statistics, are to be presented today at the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases in Atlanta.

CDC scientists used data from the National Center for Health Statistics to identify gastroenteritis-associated deaths from 1999 to 2007 among all age groups in the United States.

“Gastroenteritis is a major cause of death worldwide,” said lead author Aron Hall, D.V.M., M.S.P.H., of the CDC’s Division of Viral Diseases. “By knowing the causes of gastroenteritis-associated deaths and who’s at risk, we can develop better treatments and help health care providers prevent people from getting sick.”

Over the eight-year study period, gastroenteritis-associated deaths from all causes increased from nearly 7,000 to more than 17,000 per year. Adults over 65 years old accounted for 83 percent of deaths. Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) and norovirus were the most common infectious causes of gastroenteritis-associated deaths.

There was a fivefold increase, from approximately 2,700 to 14,500 deaths per year, for C. difficile, a type of bacteria often associated with health care settings. C difficile, which causes diarrhea, accounted for two-thirds of the deaths. Much of the recent increase in the incidence and mortality of C. difficile is attributed to the emergence and spread of a hypervirulent, resistant strain of C. difficile.

Norovirus was associated with about 800 deaths annually, though there were 50 percent more deaths in years when epidemics were caused by new strains of the virus. Norovirus is highly contagious. It spreads through person-to-person contact and contaminated food, water, and surfaces. People can get norovirus illness throughout the year, but cases peaked between December-February. Norovirus causes more than 20 million illnesses annually, and it is the leading cause of gastroenteritis outbreaks in the United States.

“While C. difficile continues to be the leading contributor to gastroenteritis-associated deaths, this study shows for the first time that norovirus is likely the second leading infectious cause,” said Hall. “Our findings highlight the need for effective measures to prevent, diagnose, and manage gastroenteritis, especially for C. difficile and norovirus among the elderly.”

Click here to read the CDC Press Release.

Follow HAI Focus on twitterhttp://twitter.com/haifocus.

 

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A bill currently being considered by the Minnesota Legislature would require hospital financial responsibility for hospital-acquired conditions.

H.F. No. 2345, as introduced in the Minnesota 87th Legislative Session, defines “hospital-acquired condition” as “a medical condition acquired or worsened as a result of an error or omission made by a hospital in connection with the diagnosis, treatment, care, or other service provided by a hospital to a patient.”

Under the legislation, if enacted, hospitals would be liable to the patient for all reasonably necessary corrective medical and hospital service costs that result from a hospital-acquired condition that is created or increased by the hospital. The law would be applicable to hospital-acquired conditions created on or after August 1, 2012.

Click here to read the bill text.

Follow HAI Focus on twitter: http://twitter.com/haifocus.

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CDC: Clostridium Difficile Infection Rates and Deaths at “Historic Highs”

A press release issued today (March 6, 2012) by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals infections from the bacteria Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) presents a patient safety concern in all types of medical facilities, not just in hospitals as was traditionally thought. According to the press release, C. difficile infection rates and [...]

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Free Webinar on AHRQ Quality Indicators Toolkit for Hospitals

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is repeating its webinar on its AHRQ Quality Indicator Toolkit for Hospitals. The event will be held Tuesday, March 13, from 3:00 to 4:30 pm EST. The AHRQ Quality Indicators Toolkit for Hospitals is a free resource for hospitals to provide information about the AHRQ Inpatient Quality [...]

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Project Analyzes State Laws on Mandatory Healthcare Workforce Influenza Vaccinations

A new project analyzing state laws requiring mandatory influenza vaccinations of healthcare workers has been reported by the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. The project provides: a comprehensive review of research related to influenza vaccination of healthcare workers, an analysis of state laws requiring health facilities to develop mandatory workforce [...]

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CLABSI Data Now on Hospital Compare

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has updated its Hospital Compare website to include data provided by hospitals on central line-associated blood stream infections (CLABSI). Hospitals are required to report certain healthcare-associated infection (HAI) data under the federal inpatient prospective payment system.  To receive a full payment update for fiscal year 2013, hospitals [...]

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HICPAC Meeting To Be Held This Month

The Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) will be meeting February 16-17, 2012 in Atlanta, Georgia. The meeting is open to the public.  Visitors attending must register prior to the meeting. The agenda for the meeting includes the following: CDC’s dialysis HAI activities, CDC’s long-term care HAI Activities, Draft guideline for the prevention of [...]

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APIC Website Gets a New Look

The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) has completely redesigned its main website, www.apic.org. The newly redesigned website has the following features: Modern look and feel Updated content and resources User-friendly site navigation Improved search functions Improved functionality Expanded e-communities and highlights of discussions on MyAPIC Interactive online publication viewer New APIC [...]

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Public Health Law Grant Will Fund Project On Public Reporting of Hospital Infection Rates

A Public Health Law Research program grant of $450,000 was recently awarded to fund research examining “whether public reporting of hospital infection rates causes hospitals to reduce those infection rates and, if so, for what types of infections, and how does the impact depend on the nature of the reporting rules.” University of Illinois College [...]

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APIC Announces 2012 Leadership Members

The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) has announced it’s officers, Board of Directors, and new members of the Nominating and Awards Committee for 2012. Michelle Farber, RN, CIC, an infection preventionist with Mercy Community Hospital in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, will serve as the 2012 APIC President. Patti Grant, RN, BSN, MS, [...]

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MMWR Report Details Hospital-Associated Measles Outbreak in Pennsylvania

The January 20, 2012 issue of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) highlights the potential for measles transmission in healthcare settings. In 2009, a physician notified the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PADOH) of an unvaccinated child who had measles.  Four other cases were reported within the next 5 days.  It was determined that [...]

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Joint Commission Details 2012 NHSN Reporting Requirements For Compliance with CMS Quality Reporting Program Rules

In it’s January 18, 2012 online publication, Joint CommissionOnline,  the Joint Commission has summarized the 2012 NHSN reporting requirements healthcare facilities will be required to make for compliance with the CMS rules for quality reporting programs. The NHSN 2012 reporting requirements were outlined in the recent final and proposed CMS Prospective Payment System (PPS) and [...]

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State of Colorado Issues New Annual Report on Facility-Acquired Infections

The State of Colorado, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has issued a new annual status report on the state’s Health Facility-Acquired Infections Disclosure Initiative.  The report was issued on January 13, 2012. The report contains facility-acquired infection data from Colorado hospitals, hospital units, long-term acute care hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and dialysis [...]

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HAI Watchdog Awards: Final Call For Entries is January 31st

Don’t forget to nominate your program for the 2011 HAI Watchdog Awards. Entries will be accepted through Tuesday, January 31, 2011 (U.S. and Canada).  The deadline for programs in Australia and New Zealand is September 30, 2012. The awards are sponsored by the www.HAIWtchdog.com community in recognition of “outstanding HAI education and prevention initiatives that [...]

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AACN Updates Clinical Guidelines to Prevent Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) has issued a Practice Alert applicable to catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI). The Alert stressing “the use of pre- and post-catheterization assessments to gauge proper catheter use and to monitor early signs of infection.  The alert is part of a collection of evidence-based guidelines that have been issued [...]

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Save the Date: A Webcast On A New Unsafe Injections Toolkit Will Be Held on January 26th

The National Public Health Information Coalition (NPHIC) has provided notice of an important webcast about a new unsafe injections toolkit that will be made available soon. The Safe Injection Practices Coalition’s “One & Only Campaign” has created a very informative toolkit that will help to spread the word about unsafe injection practices.  The toolkit will [...]

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Article Presents Current Listing of HAI Public Reporting State Laws

A review article published in the January 12, 2012 issue of the journal Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology (ICHE) provides a current listing of U.S. state and territorial laws pertaining to the public reporting of healthcare associated infection (HAI) rates. The article, written by Dr. Julie Reagan of HAI Focus and Dr. Carl Hacker of [...]

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Norovirus Infection Control Recommendations Issued by Oklahoma State Department of Health

The Acute Disease Service Division of the Oklahoma State Department of Health has published a fact sheet on norovirus infection control recommendations for healthcare, long-term care, and residential care settings. The fact sheet contains infection control recommendations for isolation precautions, environmental disinfection, and hand hygiene.  It also includes exclusion criteria for staff, patients, residents, and [...]

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Leapfrog Group Announces Annual Top Hospitals List

The Leapfrog group has announced its annual top hospitals list, recognizing sixty-five hospitals that have earned the organization’s annual “Top Hospital” designation. The “Top Hospital” designation “recognizes hospitals that deliver the highest quality care by preventing medical errors, reducing mortality for high-risk procedures like heart bypass surgery, and reducing hospital readmissions for patients being treated [...]

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