American Journal of Infection Control

Like other facilities nationwide, our healthcare system is dealing with a shortage of infection preventionists (IP) especially with the surges and threats of emerging infectious diseases like Mpox, Ebola, and COVID-19. Most facilities follow the

Caring for Mpox cases is complicated due to enhanced isolation precautions and healthcare worker monitoring requirements. Emergency department (ED) healthcare workers (HCW) are at particular risk of exposure if infection prevention measures are not

Nontuberculous Mycobacteria and Legionella outbreaks have been linked to water from dental treatment lines. Dental waterlines are prone to harbor bacteria because of the small diameter, line size, and the ability to have stagnated water for periods

The burn program at an academic medical center experienced an increase in burn patient census in 2021. Critically ill burn patients are placed in an intensive care unit (ICU) serving burn, trauma and neurosurgery patients. Burn patients are at an

Urinary tract infections (UTI) are the leading cause of hospital-associated infection (HAI), with 80% attributable to indwelling urinary catheters. Despite implementation of a urinary catheter management protocol (UCMP), catheter-associated urinary

Prevention of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) is dependent on the appropriate use of indwelling catheters (foleys) and compliance with bundle elements. There is a lack of standardized tools to assess the appropriate use and

In December of 2020, our infection prevention (IP) department noted an increase in Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates over baseline in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Our hospital sees a steady influx of parents

The transition into leadership is often a career goal for staff-level infection preventionist (IP). However, the first 90 days in a new leadership role can be the most difficult for a number of reasons including a rapid expansion of responsibilities

Identifying risk factors for Candida auris (C. auris) on admission to a healthcare facility offers an opportunity to actively screen patients for carriage of this highly resistant fungus and mitigate exposure by applying infection prevention measures

Excessive OR traffic could predispose to surgical site infections (SSI), especially longer clean surgeries with implants. OR traffic disrupts airflow in the OR and increases particle counts. Direct observation of the OR traffic could provide