Researchers found that during the early phase of the H1N1 outbreak in Hong Kong, 47 percent of people washed hands more than 10 times per day, 89 percent wore facemasks when having influenza-like illness, and 21.5 percent wore facemasks regularly in public areas.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sibelius hailed the CDC report released Thursday. It focused on central line-associated bloodstream infections, which cause an estimated $2.7 billion in added health costs nationally.
Cryptococcus "is inhaled into the lungs of people who may have been near trees or soil where the microbes live,” says Dr. Christina Hull of the ubiquitous C. neoformans species (pictured), the spherical cells of which are 3 to 7 microns in diameter. Abandoned buildings also are often hotbeds.
“It′s important for people to play an active role in protecting their own health when they swim," said Michelle Hlaysa, chief of CDC's Healthy Swimming Program. "By working together, we can decrease the risk of illness and make sure swimming is not only fun, but healthy too."
Thirty-four percent of respondents said they have an infection control plan to increase interventions in the event of an outbreak of CDI, a condition frequently associated with previous antibiotic use and most commonly contracted by the elderly and those with recent exposure to hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care institutions.
Clean and healthy hands depend on clean and healthy soap.
Inspections at the facility found improper bloodborne pathogens control, amputation hazards, noncompliant confined space entry, improper storage of fuel and oxygen, and more.
Vaccine financing and safety are also to be discussed at the June 2-3 public meeting in Washington, D.C., by the HHS National Vaccine Advisory Committee.
Latest advances in complex medical treatments and delivering safe, patient-centered, cost-effective care will be among the hot topics as thousands of nurses who care for high acuity and critically ill patients and their families convene this month in Washington, D.C.
Requesting comments by Aug. 4, the agency noted, "The lack of adherence to voluntary infection control procedures is of particular interest to OSHA."
The health care industry is a hotbed for continual waves of technological innovation and advancement, so why are front-line medical workers relying on respirator technology that hasn't changed much in more than 20 years? And why are manufacturers of personal protective technology so slow in responding to continuous complaints about respirator comfort and breathability?
Today is a day to grieve for workers who have died on the job and to focus on improving conditions for workers around the world, the ILO's director-general, Juan Somavia, said.
One of every 10 adult Medicaid patients who were hospitalized in 2007 for a medical condition other than childbirth had to be readmitted at least once within 30 days of their initial hospital stay that year, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The federal agency's analysis shows that these Medicaid patients were 70 percent more likely to be readmitted at least once within 30 days, compared with their privately insured counterparts.
A respiratory therapist and a police office were infected with bacterial meningitis after being exposed to a patient Dec. 3, but the Oakland hospital where he was treated did not report it to the local health department as quickly as the standard requires, according to Cal/OSHA.
In order to remain competitive, many players are extensively engaged in the development of an anti-MRSA treatment, which can be used along with conventional antibacterials, the study notes.
Influenza activity remains low, but the CDC director warns a resurgence is still possible. Almost 17,800 deaths worldwide have been attributed to H1N1, WHO says.
Its work in the investigation of an Indiana man's death from rabies last October has caused CDC to issue recommendations for pathologists who perform autopsies on people who had suspected or confirmed cases.
Communication failures between patients and health care providers are at the root of systems failures and human errors that lead to harm, says the National Quality Forum, a nonprofit organization trying to improve the industry.
In addition to her ability to present a dynamic lecture on the science of infection control, Mary Andrus, BA, RN, CIC, has received the 2010 Elaine Larson Lectureship Award "for her breadth of knowledge and experience working to prevent health care-associated infections," said APIC President Cathryn Murphy.
TB continues to be a contagious scourge in developing countries, and with the world shrinking rapidly due to global migration, the World Health Organization considers it a major public health threat in developed nations as well, including the United States.