Erica Mitchell

Recent Posts

Risk Mitigation and Infection Control: Key Terms

by Erica Mitchell | March 25 2024

In the world of risk mitigation, there are a number of established concepts that encompass the many ways to avoid harm. These concepts also apply to infection prevention and control, and help us identify areas of greater vulnerability, areas where we can be proactive, and finally, areas where we can lessen harm should the worst occur. In today's post, we will look at these key concepts and begin to the lay the foundation of the idea of risk mitigation in infection prevention and control.

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The Empowered Patient, Step 1: Prepare To Be Powerful

by Erica Mitchell | March 25 2024

2024 empowered patient-01At no other time in history has the patient had access to the amount of information about illness, had the legal and societal (and financial) rights to determine healthcare choices, and access to widespread availability of cutting edge technology and expert care. This January you will find the steps you can take to become more empowered, either as a patient yourself, or as a patient advocate.

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How are Graph Neural Networks Being Used in the Fight Against Healthcare Acquired Infections?

by Erica Mitchell | March 18 2024

Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) are computer algorithms that take data from graphs and uses relationships between the data points to make predictions or recommendations. Much like our own brains, neural networks connect and correlate information to generate possible patterns that can be helpful to a variety of fields, including infection control and prevention (IP). In IP, GNNs are being used to predict risk for healthcare acquired infections (HAIs) and make decisions about resource allocation. In today's post, we'll take a closer look at how this is being done.

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The Invention of Safety

by Erica Mitchell | March 14 2024

The concept of safety is nothing new: Anything that protects us from injury or death has surely been on the mind of humankind since we were hunter-gatherers on the savanna surrounded by carnivores. But mere survival is no longer enough! We want to be able to do what our hearts and minds imagine, but still be mindful of our weaknesses and vulnerabilities. As a result, every field of human endeavor has safety as an essential component, not the least of which are health and medical care. In today's post, we'll look at what unifies all safety concerns across all fields, and highlight some critical inventions that make hospital care safer for everyone.

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Healthcare-Associated Infections: Reactive vs. Proactive Solutions

by Erica Mitchell | March 11 2024

To address the persistent issue of healthcare associated infections, hospital professionals deploy two primary approaches: reactive and proactive solutions. There are advantages and disadvantages to both options, so a combination of the two is required to cover all reasonable contingencies. In this blog post, we'll explore the differences between these two strategies and their respective impacts on patient outcomes and healthcare systems.

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Barriers to Adopting Preventive Measures: Why is it So Hard?

by Erica Mitchell | March 4 2024

There are so many psychological, sociological, and intellectual barriers to change - anyone who has tried to break a bad habit or motivate a group of people can attest to that! Choices that lead to immediate, predictable, and reliable beneficial change are much easier to make than choices that have to build up over time for the changes to be seen (I'm looking at you, daily walks!). But it turns out, the hardest changes to make are those that prevent problems. In today's post, we will explore reasons why and how this might impact infection control and prevention.
 

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Hygiene Poverty and Its Impact on Infection Control and Prevention

by Erica Mitchell | February 23 2024

Access to clean water, soap, and basic cleaning products may seem like a given in our nation, leading many of us to overlook the impact poverty can have on hygiene. In the United States alone, the statistics are staggering: 33% of low-income households report bathing without soap when they can't afford it, 32% report reusing diapers, and 74% skip doing laundry or dishes to save on supplies. It can seem that hygiene products are not as great a priority as nutrition, shelter, or clothing, but hygiene has a direct impact on health, especially for those struggling with a chronic condition or patients receiving "hospital at home" care. In this blog post, we will explore this concept of "hygiene poverty," its consequences, and the urgent need for collective action.

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Presidential Pathogens: How George Washington Stopped an Epidemic

by Erica Mitchell | February 19 2024

With a Presidential Inauguration taking place in the midst of a global pandemic, we have the opportunity to look at how past president's have dealt with pathogen outbreaks. Pre-antibiotic presidents faced illnesses in their personal lives alongside their fellow Americans, often with tragic results. Once vaccines were available, presidents often took leading roles to promote their use, both through public statements and through policy. But it was the very first president who actually took first-hand steps to stop an epidemic, steps that may have allowed for the very birth of our nation.

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QUAT Cleaners: A Critical Analysis of their Use

by Erica Mitchell | February 16 2024

Achieving and maintaining sanitized surfaces in hospitals requires an arsenal cleaning and disinfecting products, with quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs or QUATs) being a popular choice. However, as with all cleaners and disinfectants, there are both benefits and risks to their use. In today's post, we'll explore the use of quaternary ammonium compounds and some growing concerns about their impact.

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American Medical Hero: Dr. Ruth E. Moore

by Erica Mitchell | February 15 2024

The first African-American to join the American Society for Microbiology was a woman. The first African-American to receive a PhD in Microbiology was a woman. And that woman, who overcame obstacles not only related to race but also gender, was Dr. Ruth E. Moore. We take a moment today to recognize this important scientist, whose contributions to the field as a researcher, professor, and leader have inspired generations of microbiologists.

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© EOS Surfaces and EOScu Blog, 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to EOS Surfaces and EOScu Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.