Health. Care. | An Educational Blog

Twitter brought brevity and global outreach to social media. Founded in 2007, Twitter stood out from its competitors as a quick way to reach and follow anyone on the platform without having to be officially linked. The use of hashtags revolutionized social media, allowing users to categorize their tweets and search for others talking about the same topics (across all platforms). These same features elevated Twitter to rank as one of the top social networks, while recent changes and rebranding efforts make it the slowest-growing platform. We don't know what the future holds for Twitter/X, but while it is still being used by almost a quarter of Americans, here is a brief guide to ways it can enhance your career as an infection preventionist!

"Superbugs," or antibiotic-resistant bacteria, have been in the news a lot lately. These types of bacteria can cause infections that are very difficult to treat since they are not killed by conventional antibiotics. While most of them can be eradicated, it requires very powerful (and costly) antibiotics. And most terrifying, we play a role in creating these superbugs. To see how, we first need to understand how bacteria reproduce and how they adapt (and share that adaptation to their surrounding buddies).

Since Facebook's entry onto the social media marketplace in 2004, it has grown to a stunning 2 BILLION monthly active user base, more than the combined population of India and China. While dominant in ages 25-34, Facebook is used by over 74% of adults, with an almost even split between men and women. This enormous global reach, along with its unparalleled integration into our daily online lives gives the individual user access to information and people like nothing before. With this enormous market share comes issues of privacy and algorithm manipulation, so using Facebook as a healthcare professional does take some finesse. Read on to learn what we think infection preventionists can get from Facebook!

We are in the midst of the busy vacation air travel season. Therefore, our attention turns to the packed plains that will carry you to your relaxing destination, and the stowaways traveling right under your noses (and fingertips): Microorganisms.

Two ingredients make for a perfect environment for pathogens: Warmth and moisture. No season better provides this environment than summer. Just think: Warm days keep our bodies sweaty, swimming in pools or oceans keeps our clothes and skin damp, and outdoor activities expose us to pests, sun, and unrefrigerated food. It's a recipe for happy pathogens and miserable hosts. Read today's post to find out the top summer pathogens and what you can do to avoid them.

Social media has become integrated into our daily lives more than any other technology. To date, 3 out of 4 American adults have a Facebook account, and over half of Americans rely on social media as a major news source. Access to these platforms has enabled individuals to reach hundreds, if not millions, of people through their phone or computer, with both positive and negative results. One of the major benefits of social media has to be professional growth and networking, and to this end, we are starting a series today that looks at how social media can enhance your career as an infection preventionist. In today's post, we'll start with the ultimate professional networking social media platform, LinkedIn.

Eradicating pathogens from environmental surfaces in hospitals is a daily fight. Keeping bacteria from reproducing on surfaces, finding reservoirs in hard-to-clean areas, and forming biofilms requires daily disinfection, and ideally, some form of continuous mitigation. In today's post, we will look at the threats posed by bacteria that are even more adept at surviving on surfaces: Spore-forming bacteria, and how hospitals are trying to keep these persistent pathogens from threatening their patients.

As a general consumer, one most likely has little need to know the difference between a treated article claim and a public health claim. However, as a consumer for products for healthcare communities, including those that make claims about antimicrobial, biocidal, or infection control supports, it's essential to know the difference. Here is a quick overview.