Disease Vectors and HAIs: Disease Door Dashers

by Erica Mitchell | September 2 2024

New England has been put on high alert thanks to an outbreak of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), a rare virus that can lead to the deaths of 30% of those infected, and leave many survivors with neurological problems. Despite the name, (the second E, equine, means "horse") this virus is spread by mosquitos, an example of what is known in the medical field as a disease vector. In today's post, we'll look at what a vector is, and how they play a role in the spread of healthcare-associated infections.

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The Usual Suspects: The Microorganisms that Cause HAIs

by Erica Mitchell | August 30 2024

It is estimated that there are  5×1030 bacteria on Earth. That's 5,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, or 5 nonillion. We have not even begun to identify them all, and new strains are evolving all the time. We not only coexist with bacteria on Earth, they outnumber us by such a mind-boggling degree that we cannot even conceive it. Consider this: There are currently just over 7 billion humans on earth, and one spoonful of rich soil contains approximately 10 trillion bacteria. And our bodies? Bacterial cells outnumber human cells 10 to 1. (But don't worry, you're not a zombie. They make up only 3% of our body mass. But still.)

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Back to School Bacteria

by Erica Mitchell | August 24 2024

Millions of American children have returned to school or will very soon, officially kicking off the academic year. Alongside the promise of learning new things comes another promise: The certainty of picking up some kind of bug that will cause anything from the sniffles and sneezing to sick days at home (for the kids and the parents). Today we'll explore some of the major pathogens that strike in busy classrooms full of kids as well as a few steps you can take to avoid some of those hallway bullies.

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Endoscopes and Infection: Design Matters

by Erica Mitchell | July 22 2024

There are four fundamental aspects of endoscopes that lead to infection: Intricate design, biofilm formation, human error during reprocessing, and failure to dry properly. Much emphasis is being placed on the first: The intricate design of this technology that provides so many reservoirs for bacteria to escape cleaning and be transmitted to a vulnerable host. In today's post, we'll look at how design improvements have led to safer endoscopes, and what we can look forward to in the future of endoscope design.

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Health Literacy and Infection Prevention

by Erica Mitchell | May 31 2024

Health literacy is the ability to obtain, read, understand, and use healthcare information to make appropriate health decisions and follow instructions for treatment. It involves a range of skills, including reading comprehension, numeracy, and the ability to navigate the healthcare system. Health literacy is crucial because it affects an individual's capacity to make informed health decisions, manage chronic conditions, and reduce health risks. In today's post, we'll look at essential health literacy skills and how they can lead to better infection prevention and control.

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Patients, Staff, Administrators: What Each of Us Can Do to Reduce Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs)

by Erica Mitchell | April 1 2024

We hear so often how "we all have a role to play in reducing healthcare associated infections." From washing our hands to advocating for policy changes, it can often feel overwhelming. One way to make our impact more practical is to identify the things that we are uniquely able to do in our current position. In a series of posts starting today, we will explore the actions we can take to reduce infections most effectively based on our professional role in healthcare. We hope these ideas serve as a springboard for your own choices in the future.

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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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Hospital Acquired Infections and Hospitals Acquired by Private Equity: The Dangerous Correlation

by Erica Mitchell | January 8 2024

About a quarter of American hospitals are for-profit, that is, they are operated to generate profit for owners and stakeholders. A subsection of those hospitals, about 3%, have been acquired through private equity (PE) buyouts, whereby a PE firm raises funds to purchase a hospital. These PE transactions, also called "takeovers," are characteristically funded through leveraged debt - the firm takes out a loan secured by the purchased entity (the hospital), adding the burden of that debt to the balance sheet (and monthly expenses) of that facility. As a result, hospitals acquired by PE firms face additional pressures; they are operated not only to generate profit but also must repay large amounts of debt, used to fund the acquisition and now added to their balance sheet. A recent study looked into this subsection of hospitals to see how this added financial pressure impacted patient outcomes. The results? Patients are 25% more likely to be harmed by medical care at a private-equity acquired facility.

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The PCAST Patient Safety Report Unpacked (Part 2): All About Evidence-Based Solutions

by Erica Mitchell | September 25 2023

In our last post, we introduced the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) report on patient safety. Today we will focus on how hospital-associated infections are specifically addressed in the report and the report's emphasis on evidence based solutions to address HAIs and other preventable harm to patients. 

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The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology: The Patient Safety Report Unpacked

by Erica Mitchell | September 15 2023

This past month, the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) submitted a report focused on recommendations around patient safety. In today's post, we'll explore who PCAST is, how they pulled together the report, their main recommendations, and in a future post, we will examine what this could mean for our nation's approach to infection control and prevention. Let's dive in!

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