MRSA 'More Complex than Cleaning'
from BBC
 Everyone has heard of the hospital superbug MRSA - and many have a view on how to stop it. But in this week's health opinion column Scrubbing Up, King's Fund researcher Tammy Boyce warns poor dirty hospitals have been wrongly dubbed the only culprits. More
Hospital Scrubs Are a Germy, Deadly Mess
from The Wall Street Journal
You see them everywhere -- nurses, doctors and medical technicians in scrubs or lab coats. They shop in them, take buses and trains in them, go to restaurants in them, and wear them home. What you can't see on these garments are the bacteria that could kill you. Dirty scrubs spread bacteria to patients in the hospital and allow hospital superbugs to escape into public places such as restaurants. Some hospitals now prohibit wearing scrubs outside the building, partly in response to the rapid increase in an infection called "C. diff." A national hospital survey released last November warns that Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infections are sickening nearly half a million people a year in the U.S., more than six times previous estimates. More
Report: Hospitals Support Nearly 1 in 9 U.S. Jobs
from AHA News Now
Hospitals in 2007 employed 5.3 million people and supported nearly one-in-nine U.S. jobs, according to a recent AHA report. The report updates an April 2008 AHA TrendWatch showing the economic contribution of hospitals by state, which was based on 2006 data. In 2007, the health care sector, of which hospital care is the largest component, grew to 16.2 percent of Gross Domestic Product, or roughly $2.2 trillion, a 1.25 percent increase from 2006. More
Superbug Infection Rates to be Monitored More Closely in the U.K.
from The Press & Journal
Health boards in Scotland must report infection rates on a hospital-by-hospital basis under a raft of measures unveiled by the Scottish Government in Aberdeen. Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon also announced that health boards must report how hospitals are complying with hand hygiene and cleaning requirements. And findings must be published every two months for discussion in public at board meetings, she revealed at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. Infections, including the MRSA and Clostridium Difficile superbugs, are currently reported on a health board basis rather than individually by each hospital. More
Legionella Bacteria Found At Baltimore Hospital
from MSNBC
Officials at Maryland General Hospital in Baltimore said they discovered low levels of deadly Legionella bacteria following a routine test of the building's water system. According to 11 News archives, the bacteria has turned up at least twice at MGH in the last 22 months. Legionella bacteria is common and is found naturally in the environment. It grows best in hot water, doctors said. People get Legionnaire's disease when they breathe in a mist or vapor that has been contaminated. MGH took immediate steps to disinfect its water system, hospital officials said. More
Portable Inflatable Hospital Ready to Go at First Sign of Trouble
from Beaumont Enterprise
Southeast Texas just got a fancy new upgrade in emergency medical facilities, but the hope is that it won't be needed. Because chances are, if the portable emergency hospital is deployed, it will be because a hurricane or other disaster has hit the region. More
HHS Releases Infection Control Guidelines for C. diff, MRSA
from McKnight’s
The Department of Health and Human Services this week released official guidelines for the reduction of six common hospital acquired infections (HAIs), including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium difficile. The agency released its infection-control guidelines in hopes of significantly reducing occurrences of the most common HAIs within five years. In addition to MRSA and C. difficile, HHS has identified catheter-linked urinary infections, surgical site infections, blood-stream infections from intravenous lines and pneumonia from ventilators as the most common HAIs. The American Hospital Association and the Joint Commission released similar guidelines in October of 2008. More
CHESP Online Study Group: Plan your Next Step in your Career Path
from ASHES
Becoming a Certified Healthcare Environmental Services Professional (CHESP) can generate great benefits in your career path. ASHES wants to make sure you succeed in this venture by offering you the opportunity to participate in an online CHESP study group. You can now study with your colleagues from all over the nation in an online educational environment.
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Reduce bed turnover time
 Learn how Premise helped a 1,000 bed hospital reduce its bed turnover time from eight hours to 30 minutes, while cutting related phone calls from 12 to just one. More |
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