Periodically, DICON staff publish and distribute "FAQs" (Frequently Asked Questions) to member institutions. FAQs include information and opinions from DICON about infection control questions that member institutions have asked DICON staff to address. All identifying items have been removed from the FAQs in order to keep the name of the person or hospital asking the question anonymous. These FAQs serve to help DICON hospitals provide excellent care for their patients. These FAQs may be printed for distribution at each institution.
The answers to the following FAQs are currently available to DICON members:
FAQ # 1—If a hospital is going to screen patients for MRSA, should the hospital also screen the medical staff and nursing staff?
FAQ # 2—A surgeon believes that if his hospital is going to perform MRSA screens for high risk patients, then they should do his patients in time to prophylactically treat before surgery. The surgeon uses Vancomycin both pre- and post-operatively. Is this indicated?
FAQ # 3—Should healthcare workers who refuse or are unable to receive the influenza vaccine be required to wear a surgical mask for the duration of flu season?
FAQ # 4—Do patients who undergo revision total knee arthroplasty have an increased risk of surgical site infection when compared to patients who undergo primary knee arthroplasty?
FAQ # 5—If an infection occurs when there are two central lines, which central line is linked to the infection in the DICON database?
FAQ # 6—The Emergency Department at my hospital seems to collect a lot of blood cultures that end up just growing contaminants. How much is this costing our hospital? What can I do about it?
FAQ # 7—Would DICON provide information regarding the definition and management of exposures to patients with meningococcal infection?
FAQ # 8—What do DICON physicians recommend for spinal surgery skin preparation products?
FAQ # 9—MRSA and contact isolation in the Emergency Department (ED). What is the scientific evidence that supports contact isolation in the ED for MRSA? Does DICON support deviation from MRSA contact isolation in the ED setting?
FAQ # 10—We are required to submit abdominal hysterectomy cases and infections to CMS through NHSN, but I'm confused between abdominal and vaginal hysterectomy.
FAQ # 11—Is rapid PCR screening for MRSA cost-effective?
FAQ # 12—Should contact precautions be used for all patients known to be colonized with MRSA? What is the data regarding nosocomial transmission of MRSA and the effectiveness of contact precautions in interrupting transmission?
FAQ # 13—Are needleless connector devices associated with increased infection risk? Which device type is recommended?
FAQ # 14—Do I need to redose surgical prophylaxis if there is blood loss during the surgical procedure?
FAQ # 15—Is aztreonam an agent that would comply with the Surgical Care Improvement Project's (SCIP) recommendation for surgical prophylaxis in orthopedic procedures?
FAQ # 16—Does DICON recommend a nurse-driven protocol for isolating and screening inpatients with diarrhea for C. difficile infection?
FAQ # 17—Does DICON recommend administering prophylactic antibiotics prior to a surgical procedure if a patient is already receiving antibiotics for an active infection prior to the procedure?
FAQ # 18—What is an SIR? When are they useful? Why hasn’t DICON published its own SIRs?
FAQ # 19—How is zoster spread in the hospital, and who is at risk? What are the appropriate isolation and contact precautions for hospitalized patients with zoster?
FAQ # 20—What are Infection Control Implications of Mixed Adult and Pediatric Wards?
FAQ # 21—What are alternatives to povidone-iodine for site preparation prior to ophthalmologic surgeries?
FAQ # 22—The FDA has proposed a new rule for manufacturers of antibacterial soaps. Why are there concerns regarding use of these products, and what are the details of the proposed rule?
FAQ # 23—Is it acceptable to set up sterile tables for vaginal deliveries ahead of time and cover them with a sterile drape until they are needed?
FAQ # 24—Is the tracheal aspirate culture or the mini-BAL culture a better diagnostic test for the ventilator-associated event surveillance algorithm?
FAQ # 25—Should catheter tips be cultured for the diagnosis of intravascular catheter-related infections?
FAQ # 26—What is topical vancomycin? How is it used?
FAQ # 27—Is it okay to pre-open endotracheal tubes and/or laryngoscope blades prior to intended use in OR cases?
FAQ # 28—Should healthcare workers who participate in patient care be allowed to wear artificial nails or gel nails at work?
FAQ # 29—Is it okay to use commercially prepared prefilled saline flush syringes to reconstitute or dilute medications for IV push administration?
FAQ # 30—Should hospitals routinely remove and replace IVs and central lines placed emergently or “in the field”?
FAQ # 31—Cadaver educational labs are becoming more common in hospitals. What are DICON recommendations related to this topic?
FAQ # 32—Have DICON physicians had any experience with a new product with trade name of Theraworx?
FAQ # 33—What PPE is recommended for staff who instill intravesicular BCG for the treatment of bladder cancer?
FAQ # 34—What are DICON/DASON recommendations for IV line maintenance and flushing practices?
FAQ # 35—C.difficile testing: What's in a name?
FAQ # 36—What are the different agents available for skin antisepsis?
FAQ # 37—Do mandates related to the monitoring of temperature and relative humidity in centralized sterile supply storage areas also apply to outpatient or other inpatient clinical areas such as medical clinics, and emergency departments where small numbers of sterile instruments or other sterile supplies are stored?
FAQ # 38—What is Next Generation Sequencing (NGS)? What role can NGS play in diagnosis of surgical site infections (SSI)?
FAQ # 39—A HCW was exposed to an immunocompetent patient with shingles. The HCW has two documented doses of varicella vaccine, but titers indicate that the HCW is not immune. Should the HCW be excluded from work?
FAQ # 40—Does DICON/DASON recommend the 2-dose Hepatitis vaccine over the traditional 3-dose Hepatitis vaccine for healthcare workers?
FAQ # 41—What is the best way to interpret multi-step C. difficile testing results?
FAQ # 42—What are the current best practices for isolation of C. difficile colonized patients?
FAQ # 43—Has Candida auris made it into NC?