Racial disparities in healthcare-associated infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) could have significant implications for hospital-based incentive programs.
The "five-second" rule for dropped food: does it apply to dropped medical objects in the operating room? A randomized study of disinfection approaches for contaminated arthroplasty implants
The so-called “five-second rule” has been debunked in food safety, yet a similar mindset persists in surgical environments. Implant drops are not uncommon with 61.5% occurring durin
The Cut that Counts: Surgical Site Infection Prevention Gets a Sharp Update
Surgical site infections (SSIs) remain the most prevalent and costly health care-associated infection, with rates that have plateaued or increased despite improvements in other infection metrics.
Risk factors for progression from Clostridioides difficile colonization (NAAT+/toxin-) to infection (toxin+) following symptomatic retesting
The study team worked to identify host and clinical risk factors contributing to the development of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) among colonized patients.
The next frontier of healthcare-associated infection (HAI) surveillance metrics: Beyond device-associated infections
In recent years, it has become increasingly evident that surveillance metrics for invasive device-associated infections (ie, central-line-associated bloodstream infections, ventilator-associated pn
The impact of minimally invasive surgical approaches on surgical-site infections
Along with colleagues at UNC Health, the DICON team performed a literature review to describe the risk of surgical-site infection (SSI) in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) compared to standard open
A cluster of three extrapulmonary Mycobacterium abscessus infections linked to well-maintained water-based heater-cooler devices
Various water-based heater-cooler devices (HCDs) have been implicated in nontuberculous mycobacteria outbreaks. Ongoing rigorous surveillance for healthcare-associated M.
Implementation of a diagnostic stewardship intervention to improve blood-culture utilization in 2 surgical ICUs: Time for a blood-culture change
DICON and IPHE Physician, Dr. Jessie Seidelman, and team compared the number of blood-culture events before and after the introduction of a blood-culture algorithm and provider feedback.
Strategies to prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infections in acute-care hospitals: 2022 Update
DICON faculty, Dr. Sonali Advani, was part of the long anticipated Compendium updates, with specific work on CAUTI prevention strategies.
A 7-year analysis of attributable costs of healthcare-associated infections in a network of community hospitals in the southeastern United States
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) represent a leading threat to patient safety, affecting 3% of hospitalized patients in the United States. In addition to their contribution to p