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COVID
New study reveals Australian Long COVID response lagging. (n.d.). www.rmit.edu.au. Retrieved February 14, 2024, from
https://www.rmit.edu.au/news/all-news/2023/oct/long-covid-response
Australia, H. (2022, March 2). Understanding post-COVID-19 symptoms and “long COVID.” www.healthdirect.gov.au.
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/covid-19/post-covid-symptoms-long-covid
Shared patients
Cobrado, L., Silva-Dias, A., Azevedo, M. M., & Rodrigues, A. G. (2017). High-touch surfaces: Microbial neighbours at hand. European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, 36(11), 2053–2062.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-017-3042-4
RSV
CDC. (2023, September 25). RSV Transmission. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/about/transmission.html#:~:text=People%20are%20typically%20infected%20with
Cleaning
Reduce Risk from Surfaces | HAI | CDC. (2022, September 2). www.cdc.gov
https://www.cdc.gov/hai/prevent/environment/surfaces.html#:~:text=Contamination%20of%20surfaces%2C%20including%20high5
Carling PC, Huang SS. Improving Healthcare Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection Current and Evolving Issues. Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. 2013 May;34(5):507–13.
Hands
CDC. (2023, May 4). Show Me the Science - Why Wash Your Hands? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/why-handwashing.html
Loveday, H., Tingle, A., & Wilson, J. (2020). Using a multi-modal Strategy to Improve Patient Hand Hygiene. American Journal of Infection Control, 49(6).
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2020.12.011
AMR
WHO. (2023, November 21). Antimicrobial resistance. World Health Organization.
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/antimicrobial-resistance
VRE
For hospitals | Antimicrobial resistance. (2017, July 14). Antimicrobial Resistance.
https://www.amr.gov.au/what-you-can-do/hospitals
CDC. VANCOMYCIN-RESISTANT ENTEROCOCCI (VRE). (n.d.). https://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/pdf/threats-report/vre-508.pdf
Sinks
Sukhum, K. V., Newcomer, E. P., Cass, C., Wallace, M. A., Johnson, C., Fine, J., Sax, S., Barlet, M. H., Burnham, C.-A. D., Dantas, G., & Kwon, J. H. (2022). Antibiotic-resistant organisms establish reservoirs in new hospital built environments and are related to patient blood infection isolates. Communications Medicine, 2(1), 1–15.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s43856-022-00124-5
Glowicz, J. B., Landon, E., Sickbert-Bennett, E. E., Aiello, A. E., deKay, K., Hoffmann, K. K., Maragakis, L., Olmsted, R. N., Polgreen, P. M., Trexler, P. A., VanAmringe, M. A., Wood, A. R., Yokoe, D., & Ellingson, K. D. (2023). SHEA/IDSA/APIC Practice Recommendation: Strategies to prevent healthcare-associated infections through hand hygiene: 2022 Update. Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, 44(3), 1–22.
https://doi.org/10.1017/ice.2022.304
Air purification
Arıkan, İ., Genç, Ö., Uyar, C., Tokur, M. E., Balcı, C., & Perçin Renders, D. (2022). Effectiveness of air purifiers in intensive care units: an intervention study. Journal of Hospital Infection, 120, 14–22.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2021.10.011
Airborne
Stawicki, S., Urrutia, A., Kimble, C., & Worrilow, K. (2023). Proven Impact of an Advanced Air Purification System in the Reduction of Infectious Airborne and Surface Pathogens, Concomitant Reduction of Hospital-acquired Infections and Length of Stay, and Improvement in Health-care Economics. Journal of Global Infectious Diseases, 15(1), 3–5.
https://doi.org/10.4103/jgid.jgid_11_23
Salmonsmith, J., Ducci, A., Balachandran, R., Guo, L., Torii, R., Houlihan, C., Epstein, R., Rubin, J., Tiwari, M. K., & Lovat, L. B. (2023). Use of portable air purifiers to reduce aerosols in hospital settings and cut down the clinical backlog. Epidemiology and Infection, 151, e21.
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0950268823000092
HEPA
US EPA, O. (2019, February 19). What is a HEPA filter? https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/what-hepa-filter
Educational Articles
Norovirus and gastroenteritis outbreaks, the party ‘pooper’ you don’t want invited!
Recently, on 11 October 2024, NSW Health issued a health…
Clean Between to Reduce Healthcare-Associated Infections
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a significant concern for healthcare facilities…
Wiping away infections – the CLEEN way!
Cleaning shared medical equipment with a disinfectant wipe at least…
IPC Tour 2024 Highlights
GAMA Healthcare and ACIPC once again joined forces to bring…
Can patient and resident hand hygiene be part of the solution to preventing infections?
The importance of practising proper hand hygiene is widely considered…
Confronting the hidden threat of C. diff
The power of effective surface decontamination The hidden threat of…
Reflections and learnings from International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW)
International Infection Prevention Week shines a spotlight on the crucial…
Access to patient isolation rooms matters
Infection prevention and control is complex and incorporates a whole…
Cleaning equipment between patient use matters
Shared patient equipment can become contaminated and serve as a…
Maintaining indoor air quality matters
Air quality is a critical component of infection prevention and…
Access at point of care
Chetan Jinadatha, et. al., (2024). Understanding the significance of microbiota recovered from health care surfaces. American Journal of Infection Control, 52(2), 220–224.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2023.11.006 2. Dadon, et al., (2023).
The impact of bedside wipes in multi-patient rooms: a prospective, crossover trial evaluating infections and survival. Journal of Hospital Infection.
https://www.journalofhospitalinfection.com/article/S0195-6701(23)00029-4/fulltext
AMR
O’Neill, J. (2016). Tackling Drug-Resistant Infections Globally: Final Report and Recommendations. Review on Antimicrobial Resistance. London: Wellcome Trust.
https://amr-review.org/sites/default/files/160518_Final%20paper_with%20cover.pdf 2. WHO. (2023, November 21).
Antimicrobial resistance. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/antimicrobial-resistance
Frequently Missed Hand Hygiene
Frequently Missed Hand HygieneWidmer, A. F., Dangel, M., & RN. (2004). Alcohol-based hand rub: evaluation of technique and microbiological efficacy with international infection control professionals. Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, 25(3), 207-209.
Stubborn pathogens
1. Leggett, M. J., Setlow, P., Sattar, S. A., & Maillard, J.-Y., (2016). Assessing the activity of microbicides against bacterial spores: knowledge and pitfalls. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 120(5), 1174–1180.
https://doi.org/10.1111/jam.13061 2.
Carter, Y., Barry, D. (2011) Tackling C. difficile with environmental cleaning. Nursing Times, 107(36), 22-25.
Hand hygiene
Istenes, N., Bingham, J., Hazelett, S., Fleming, E., & Kirk, J. (2013). Patients’ potential role in the transmission of health care-associated infections: Prevalence of contamination with bacterial pathogens and patient attitudes toward hand hygiene. American Journal of Infection Control, 41(9), 793–798.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2012.11.0122. Okada, J., Yamamizu, Y., & Fukai, K. (2016).
Effectiveness of hand hygiene depends on the patient’s health condition and care environment. Japan Journal of Nursing Science, 13(4), 413–423
https://doi.org/10.1111/jjns.12122
Let's Clean Hands
Let's Clean HandsFood Safety Information Council. Many Aussies still not always washing hands after going to the toilet or before touching food – Global Handwashing Day 15 October 2022 [Internet]. Food Safety Information Council. 2022 [cited 2023 Mar 2]. Available from:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Show Me the Science - Why Wash Your Hands? [Internet]. CDC. 2020 [cited 2023 Mar 1]. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/why-handwashing.html
World Health Organisation. Key facts and figures [Internet]. WHO. 2021 [cited 2023 Mar 1]. Available from: https://www.who.int/campaigns/worldhand-hygiene-day/2021/key-facts-and-figures
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Clean Hands Count for Safe Healthcare [Internet]. CDC. 2020 [cited 2023 Mar 6]. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/patientsafety/features/clean-hands-count.html
