SHEA Press Release Archives
Expert Guidance on Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings
Expert guidance released today offers updated evidence reviews and recommendations for hand hygiene in healthcare facilities. The guidance is featured in the August issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology and emphasizes best practices for implementing and optimizing hand hygiene programs to prevent the spread of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). The guidance is part of the Compendium of Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections in Acute Care Hospitals: 2014 Updates produced in a collaborative effort led by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the American Hospital Association, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, and The Joint Commission.
Recommendations Prioritize Strategies to Prevent Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia
Thousands of critically ill patients on life support develop ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) each year. A new document released today by a consortium of professional organizations helps prioritize strategies to prevent this potentially fatal infection.
SHEA Signs on to the World Alliance Against Antibiotic Resistance (WAAAR) declaration against antibiotic resistance
SHEA is a medical society that is supporting the efforts of WAAAR, a group of 700 individuals from 55 different countries representing all the key stakeholders (physicians, veterinarians, microbiologists, surgeons, pharmacists, nurses, evolutionary biologists, ecologists, environmentalists, patient advocacy groups). The primary goal of WAAAR is to raise awareness about the urgency and magnitude of the antibiotic resistance threat and to promote an international dialogue to assist in effective responses. The Alliance is dedicated to actively promoting antibiotic preservation and to raising awareness among antibiotic prescribers, politicians and policy-makers, patient safety and advocacy groups, the pharmaceutical industry, international health organizations, and the general population. Please read the declaration to find out more about this effort.
Coordinated Infection Prevention Intervention Shown to Reduce Prevalence of Drug-Resistant CRE in Long-Term Care Facilities
A new study found a nationwide effort to control carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) in Israel reduced CRE cases by improving compliance of infection control standards and using a coordinated intervention focused on long-term care facilities. The study was published in the July issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.
New Strategies to Combat MRSA in Hospitals
New guidelines aim to reduce the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), improve patient safety and prioritize current prevention efforts underway in hospitals. This drug resistant bacterium is a common source of patient morbidity and mortality in U.S. hospitals, causing nearly twice the number of deaths, significantly longer hospital stays and higher hospital costs than other forms of the bacteria.
Expert CLABSI Guidance Adds Real World Implementation Strategies
As central-line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) pose a danger to vulnerable patients, infection prevention and control experts released new practical recommendations to assist acute care hospitals in implementing and prioritizing prevention efforts.
The guidance was published in the July issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology and produced in a collaborative effort led by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the American Hospital Association, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology and The Joint Commission.
Infectious Disease Experts Comment on MERS-CoV Response
The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) applauds the rapid global response to Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Emerging global health threats like MERS-CoV illustrate the need to maintain and increase financial support of our public health infrastructure.
Expert Guidance Strengthens Strategies to Prevent Most Common and Costly Infection
Surgical site infections (SSIs) are the most common and costly healthcare-associated infection (HAI) in the United States. New evidence-based recommendations provide a framework for healthcare institutions to prioritize and implement strategies to reduce the number of infections.
New Expert Guidelines Aim to Focus Hospitals’ Infectious Diarrhea Prevention Efforts
With rates of Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) now rivaling drug-resistant Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) as the most common bacteria to cause healthcare-associated infections, new expert guidance encourages healthcare institutions to implement and prioritize prevention efforts for this infectious diarrhea. The guidelines are published in the June issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology
Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America and Cambridge University Press Announce Publishing Partnership
The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and Cambridge Journals, a division of Cambridge University Press, have announced a new publishing partnership for SHEA's flagship scientific publication: Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology (ICHE). Cambridge Journals will publish the journal starting January 2015.
New SHEA Epi Project Winner to Examine Best Practices in HAI Surveillance
The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) has announced Jason Lempp, MPH, CIC, as the winner of the third annual EPI Project Competition. Lempp was honored with the early investigator award for his project looking to determine if the Washington State Validation Protocol for central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) can be a scalable, sustainable model for tracking and ensuring quality national data on healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). The EPI Project was created to encourage future leaders in the field to shape the understanding of transmission, prevention methods and implementation issues in infection prevention and control.
Expert Guidance Highlights Practices to Reduce Prevalence of Catheter-Associated UTIs
New expert guidance highlights strategies for implementing and prioritizing efforts to prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) in hospitals. The practice recommendations, published in the May issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, are the first in a series to be published over several months sharing evidence-based strategies to help healthcare professionals effectively control and prevent the spread of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).
Kitchens are a Source of Multi-Drug Resistant Bacteria
After handling raw poultry, hands of food preparers and cutting boards remain a source of transmission for multi-drug resistant bacteria, such as E. coli that produce extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs). The study of household and hospital kitchens was published in the May issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.
Healthcare-Associated Infections Reduced in U.S.
Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released data showing national progress in the fight against healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). National trends show a decrease in reported HAIs, including reduced prevalence of central line-associated bloodstream infections, hospital-onset MRSA, C. difficile infections, and infections related to 10 surgical procedures.
Emerging Multi-Drug Resistant Infections Lack Standard Definition and Treatment
Infection control practices for detecting and treating patients infected with emerging multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria (MDR-GNB) vary significantly between hospitals. A study from the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America Research Network, a consortium of more than 200 hospitals collaborating on multi-center research projects, found this inconsistency could be contributing to the increase in multidrug-resistant bacteria. The study is published in the April issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.
Inappropriate Antibiotic Use in Hospitals Putting Patients At Risk
As antibiotic use in hospitals becomes more frequent, the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) urges hospitals and healthcare systems to step up efforts to protect patients by improving antibiotic-prescribing practices. A new Vital Signs report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) spotlights the issue of antibiotic overuse as a threat to patient safety, recommending all hospitals implement antimicrobial stewardship programs.
International Infection Experts Come to US for Training
The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) has announced the 2014 delegation of its International Ambassadors Program. Since 2009, SHEA has sponsored more than 60 healthcare professionals from 30 countries to foster international infection prevention and control efforts through education and collaboration.
Well-Child Visits Linked to More Than 700,000 Subsequent Flu-like Illnesses
New research shows that well-child doctor appointments for annual exams and vaccinations are associated with an increased risk of flu-like illnesses in children and family members within two weeks of the visit. This risk translates to more than 700,000 potentially avoidable illnesses each year, costing more than $490 million annually. The study was published in the March issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.
Outbreak of Rare Bacteria in Outpatient Cancer Clinic Tied to Lapse in Infection Control Procedure
Improper handling of intravenous saline at a West Virginia outpatient oncology clinic was linked with the first reported outbreak of Tsukamurella spp., gram-positive bacteria that rarely cause disease in humans, in a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report was published in the March issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.
Hospital Water Taps Contaminated with Bacteria
New research finds significantly higher levels of infectious pathogens in water from faucet taps with aerators compared to water from deeper in the plumbing system. Contaminated water poses an increased risk for infection in immunocompromised patients. The study was published in the February issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.