Chris | May 16, 2012
The term Nosocomial Infection has more recently been changed to Health Care Acquired Infection or HAI. I find Health Care Workers continue to default to using Nosocomial. In any case, a HAI or Nosocomial Infection, is one that develops 48 to 72 hours after admission to a healthcare facility, according to McGeer’s Criteria (McGeer’s, 1991)
Multiple factors contribute to the transmission of infectious organisms [...]
Category: Infection Prevention in LTC |
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Tags: HAI's, Healthcare Acquired Infections
Chris | May 2, 2012
Situation: One of the nurses tells you she has an elderly, asymptomatic female patient who has been diagnosed with three urinary tract infections in the past three months. The physician orders Levaquin each time he is called with positive culture results and orders repeat cultures when the antibiotic is completed. The cultures usually come back [...]
Category: Infection Prevention in LTC |
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Tags: UTI
Chris | April 14, 2012
For the next several posts, I will review some of the FAQs I receive from ICPs in Long-term Care.
I have a patient coming in with a history of MRSA in an abdominal wound. Do they need isolation? Do I need a physician’s order for Isolation?
First of all remember to check your Infection Control Manual and [...]
Category: Infection Prevention in LTC |
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Tags: Orders for Isolation in Long-term Care, Standard Precautions in Long-term Care
Chris | March 26, 2012
In case you’ve never developed a personal relationship with your Infection Control Manual, and if no one has ever mentioned it, you should know you really do have one.
You might want to locate your manual sooner, rather than later, because this great white book should contain written policies and procedures (P & P’s) or, the rules to the [...]
Category: Infection Prevention in LTC |
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Tags: broad spectrum antibiotics, Infection Control Manual in Long-term Care, Infection Control Policies and Procedures in Long-term Care, Where is the Infection Control Manual?
Chris | March 16, 2012
There are always questions about PPD conversions and there have been several posts regarding the subject, two just recently (see February 22 nd and 16 th). Remember to follow the Infection Control Guidelines as outlined by your own State Department of Public Health.
In California, the CDPH (California Department of Public Health) outlines very explicit Guidelines [...]
Category: Infection Prevention in LTC |
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Chris | March 11, 2012
This is the logo associated with the Infection Prevention and Control Professional Association known as The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC)
What is APIC?
APIC is the Infection Preventionists (IPs) Professional Association. I encourage any person who is in any way associated with Infection Prevention and Control to visit the APIC website and to also consider joining [...]
Category: Infection Prevention in LTC |
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Tags: APIC and Education, Infection Control Professional Association, What is APIC?
Chris | February 26, 2012
Question: A patient returning from acute hospital was positive for a MRSA culture of the nares, but they are exhibiting no clinical signs and symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, nasal drainage or any signs of a URI. Do they require isolation?
Answer: First of all, remember to follow your own facility policies and procedures. Know where [...]
Category: Infection Prevention in LTC |
3 Comments »
Tags: Asymptomatic MRSA of the Nares, Isolation for MRSA Nares, MRSA Nares
Chris | February 24, 2012
I’ve rceived several comments and e-mails regarding the RSS feed button for The Preventionist. Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page you land on; you will find the button on the left. Just click and subscribe. I Just tried it and it works; I hope it does for you as well. Thanks! CW
Category: Infection Prevention in LTC |
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Tags: RSS, subscribe
Chris | February 22, 2012
People who have been diagnosed with Latent TB may or may not go on to develop active infection according to the CDC. For this reason it is important to follow up on suspected conversions of residents and Health Care Workers in Long-term Care and in all other situations. After careful assessment, physicians may opt for [...]
Category: Infection Prevention in LTC |
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Chris | February 16, 2012
Latent TB is the name given to persons who have been exposed to Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, but who do not show signs and symptoms of active disease, such as night sweats, persistent cough, bloody sputum, feelings of exhaustion, and weight loss; Latent TB patients are not infectious to anyone else but about 7-10 % will go [...]
Category: Infection Prevention in LTC |
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Tags: annual PPD in long-term care, Latent TB, PPD, PPD conversions in long-term care, screening
