Here are six findings from infection control studies Becker's has covered since April:
1. Intermountain Health reduced antibiotic prescribing in urgent care clinics by 15 percent after rolling out new stewardship initiatives, according to a study published May 11 in JAMA Network Open.
2. Allowing bedside nurses to independently order Clostridioides difficile testing could help hospitals lower the risk of patient infections and associated deaths, according to a study published May 11 in the American Journal of Infection Control.
3. The Veterans Affairs North Texas Health Care System in Dallas prevented healthcare-associated infection rates from rising during the pandemic — and reduced burnout among infection prevention and control team members — through a 14-month preparedness initiative, according to a study published April 26 in the American Journal of Infection Control.
4. About 50 percent of healthcare workers with symptomatic COVID-19 in a study published in April showed up for work, indicating concern over high workload burden for coworkers and personal responsibility.
5. In a large hospital in London, removing mask rules for visitors and staff did not result in a "statistically significant change" in the rate of COVID-19 infections, a study published April 6 found, adding more questions to the swirling debate of mask efficacy against the coronavirus.
6. While the majority of clinicians view hand hygiene as critical to patient safety, environment and other factors can stand in the way of high reliability, according to a survey-based study led by researchers at Boston Children's Hospital. For example, 77 percent of respondents reported sanitizer dispensers were "sometimes" or "often" empty.