Becker's Hospital Review compiled a list of recent infection control stories in honor of International Infection Prevention Week, which runs from Oct. 14-20.
The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology spearheads the annual event, which was created by former President Ronald Reagan in 1986. This year's theme for the week is "Protecting Patients Everywhere."
Here are seven infection control findings from the past month, beginning with the most recent:
1. Hospital linens may be source of C. diff outbreaks, study finds
Commercial laundering processes using industrial detergent and high disinfecting temperatures do not completely eliminate the presence of Clostridium difficilebacteria on hospital sheets, according to a study published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.
2. Stanford scientists use bioinformatics to trace hospital-acquired bloodstream infections to patients' digestive tracts
Researchers at Stanford (Calif.) University found hospital-acquired bloodstream infections are often caused by a patient's digestive tract, according to a small study published by Nature Medicine.
3. WHO-based intervention increases hand hygiene compliance to 80%+
A study published in the Journal of Hospital Infectionexamined the effect and sustainability of a multimodal improvement program for hand hygiene based on the World Health Organization strategy.
4. Hand sanitizer more successful than soap, water for preventing respiratory infections in kids, study finds
Kids who clean their hands using hand sanitizer instead of traditional soap and water contract fewer respiratory infections, miss fewer school days and receive less antibiotics, according to a study published in Pediatrics.
5. Therapy dogs may spread MRSA to pediatric patients, Johns Hopkins study finds
Therapy dogs may serve as a mechanical vector for hospital-associated infections, according to research from Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Medicine presented at ID Week 2018 in San Francisco.
6. Hospital sink traps may harbor antibiotic-resistant bacteria, study finds
Sink traps may pose as hidden reservoirs for antibiotic-resistant bacteria, according to a study published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.
7. Hospital privacy curtains are breeding MRSA, study finds
Privacy curtains in hospitals can pose a threat to patient safety, with high percentages of curtains testing positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a study published in the American Journal of Infection Control found.
More articles on clinical leadership and infection control:
San Antonio hospitals report better trauma outcomes after ambulances stock blood for transfusions
How Case Western researchers are eliminating drug-resistant infections without antibiotics
Video monitoring linked to better TB treatment adherence, researchers find