Discussions in Infection Control

An independent site by Lawrence F Muscarella PhD -- a national authority on the causes and prevention of healthcare-associated infections and related errors.

Month: January 2014

Advocate Lutheran General Hospital Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Automated Endoscope Reprocessors Best Practices Biofilms Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Disease Transmission Disinfection E. coli Endoscope Reprocessing Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) Environmental Contamination Escherichia coli Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) Ethylene Oxide Gas Sterilization FUJIFILM Gastrointestinal Endoscopy GI Endoscopes Handwashing Sinks Healthcare-Acquired Infections High-Level Disinfection Infection Prevention Intermediate-Level Disinfection Klebsiella pneumoniae Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase]-producing K. pneumoniae Olympus Outbreak Investigations Pentax Peracetic Acid Pseudomonas aeruginosa Risk Management Serratia marcescens Transmission-Based Precautions

Multiple Outbreaks of a ‘Nightmarish Bacteria’ Linked to Contaminated Endoscopes in the U.S and Europe: Has a ‘Smoking Gun’ Been Found?

January 29, 2014 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

A popular Sunday morning television news show aired a segment on January 15, 2014, that provided helpful advice about a concerning outbreak of “nightmare bacteria” that had been linked just…

Colonoscopes Disease Transmission Endoscope Reprocessing Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) GI Endoscopes Hepatitis (B and C) Viruses HIV Infection Prevention Medical Errors Multi-Dose Medicine Vials Outbreak Investigations Single-Dose Medicine Vials Syringes or Needles

Confirmed Patient-to-Patient Transmission of Hepatitis C in Canada during Endoscopy, 2014

January 23, 2014 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

September 20, 2014 — The Brant News (Canada) reported on January 23, 2014, that human error is likely to blame for at least one instance of hepatitis C infection following…

Advocate Lutheran General Hospital Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria carbapenem Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) Carbapenems Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Custom Ultrasonics Disease Transmission Endoscope Reprocessing Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) Escherichia coli Ethylene Oxide Gas Sterilization Food and Drug Administration Gastrointestinal Endoscopy GI Endoscopes Healthcare-Acquired Infections Hepatitis (B and C) Viruses High-Level Disinfection HIV Infection Prevention Klebsiella pneumoniae Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase]-producing K. pneumoniae Low-Temperature Sterilization Medical Errors Outbreak Investigations Patient Notification Pentax Risk Assessment Risk Management Veterans Health Administration

Lessons Taught by a Recent “Superbug” Outbreak: Could ‘Ex Post Facto’ Notification be Warranted?

January 21, 2014 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

April 21, 2014 — Advocate Lutheran General Hospital (Park Ridge, IL) in 2013 linked multiple patient infections and colonizations of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, or “CRE,” to contaminated gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopes. This…

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