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.

Category: Hepatitis (B and C) Viruses

Auxiliary Water Channel Best Practices Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) Colonoscopes Colonoscopy Disease Transmission Disposable Irrigation Tubing Endoscope Reprocessing Endoscope Sampling Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) Gastrointestinal Endoscopy GI Endoscopes Healthcare Quality, Safety Healthcare-Acquired Infections Hepatitis (B and C) Viruses Infection Prevention Joint Commission (JCAHO) Klebsiella pneumoniae Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase]-producing K. pneumoniae MAJ-855 Water Tube Medical Errors Mycobacterium abscessus Product Labeling Pseudomonas aeruginosa Quality Assurance Risk Management Serratia spp. Superbugs Surveys Tap Water The Reuse of Single-Use Devices

Tap Water Used for Irrigation during GI Endoscopy: A Recommendation and Assessment of the Infection Risk

May 20, 2014 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

February 18, 2014 — This article discusses the potential for healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) associated with the use of tap water, compared to sterile water, for irrigation (and/or cleansing the endoscope’s…

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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