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: Infection Prevention

Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) Carbapenems Central Sterile Processing Disease Transmission Disinfection Endoscope Reprocessing Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) Gastrointestinal Endoscopy GI Endoscopes Gloves and Other Personal Protective Equipment Hand Hygiene and Antisepsis High-Level Disinfection Infection Prevention Instrument Drying Isolation Precautions Klebsiella pneumoniae Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase]-producing K. pneumoniae Outbreak Investigations Standard Precautions Transmission-Based Precautions

Early Identification and Control of Carbapenemase-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae Originating from a Contaminated GI Endoscope

September 4, 2013 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

September 4, 2013 — The following is a discussion of an article by Alrabaa et al. (2013) entitled, “Early identification and control of carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae, originating from contaminated endoscopic…

Best Practices Biological Indicators Biopsy Forceps Central Sterile Processing Critical Device Classifications Endoscope Reprocessing Flexible "ENT" Laryngoscopes Hepatitis (B and C) Viruses High-Level Disinfection HIV Infection Prevention Instrument Reprocessing Intermediate-Level Disinfection Low-Level Disinfection Low-Temperature Sterilization Noncritical ortho-phthalaldehyde Prions Rigid Arthroscopes Semicritical Devices

Disinfection or Sterilization of a Contaminated Reusable Instrument?

September 4, 2013 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

Selection of the “right” sterilization or disinfection process, or technology, for reprocessing a specific type of reusable instrument may not always be straightforward. This is often because the instrument is…

Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Aseptic Technique Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) Carbapenems Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Contact Precautions Disease Transmission Endoscope Reprocessing Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) Gastrointestinal Endoscopy GI Endoscopes Gloves and Other Personal Protective Equipment Hand Hygiene and Antisepsis Infection Prevention Isolation Precautions Klebsiella pneumoniae Standard Precautions

Nature: “Antibiotic resistance: The last resort”

August 21, 2013 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

The July 24, 2013, issue of the popular science magazine Nature includes a replete article about CRE – or, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. Read Dr. Muscarella’s related post: “Growing National Concerns about…

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