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: Outbreak Investigations

Advocate Lutheran General Hospital Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Automated Endoscope Reprocessors Bacterial Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) Carbapenems Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Custom Ultrasonics Delayed Reprocessing Disease Transmission Disinfection Endoscope Reprocessing Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) Escherichia coli Ethylene Oxide Gas Sterilization Food and Drug Administration GI Endoscopes High-Level Disinfection Infection Prevention Instrument Reprocessing Klebsiella pneumoniae Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase]-producing K. pneumoniae Outbreak Investigations Pentax Quality Assurance Quality System Regulation Risk Management Root Causes Analysis Transmission-Based Precautions

GI Endoscopy: Pushed Beyond its Reprocessing Limits?

January 14, 2014 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

This article is divided into two sections, for the reader’s convenience: “Part 1: ‘The Outbreak'” and “Part 2: ‘Commentary: An superbug outbreak waiting to happen?'” (‘Part 2’ can be read…

Best Practices Disease Transmission Endoscope Damage Endoscope Reprocessing Escherichia coli GI Endoscopes High-Level Disinfection Infection Prevention Instrument Reprocessing Legionella Outbreak Investigations Pseudomonas aeruginosa TEE (Transesophageal Echocardiography) Probes Ultrasound Transducers

Escherichia coli Infections Linked to a Contaminated TEE Probe

September 11, 2013 Lawrence F Muscarella PhD

September 10, 2013 — An article entitled “Outbreak of Escherichia coli Infections Associated with a Contaminated Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE) Probe” appears in next month’s (October, 2013) issue of the journal…

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…

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