Tufts Medicine’s Post

Too many older adults in nursing homes are still being hospitalized or dying from COVID and other infectious diseases. Join me for today’s AHCJ webinar with Dr Ana Montoya, University of Michigan Medical Center and Richard Mollot, Long Term care Community Coalition to talk about what’s going on, how we got here and what reporters can do to help shine a light on infection control https://lnkd.in/ehQuXnr5

🏥 How are #StandardPrecautions holding up in the era of COVID-19? 🔍 Dr. Fabrice Zobel Lekeumo Cheuyem et al examined healthcare workers' adherence to standard precautions to prevent infections. 👐 Over half didn't wash hands after each procedure due to perceived low risk or heavy workloads. 💉 #COVID_19 immunization coverage was low at 44.8%, with concerns about vaccine content and adverse events. 💬 Join the discussion on combating vaccine hesitancy and improving infection prevention! https://lnkd.in/gY8tW5KB #HealthcareSafety

Measles is highly contagious. A person with measles is infectious up to 4 days before through 4 days after the day of rash onset. Patients with suspected measles should be isolated for 4 days after they develop a rash. Airborne precautions should be followed in healthcare settings by all healthcare personnel. The preferred placement for patients who require airborne precautions is in a single-patient airborne infection isolation room. Providers should immediately isolate and report suspected measles cases to their local health department and obtain specimens for measles testing, including serum sample for measles serologic testing and a throat swab (or nasopharyngeal swab) for viral confirmation. Measles is a nationally notifiable disease in the U.S.; healthcare providers should report all cases of suspected measles to public health authorities immediately to help reduce the number of secondary cases. Do not wait for the results of laboratory testing to report clinically-suspected measles to the local health department. More information on measles disease, diagnostic testing, and infection control can be found at https://lnkd.in/esPCqHmA. You’ll find this answer, as well as other MMR vaccine Q&As, here: https://lnkd.in/exSvuPXJ #ImmunizeOrg #savelivesimmunize #vaccinessavelives #vaccinate #MMR #mealses #mumps #rubella

Check out this webinar from AHCj.

Dear Colleagues, A recent publication in the American Journal of Case Reports by authors from St. Luke’s International Hospital, Tokyo, Japan, presents a compelling case of meningococcal meningitis in a Japanese diabetic patient with no travel history. Despite negative rapid tests and cultures, multiplex PCR confirmed meningococcus and parechovirus. This case highlights the need to reassess Japan's vaccination strategy, especially for serogroup B, which currently lacks a corresponding vaccine. The patient's positive response to empirical ceftriaxone treatment underscores the importance of robust empirical protocols. This case prompts a broader discussion on vaccination policies and hospital infection control measures. The complete report is now available on the American Journal of Case Reports webpage. | https://lnkd.in/dVz4dwzE

FREE TO MEMBERS! NOT TOO LATE TO REGISTER! Connect/Learn/Grow: Vaccination in the Aging Population Webinar Wednesday, FEBRUARY 21, 2024 at 1:00 pm EST. This webinar will focus on the need for vaccination in the aging population and the importance of infectious disease prevention including education, statistics, and latest evidence-based research. Topics to be discussed: Vaccination Myths and Fatigue; Vaccination Scheduling in the Aging Population; Vaccination Strategies Preventing Infections Including: The Role of the Nurse in the Facility/Center; Documentation Standards; Updated Member Physicals, Care Plans, and Policy; Annual influenza and COVID-19 Campaigns; Infection Control in the Center. To register: https://buff.ly/3O8v0xs

Dangerous whooping cough infections have quadrupled this year over last in U.S. How to protect yourself and your family. Cases of whooping cough have quadrupled this year across the U.S. compared to the same period last year, prompting infectious disease experts to sound alarms and urge vaccines to protect vulnerable newborns, pregnant women, health care workers and immunocompromised adults. As of late August of this year, health experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have logged 12,353 cases of whooping cough, also known as pertussis. That’s up from 3,081 cases during the same period last year. Whooping cough outbreaks and pertussis cases in the United States CDC experts say cases of pertussis dropped sharply during the peak years of the COVID-19 pandemic but have spiked this year. Whooping cough infections dropped dramatically in the U.S. from the 1960s through the 1990s after the development of life-saving vaccines, but infections surged sharply in the 2000s as vaccine misinformation took hold. (View year-by-year cases of pertussis in the U.S.) During 2019, before COVID-19 hit, health experts reported more than 18,000 cases of whooping cough in the U.S. As people took precautions to prevent COVID-19, whooping cough cases dropped to a low of just over 2,000 cases in 2021 but have been climbing since then. Pertussis can strike both children and adults. It’s especially dangerous and can cause hospitalizations — and death in rare cases — for unprotected newborns. To learn more about pertussis and how people can protect themselves and their loved ones, we consulted with Lauren Bryan, infection prevention program manager at UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center in Steamboat Springs. Getting vaccinated in the No. 1 way to prevent pertussis infections. “The old saying ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’ is so true when it comes to protecting yourself and others,” Bryan said. “Many people minimize the impact of vaccine-preventable illnesses like pertussis, but they can be devastating to others, especially the very young, the very old and people who are immunocompromised,” she said. “Whooping cough is incredibly transmissible but very preventable if children are vaccinated,” Bryan said. “We saw declines in the state from 2013 to 2021, but sadly, that trend is now going the wrong way.” Source to read more: https://lnkd.in/gXNXj8cp

The Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine is the only vaccine available to protect against TB, but its effectiveness varies and it primarily protects against severe forms of TB in children, such as TB meningitis and disseminated TB. However, it is not very effective in preventing pulmonary TB in adults, which is the most common form of the disease. Additionally, the protection provided by the BCG vaccine may wane over time. Therefore, vaccination is just one aspect of TB prevention, and it is essential to combine it with other preventive measures such as proper infection control practices, early detection, and treatment of TB cases. #WellnessTruths #SCHILLER #TBTransmissionFacts #LatentTB #TBMyths #TBPrevention #TBTransmissionMyths #HealthAwareness #PublicHealth #TBEducation #TBMythBusting #StopTBTransmission #TBKnowledge #SpreadAwareness #TBPreventionTips #GlobalHealth #InfectiousDisease #TBResearch #HealthPromotion #Schiller #SchillerIndia #SchillerHealthcare

The COVID-19 pandemic and the alarming global surge in antimicrobial resistance have underscored the critical importance of rigorous and evidence-based infection control practices in healthcare. In response I have written a new chapter in the recently published 6th edition of 'Transitions in Nursing' (Elsevier: Chang and Hatcher (Eds.) 2023. This chapter is designed to empower future nurses with the essential knowledge and skills needed to safeguard patients, families, colleagues, and the broader community against infectious diseases. In this new chapter, I take a contemporary approach, addressing key issues head-on. I explore common misconceptions surrounding vaccinations and the misuse of antibiotics, and provide activities that focus on debunking unhelpful myths. This chapter will equip future nurses with the tools to navigate and combat infectious disease challenges effectively in the evolving landscape of healthcare, and act as informed practitioners in the wider public health arena.