Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported March 2 that the proportion of US pregnancies with Zika-associated birth defects is approximately 20 times higher than it was before introduction of the virus into the US. Between January 15 and September 22, 2016, the US Zika Pregnancy…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is accepting comments on the draft update to its recommendations for the use of chlorhexidine (CHG)-impregnated dressings to prevent intravascular catheter-related infections. The draft addresses new and updated strategies and is based on a review of the evidence since 2010…

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Editor's Note The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in October announced new targets for reducing healthcare associated infections (HAIs) in acute care hospitals. The new targets are part of the agency’s "National Action Plan to Prevent Health Care-Associated Infections: Road Map to Elimination." The targets use data…

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Editor's Note In this study, surgical site infection (SSI) rates were similar for general surgery patients whether hair was clipped or not. Of 1,543 patients included in the study, 768 were in the clipped group and 775 were in the not-clipped group. The overall rate of SSIs was 6.12% in…

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Editor's Note The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on October 13 updated its Safety Alert on the Stӧckert 3T Heater-Cooler System by LivaNova to provide new information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about Mycobacterium chimaera infections associated with the use of the system in US patients…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on August 15 published a proposed rule on Control of Communicable Diseases. The proposal amends the CDC’s domestic and foreign quarantine regulations to help respond to outbreaks of new or reemerging communicable diseases, such as Ebola, Middle Ease Respiratory Syndrome…

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Editor's Note The American Hospital Association (AHA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on August 11 hosted a call for healthcare leaders on the latest Zika virus developments and how to protect patients and caregivers, the August 11 AHA News Now reports. CDC officials said they will soon…

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Editor's Note The Center for Orthopedic Research and Education (CORE Institute), a group of orthopedic surgeons and neurologists based in Phoenix, Arizona, will be collaborating with the Joint Commission and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on an infection prevention initiative for freestanding ambulatory healthcare settings, the July…

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Editor's Note Officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on May 27 reported the first US case of Escherichia coli (E coli) bacteria that is resistant to colistin, a last-resort antibiotic, Reuters reports. A 49-year old woman in Pennsylvania was found last month to have a urinary tract…

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Editor's Note Physicians Endoscopy, an ambulatory surgery center management company based in Jamison, Pennsylvania, is one of 12 outpatient-focused professional organizations and 10 ambulatory health care systems selected by the Joint Commission and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to participate in an infection prevention initiative. The initiative, called…

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