|
US flu activity continues to rise steadily |
|
Friday, November 17, 2023 06:38 PM |
|
Positive tests, hospitalizations, and outpatient visits for flu rose again last week, with levels highest in the south central, south, and western regions, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in its latest update. Read more. |
|
November is National Diabetes Month |
|
Friday, November 17, 2023 06:36 PM |
|
American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) are almost three times more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes and two times more likely to die from diabetes, according to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services. Read more. |
|
Standing Committee on Personal Protective Equipment for Workplace Safety and Health |
|
Friday, November 17, 2023 06:34 PM |
|
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is seeking suggestions for experts to be considered for the membership rotation or other engagement on the Standing Committee on Personal Protective Equipment for Workplace Safety and Health. Read more. |
|
CDC's HICPAC Update: Impact on COVID-19, Pathogen Control, and Immunocompromised Safety in Health Care Settings |
|
Thursday, November 16, 2023 02:37 PM |
|
Recent CDC HICPAC revisions regarding SARS-CoV-2 control face criticism from the World Health Network and others due to alleged breaches in committee structure and erroneous infection control guidance, potentially impacting COVID-19 management and immunocompromised individuals in health care. Read more. |
|
VA hospitals more likely to use contact precautions for multidrug-resistant organisms |
|
Thursday, November 16, 2023 02:15 PM |
|
A cross-sectional survey of US hospitals found that Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals were more likely to use contact precautions for patients with multidrug-resistant organisms than non-VA hospitals, researchers reported yesterday in the American Journal of Infection Control. Read more. |
|
US hospital safety group reports reduction in healthcare-associated infections |
|
Thursday, November 16, 2023 02:13 PM |
|
New data from a nonprofit hospital safety group show that many US hospitals have cut their rate of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) over the past year. Read more. |
|
USPSTF finalizes recommendation on oral health screening in primary care |
|
Thursday, November 16, 2023 02:08 PM |
|
There is insufficient evidence to rule for or against oral health screening and preventive interventions in adults and youth aged 5 years and older, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force declared in a final recommendation statement. Read more. |
|
A Call for More Oral Health Research in Primary Care |
|
Thursday, November 16, 2023 02:03 PM |
|
Oral health is a vital component of overall health. In a pair of Recommendation Statements published by JAMA on November 7, 2023, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) announced that current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for oral health conditions and providing preventive interventions by primary care clinicians for children aged 5 to 17 years and in adults.The current state of scientific knowledge is reflected by the USPSTF’s I statements (“insufficient evidence” to support the recommendation) in each Recommendation Statement. This demonstrates the need for further research to better understand the effect of these services on health outcomes. The lack of data should not unduly influence primary care clinicians to stop considering oral health during routine medical examinations or checkups. Read more. |
|
You Should Always Wash Your Hands After Touching This One Unexpected Thing |
|
Wednesday, November 15, 2023 03:54 PM |
|
A "sick season" preparedness kit full of tissues and cough drops can be beneficial this time of year. However, a simple, common-sense measure can help reduce your risk of plowing through your supplies before the winter holidays: hand washing. Read more. |
|
Bloodborne Pathogen Exposures Continue in Operating Room Settings |
|
Wednesday, November 15, 2023 03:52 PM |
|
Despite legislation and improved technology, data from Massachusetts hospitals show that sharps injuries have increased in the operating room (OR) [1]. These injuries place healthcare workers at risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens (BBPs). There is an urgent need to renew efforts to protect healthcare workers inside the operating room. Read more. |
|
Did You Just Prescribe a Teenager’s Death? |
|
Wednesday, November 15, 2023 03:50 PM |
|
In my years of practice and teaching residents at one of the busiest residency programs in the country, I have encountered over 20 doctors who have struggled with opioid addiction. Among them, ten faced license suspensions or revocations, and two served time in prison. Most tragically, two have succumbed to lethal overdoses. Read more. |
|
De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis: The Painful Part of Practicing Clinical Dental Hygiene |
|
Wednesday, November 15, 2023 03:47 PM |
|
De Quervain’s tenosynovitis is swelling of the tendons that run along the thumb side of the wrist and attach to the base of the thumb. This condition occurs when the tendons that run from the wrist to the thumb are constricted by the sheath that encircles them. Read more. |
|
FDA Gives Full Recognition to AAMI Cybersecurity Guidance Document |
|
Wednesday, November 15, 2023 03:45 PM |
|
The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) is proud to announce that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has officially extended complete recognition to AAMI’s groundbreaking guidance document on medical device cybersecurity, ANSI/AAMI SW96. Read more. |
|
Welcoming Veterans to NYU Dentistry—From All Five Boroughs |
|
Tuesday, November 14, 2023 01:21 PM |
|
The Bronx VA has joined NYU College of Dentistry’s Veterans Oral Care Access Resource (VOCARE), part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ VETSmile program. VETSmile is a pilot program that is designed to improve dental care access for veterans who are not eligible for dental care through the VA by partnering with community providers like NYU. Read more. |
|
Environmental impact of the supervised toothbrushing programme amongst children in Scotland |
|
Tuesday, November 14, 2023 01:19 PM |
|
To understand the environmental impact of providing a nationwide supervised toothbrushing programme (Childsmile) for 5-year-old children in Scotland. Read more. |
|
This year’s flu shot should be a good match for current influenza strains. Expert urges everyone to get it as soon as possible. |
|
Tuesday, November 14, 2023 01:18 PM |
|
This year’s flu vaccine should be very protective against the current influenza strains, so as Thanksgiving approaches, now is the perfect time to get your flu shot. Read more. |
|
Infection Control Today Exclusive: The Challenge of Health Care-Associated Infections (HAIs) and Evolving Prevention: A Focus on Hand Hygiene |
|
Tuesday, November 14, 2023 01:16 PM |
|
Health care-associated infections (HAIs) significantly impact patient outcomes, hospital expenses, and mortality rates in the United States. Hand hygiene stands as the most effective preventive method. While manual observation often produces biased results, Electronic Hand Hygiene Monitoring Systems (EHHCM) offer evolving methods for more accurate adherence assessment. Read more. |
|
Marijuana use raises risk of heart attack, heart failure and stroke, studies say |
|
Tuesday, November 14, 2023 01:14 PM |
|
Older adults who don’t smoke tobacco but do use marijuana were at higher risk of both heart attack and stroke when hospitalized, while people who use marijuana daily were 34% more likely to develop heart failure, according to two new non-published studies presented Monday at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Philadelphia. Read more. |
|
CDC recommends more tuberculosis testing, treatment as 5 Arizona counties have higher rates |
|
Monday, November 13, 2023 12:27 PM |
|
Arizona’s TB rate falls in the lower half of the U.S. and its territories, but some of its counties are hotspots: Apache and Graham counties exceed the national incidence rate; Santa Cruz and Pinal roughly double it; and Yuma County more than triples it. Read more. |
|
CDC Advisors Recommend Masks in Hospitals Without Naming Type |
|
Monday, November 13, 2023 12:25 PM |
|
Advisors to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have voted to recommend that health providers wear masks during routine care for patients who are thought to be contagious. Read more. |
|
US CDC to expand surveillance of traveler samples for respiratory viruses |
|
Monday, November 13, 2023 12:23 PM |
|
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Monday it was expanding testing of samples collected from international air travelers beyond COVID-19, to include flu and respiratory synctial virus (RSV) beginning November. Read more. |
|
In case you missed it: November HICPAC Public Meeting recap |
|
Monday, November 13, 2023 11:51 AM |
|
The Healthcare Infection Control Advisory Committee (HICPAC) held a public meeting Nov. 2-3, in Atlanta, Ga. Per the Federal Advisory Committee Act, and as has been done throughout the HICPAC meetings, official meeting minutes will be available on the HICPAC website in the coming weeks. Until then, below is a summary of key issues from the day’s discussion. Read more. |
|
Be Antibiotics Aware Partner Toolkit |
|
Monday, November 13, 2023 11:06 AM |
|
U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week is November 18-24, 2023. Read more. |
|
“Progress is slowing”: The pandemic’s effect on dental opioid prescribing rates |
|
Sunday, November 12, 2023 03:31 PM |
|
Even as dental professionals are less likely to prescribe opioids than in years past, the COVID-19 pandemic seems to have slowed efforts to reduce opioid prescribing in dentistry. Read more. |
|
Exploring dental students' attitudes toward patient-centered management of dental fear |
|
Sunday, November 12, 2023 03:29 PM |
|
A patient-centered care (PCC) paradigm undergirds modern dental education. PCC is particularly relevant in the management of patient dental fear. The aims of this study were three-fold: (a) to examine the preliminary psychometric properties of an author-designed survey administered to explore dental fear knowledge and perceptions, (b) to assess how 4th-year dental students regard dental fear, (c) and to investigate the relationship between students' knowledge and perceptions of dental fear and their clinical behavior. Read more. |
|
Dentists' considerations concerning treating patients from the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community: A national survey |
|
Sunday, November 12, 2023 03:26 PM |
|
Research shows that adults who were Deaf or Hard of Hearing (HoH) had poorer oral health than adults who did not belong to this community. The objectives were to assess dentists' education, knowledge, attitudes, and professional behavior related to treating patients from the Deaf or HoH community and the relationships between these constructs. Read more. |
|
CDC panel backs looser guidance on hospital masking |
|
Sunday, November 12, 2023 02:20 PM |
|
A CDC advisory committee voted Nov. 3 to finalize a draft of infection control guidelines that recommends healthcare workers wear masks during routine care to prevent the spread of common, endemic respiratory infections — a move National Nurses United has condemned for not going far enough to protect patients and staff from aerosol transmission. Read more. |
|
Critics Slam Updated Infection Control Recommendations for Hospitals |
|
Sunday, November 12, 2023 02:17 PM |
|
But health care workers worry whether the guidelines, which suggest that surgical masks are as good as N-95 masks at preventing the spread of respiratory infections during routine care, are protecting a hospital's bottom line rather than worker health, CNN reported. Read more. |
|
Oral Health is a Right, Not a Privilege |
|
Saturday, November 11, 2023 02:43 PM |
|
The health of the mouth can dictate the health of the body, and vice versa. Having a healthy and pain-free smile also contributes to overall quality of life, including how one feels about themselves.
Read more. |
|
Study Investigates Antibiotic Resistance Patterns of P. Gingivalis |
|
Saturday, November 11, 2023 02:41 PM |
|
A new study out of Temple University School of Dentistry in Philadelphia evaluated the antibiotic resistance patterns of Porphyromonas gingivalis, a major pathogen in periodontal disease. Read more. |
|
Q&A: CDC recommends testing all children exposed to hepatitis C |
|
Saturday, November 11, 2023 02:34 PM |
|
In new guidelines, the CDC recommends testing all infants and children who were perinatally exposed to hepatitis C. Read more. |
|
High-volume evacuation mitigates viral aerosol spread in dental procedures |
|
Dental healthcare personnel (DHCP) are subjected to microbe-containing aerosols and splatters in their everyday work. Safer work conditions must be developed to ensure the functioning of the healthcare system. Read more. |
|
Contra Costa County health officials link tuberculosis cases to casino |
|
Saturday, November 11, 2023 02:29 PM |
|
Nearly a dozen cases of tuberculosis have been linked to a casino in Contra Costa County, public health officials announced Thursday. Anyone who spent time inside California Grand Casino in Pacheco within the past five years should take a TB test, according to Contra Costa Health Services (CCH). Read more. |
|
Association between the COVID-19 outbreak and opioid prescribing by U.S. dentists |
|
Friday, November 10, 2023 04:35 PM |
|
U.S. data on opioid prescribing by dentists are limited to 2019. More recent data are needed to understand the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on dental opioid prescribing, characterize current practices, and determine if dental opioid stewardship initiatives are still warranted. Read more. |
|
Americans carry 'collective trauma' from COVID pandemic, survey suggests |
|
Friday, November 10, 2023 04:31 PM |
|
The COVID-19 pandemic caused Americans collective trauma, which predisposes to mental illness and chronic illnesses, according to a new online survey from the American Psychological Association (APA). Read more. |
|
|
