American Journal of Infection Control

As vaccination rates among pediatric patients decrease, there is increased risk of re-emergence and spread of vaccine preventable diseases. When patients are present for care, crowded emergency department (ED) waiting rooms can further exacerbate the

COVID-19 associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) has been frequently described in ICU patients with risk attributed to structural lung injury and immunosuppression. Immunosuppressive therapies including steroids and interleukin-6 receptor

Blood cultures (BC) are the primary method of diagnosing bloodstream infections (BSI). BCs may also result positive due to contamination and translocation of microbes across tissue barriers. Tissue barrier breaks occur during chemotherapy, ischemic

Environmental disturbances which occur during construction or renovation projects can create an infection prevention and control (IPC) risk in healthcare settings. Through the Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA) process, Infection Preventionists

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) are among the most common healthcare-associated infections, increasing morbidity and mortality rates, especially among critically ill patients. In 2018, the medical-neurological intensive care unit

Healthcare-acquired infections (HAI) in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) are associated with an increased risk of mortality. Increased risks are attributed, in part, to immunosuppression, neutropenia and prolonged use of

In March 2022, the first patient with Candida auris (C. auris) infection was identified as having had a recent admission at a large tertiary care hospital. The patient had a lengthy hospitalization that included care on multiple units and had

Appropriate hand hygiene (HH), including the use of alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water, has shown to be effective in reducing both hospital acquired infections and the spread of antibiotic-resistant germs. Thus, it plays a critical role in

Our healthcare system is comprised of 11 hospitals in the Chicagoland area. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, our academic medical center (AMC) conducted a pilot surveillance program for Candida auris (C. auris), but discontinued during the pandemic