Category: News Articles

Spring is upon us! Flowers and trees are starting to bloom, and beautiful weather is returning. Unfortunately, with blooming plants comes pollen and for many people, seasonal allergies. Common allergy symptoms include a runny nose, itchy eyes, sneezing, or a cough. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), at least 106 million people in the United States have allergies or asthma, and this number is likely even higher. The AAFA offers several recommendations to help decrease pollen exposure, such as checking the daily pollen count before going outside and using allergy medications as appropriate. While these strategies can help manage symptoms, it can sometimes be difficult to know when allergies have progressed into something more complicated, such as acute rhinosinusitis (ARS), and when antibiotic treatment may be…

Healthcare personnel understand the importance of PPE in preventing the spread of infection.  Although, selecting and correctly using protective equipment is essential to safeguard both patients and staff, proper removal of PPE is a critical step that is often overlooked. After providing patient care, PPE should be removed in a careful and deliberate sequence to avoid self-contamination. Once their interaction with a patient is finished, staff may mistakenly assume the highest-risk portion of care is over. In reality, most self-contamination occurs during the PPE removal process. Common mistakes during PPE removal include taking items off in the incorrect order, contaminating surfaces while doffing, and improperly disposing of soiled PPE.  Numerous studies show that many healthcare workers do not follow the correct removal sequence, and even among those who do, most…

As flu season intensifies, infection preventionists remain central to protecting patients and healthcare teams. The CDC has classified this season as moderately severe, with more than 5,000 deaths, including nine pediatric deaths, one in Kentucky. Vaccination continues to be the strongest defense, and the CDC recommends that everyone aged ≥6 months, barring medical contraindications, receive the influenza vaccine. Current influenza vaccines are produced using egg‑based, cell‑based, and recombinant technologies. Egg‑based production—still the most common—grows viruses in fertilized chicken eggs, while cell‑based vaccines use mammalian cell cultures, and recombinant vaccines use genetic sequencing rather than live virus growth. Since the 2023-2024 influenza season, the CDC no longer recommends additional safety measures for individuals with egg allergies as evidence shows severe allergic reactions are unlikely. Each year global surveillance data, genetic and…

Your Role in Stopping Flu Starts with Immunization This flu season is projected to hit harder, with 20% more cases than last year. Facilities like ours face unique challenges—close contact with vulnerable patients means higher risk of exposure and transmission. Why your flu shot matters: Protect patients: Residents depend on us to keep them safe. Most flu deaths occur in people 65+. Reduce staffing disruptions: Flu-related illness can lead to extended sick leave, call-outs, and staffing shortages—impacting patient care. Stay healthy and available: Immunization decreases severity and helps prevent hospital visits. Professional consensus: The AMA, American College of Cardiology, IDSA, and American College of Physicians all strongly recommend flu immunization for healthcare workers. Last year, two-thirds of hospitalized flu patients were not immunized. Protect yourself, your team, and your patients—get…

Protect Yourself and Your Community This Flu Season Flu season in the U.S. is expected to be more severe than last year, following trends in Australia and the UK where cases are unusually high. Experts predict 20% more infections this year. Why immunization matters: Older adults are most at risk: 90% of flu-related deaths occur in people 65 or older. Prevents serious illness: The flu vaccine reduces severity and lowers the chance of hospitalization by 30–40%. Protects your neighbors: In long-term care settings, flu spreads quickly. Immunization helps stop transmission. Last year, two-thirds of hospitalized flu patients were not vaccinated. Getting your flu shot is one of the best ways to stay healthy and protect those around you. References Heidenreich, P. A., Bhatt, A., Nazir, N. T., Schaffner, W., &…

2025 has been a busy year for KyIP! Our team published 28 free CE modules on Continuing Education Library - Kentucky Infection Prevention Training Center, bringing the total to over 90 available courses! We hosted IP Boot Camp earlier this year, where over 350 were trained and over 1300 CE hours were claimed.Within KyIP, we’ve connected with over 200 healthcare staff members during in-person simulation training. Our team will complete the 17th Grand Rounds Session on 12/17. Employees from Norton Infectious Diseases and the Kentucky Department for Public Health presented via webinars discussing HIV, measles, and wastewater surveillance.Our team attended Infection Prevention Week at Owensboro Health, where they connected with nearly 200 healthcare workers. KyIP had over a dozen education consults, which led to the development of infection prevention training…

Respiratory illness season is in full swing and many states are seeing high levels of influenza, COVID-19, and RSV. The graph below shows the rates of hospitalizations associated with viral respiratory illnesses in the United States. https://www.cdc.gov/resp-net/dashboard/index.html While antibiotics are not effective for treating viral illnesses, they are nonetheless still prescribed in many cases. The use of antibiotics and other infection-fighting medications when not indicated have increased the rate of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens. In addition to the threat of antibiotic resistance, the use of antimicrobials increases costs and puts patients at risk of serious side effects. Antibiotics are used with the intention of killing a particular bacteria. The categories of prescribing include prophylactic, empiric, and therapeutic. Prophylactic antibiotics are used to prevent an infection. These are commonly used in patients who…