Wet, used towels left in the gym. Dirty tissues discarded by someone suffering from a nasty cold. You wouldn’t think of touching these items. But unknowingly, you may be sharing something that could be just as filthy and potentially dangerous when you visit a dental office. Infection control specialists call this cross contamination.
When an unsterilized bib chain is placed around your neck, you may be exposed to dangerous pathogens including pseudomonas, E. coli and Staph aureus – the most common cause of staph infections and a potential “superbug.”
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/bibchaincontamination/50626/
A level IV trauma center in Washington State has installed copper components throughout its facility as another way of reducing hospital-acquired infections and keeping their patients safe.
Pullman Regional Hospital has become an early adopter of antimicrobial copper after studies found that the age-old metal could continuously kill deadly bacteria.
Each year, 2 million people in the United States are diagnosed with a hospital-acquired infection and nearly 100,000 people die. These infections are caused by common bacteria such as E. coli, MRSA, C. diff, CRE and VRE.
“It is a very serious problem,” said Ed Harrich, the director of surgical services for Pullman Regional Hospital. “I think every hospital across the nation is doing everything they can to try to deal with it the best that they can. But there’s bioburden on everything and people aren’t good at hand washing and there’s cross-contamination everywhere you go.”
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7378651-copper-development-association-cda-pullman-regional-hospital-keep-patients-safe-antimicrobial-copper/
More than 46 million turkeys will be cooked this Thanksgiving holiday, according to the National Turkey Federation, but many families aren’t taking the specific actions needed to reduce their risk of foodborne illness. In an effort to help protect Americans from foodborne illness during the Thanksgiving season and throughout the year, the Ad Council is partnering with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Food Safety and Inspection Service to launch new public service advertisements (PSAs) on behalf of their national Food Safe Families campaign.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7383451-usda-ad-council-launch-psas-help-families-protect-from-foodborne-illness-this-thanksgiving/
