Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology

NEW in ICHE:

Authors used a propensity-matched cohort to evaluate intermittent vs. continuous cefazolin for SSI prevention in cardiac/neuro procedures🧠❤️

▶️ While non-significant differences, 0% SSI rate among cardiac surgeries + continuous infusion

#IDSky

📄: doi.org/10.1017/ice....

NEW in ICHE: Investigation & control of an outbreak of MSSA SSTIs in a NICU

▶️ 16 MMSA infxs in 3 weeks + 31 colonizations
▶️ Multiple ST clusters <10 SNPs
▶️ Educational interventions
▶️ Suspect respiratory devises or adhesives

#IDSky

📄: doi.org/10.1017/ice....

Our new paper out: AI boosted our genomic surveillance investigations by finding 37 missed transmission routes and reaching >90% sensitivity in key scenarios.

AI + WGS can speed outbreak reviews and help IP teams act faster #IDSky

Genomic surveillance is a key must!

📃: doi.org/10.1017/ice....

cc @jlsalinas.bsky.social

New in ICHE from @grod11.bsky.social et al: Using secure AI agents integrated within the EMR for the evaluation of blood culture appropriateness

LLM agents showed:
▶️ High sensitivity (77.4%)
▶️ Low specificity (36.1%)
▶️ framing, sycophancy, & semantic cues vital

#IDSky

📄: doi.org/10.1017/ice....

🆕 New in ICHE: Can we make VRE screening more efficient?

Authors found:
▶️ VRE+ patients had recent high-risk antibiotic exposure
▶️ Using abx-guided screening = avoided 50% of tests
▶️ VRE+ rate = 5.6% w/ targeted vs 2.6% overall
▶️ Maintained 100% NPV

#IDSky

📄: doi.org/10.1017/ice....

NEW in ICHE: Environmental and human health impact of contact precautions

In LA County, contact precautions for MRSA/VRE:

▶️ Use 7.3 million gowns annually
▶️ Generate 506 tons of plastic waste
▶️ 1.73 million kgs of CO2 equivalents
= -4.07 DALYs

#IDSky

📄: doi.org/10.1017/ice....

NEW in ICHE by @pamipenem.bsky.social and others:

Interprofessional Education (IPE) in Infection Prevention and Control (IPC): a helpful way to increase learner's confidence in IPC skills and acknowledge that teamwork does make the dream work

#IDSky

📃: doi.org/10.1017/ice....

🆕 New in ICHE: Genomic epidemiology of HAI respiratory viruses in Pittsburgh, 2018–2020

🧬 WGS of 436 healthcare-associated respiratory virus infections:

• 14 clusters ▶️ 36 patients
• Clusters often in a single unit
• Avg cluster duration 16 days (range 0-55)

#IDSky

📄: doi.org/10.1017/ice....

New multisociety guidance from SHEA, APIC, IDSA, PALTmed & AGS offers an updated framework for infection prevention in nursing homes—balancing safety with a homelike environment.

Read in ICHE: bit.ly/47vOSCV

🆕 New in ICHE: How prepared are Canadian hospitals for Candida auris?

A CNISP survey of 55 hospitals found:
--87.3% had C. auris on their notifiable/reportable pathogen list
--70.9% used PCR for identification
--30.9% reported C. auris cases between 2012–2022

#IDSky

📄: doi.org/10.1017/ice....

Now out in @ichejournal.bsky.social, our teaching elective that we put together while grant funding still existed--we made IP fun, and students gained confidence in their skills. <3 my team and am glad to see this out there! doi.org/10.1017/ice....

New multi-society implementation and practice recs for IPC in nursing homes.

How to balance safety and home-like care. An essential resource for IPC program leaders

with SHEA, APIC, IDSA, PALTmed, PIDS

#IDsky

📄: doi.org/10.1017/ice....

🆕 New in ICHE: What drives repeat C. difficile testing?

-Repeat testing within 7 days was (4.5%) across VA hospitals
-Most repeat tests were negative (OR=3.62), canceled (OR=8.52)
-More likely w/ residents, long-term care/ICU settings, & positive initial tests

#IDSky

📄: doi.org/10.1017/ice....

Our EIC @davidcalfeemd.bsky.social giving an update to the @sheaepi.bsky.social publications committee at #IDWeek2025!

#IDWeek2025 - most cited papers in ICHE for 2025!

Congrats and thank you to all the authors!

#IDSky

🆕 New in ICHE: Mycobacterium fortuitum outbreak linked to two outpatient surgery centers.

▶️ 17 cases across 2 facilities
▶️ Most common procedure: knee replacement
▶️ Concerning gaps: delayed reporting, lack of certified personnel in IP and reprocessing

#IDSky

📄: doi.org/10.1017/ice....

🆕 New in ICHE: Factors associated w/ HCP glove & gown contamination of MRSA

Contamination:
Gloves or gown: 713/3,832 (18.6%) of the time
Gloves: 15.4%
Gowns: 8.3%

Touching:
Patient: 622/2,901 (21.4%)
Environment: 91/931 (9.8%)

#IDSky

📄: doi.org/10.1017/ice....

🆕 New in ICHE: Can beard covers improve speech intelligibility while maintaining respirator fit?

An under-mask elastic band beard cover with N95/P2 respirators found no meaningful impact on speech or hearing offering potential for inclusive PPE strategies

#IDsky

📄: doi.org/10.1017/ice....

🆕 New in ICHE:

A blood culture algorithm safely reduced unnecessary cultures in SOT recipients - 25% were inappropriate, none missed true infections.

Findings support expanding diagnostic stewardship

#IDSky

📄: doi.org/10.1017/ice....

🆕 New in ICHE: An EHR-based intervention reduced unnecessary testing & treatment for asymptomatic bacteriuria in older adults

This approach shows promise in minimizing overtreatment and supporting antimicrobial stewardship

#IDSky

📄: doi.org/10.1017/ice....

Essential reading for anyone working to make stewardship efforts stick and know when to stop what's no longer working

🆕 New from Branch-Elliman et al: 2-part series in ICHE on de-/implementation science to IP&C and ASP

📄 Part I: Life cycle of interventions on adoption to de-implementation
📄 Part II: A practical roadmap w/ real-world examples

#IDSky

Part I: doi.org/10.1017/ice....
Part II: doi.org/10.1017/ice....

Our new paper in @ichejournal.bsky.social: a cluster of healthcare-associated Burkholderia sola infections via WGS

➡️ B sola is a newly described BCC species
➡️ We detected 2 infxs via donor derived lung Tx + forward transmission

#IDSky
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

🆕 New in ICHE: How did the COVID-19 pandemic impact HAIs and AMR in Canadian hospitals?

📈 This interrupted time series study (2018–2022) found significant increase in HAIs and AMR organisms following the onset of the pandemic

#IDSky

📄: doi.org/10.1017/ice....

🆕 New in ICHE: Can far-UVC handheld devices improve disinfection of high-touch surfaces?

Filtered 222 nm handheld UV device ⬇️ surface bacteria by up to 83% and genomic analysis identified MDROs persisting in the environment, underscoring both promise & limits

#IDSky
📃: doi.org/10.1017/ice....

🆕 New in ICHE: Can mobile health tools engage patients in infection prevention?

This study piloted an mHealth app in clinical settings to support hand hygiene, device care, and other practices with insights on feasibility, workflow, & barriers to adoption

#IDSky

📄: doi.org/10.1017/ice....

🆕 New in ICHE: Can Enhanced Barrier Precautions reduce S. aureus and CRO transmission in nursing home ventilator units?

A pre-post study of over 12,000 residents shows promise but persistent colonization and transmission remain challenges

#IDSky

📄: doi.org/10.1017/ice....

🆕 New in ICHE: A mixed-methods study explores bias and discrimination experienced by antimicrobial stewards

Findings highlight structural inequities and the need for improved support, recognition, and inclusion in stewardship roles.

#IDsky

📄: doi.org/10.1017/ice....

🆕 New in ICHE: Case report of the 15th U.S. case of vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA), identified in Michigan in 2021.

Includes epidemiologic investigation and genomic analysis plus implications for IPC and antimicrobial stewardship.

#IDSky

📄: doi.org/10.1017/ice....