Analysis of Oregon’s Struggle with Hospital-Acquired Infections: A Gap in Meeting National Standards

In 2024, Oregon hospitals were, disappointingly, underperforming on national standards for preventing infections related to medical procedures and surgeries, as reported by the Oregon Health Authority. A concerning trend emerged as Oregon's hospitals fared worse than their national counterparts, exhibiting higher rates of surgical site infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, central line-associated infections, and infections…

January 30, 2026

Infection Prevention News

Analyzing the Rising Challenge of Hospital-Acquired Infections in Oregon

In 2024, Oregon's healthcare system faced a significant challenge. Nearly 1,000 patients acquired infections during their hospital stay, which resulted in safety standards being missed, according to a report by the Oregon Health Authority. Spanning 61 hospitals statewide, infections that developed post-surgery, through catheters, IV lines, or from drug-resistant bacteria like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA),…

January 26, 2026

Infection Prevention News

The Overlooked Basics of Infection Control: Small Changes with Big Impacts

Despite the growth and advancements in medical technology, the enduring challenge in healthcare around the world, and notably in the United States, continues to be hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). The data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gives a vivid picture of the prevalence of this issue, highlighting that on any given day, one…

December 4, 2025

Infection Prevention News

Addressing High Rates of Hospital-Acquired Infections: The Importance of Often Overlooked Basic Measures

While new technologies frequently take center stage in medical innovation news, it is essential to remind ourselves of the critical role basic safety measures play in patient care. Infection prevention experts have expressed growing concerns, suggesting that the neglect of such simple but crucial safeguards contributes to the persistently elevated rates of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs)…

December 2, 2025

Infection Prevention News

Innovative Approach to Infection Prevention: Expanding Surveillance on Vascular Access Devices

In healthcare settings, hospital-acquired infections continue to be a major area of concern, particularly those associated with vascular access devices. A noteworthy focus herein lies in bloodstream infections stemming from the use of such devices. With clinicians inserting hundreds of millions of peripheral intravenous catheters, known as PIVCs, annually; even if the risk for infection…

November 20, 2025

Infection Prevention News

Emerging Challenges in Infection Control: Multidrug Resistance, Lassa Fever, and Tuberculosis

The field of healthcare is currently facing alarming challenges on multiple fronts, with recent studies providing insight into these pressing issues. One such concern is the escalating prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens in hospital settings. A study conducted by researchers from Al-Quds University analyzed 10,007 unique bacterial samples from 13 government hospitals in the West…

November 10, 2025

Infection Prevention News

Unveiling the Prevalence and Risk Factors for P. aeruginosa Bacteraemia in Hospital Settings

P. aeruginosa, an opportunistic human pathogen, is a significant cause of hospital-acquired infections, especially in the United Kingdom and Europe. This was underscored in 2017 when the number of patients with P. aeruginosa bacteraemia, i.e., P. aeruginosa in the bloodstream, began to rise in a London teaching hospital. As a result, a case-control study was…

October 3, 2025

Infection Prevention News

Cleaning Up the Menace: Combating Hospital-acquired Infections Amidst Antibiotic Resistance

Recent investigations by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have illuminated a harsh reality about healthcare-associated infections, particularly those caused by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). Infections resulting from this antibiotic-resistant bacteria have catastrophically tripled from 2019 to 2023, having caused an estimated 1,100 fatalities. The alarming escalation is indicative of a larger, entrenched problem…

October 3, 2025

Infection Prevention News

Fending Off the Threat of Clostridium Difficile Infections: A Comprehensive Guide for Healthcare Professionals

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), colloquially known as C. diff, represents one of the primary causes of hospital-acquired infections and commonly triggers mortality among older, hospitalized adults. As elucidated by Dr. Raghavendra Tirupathi, a Medical Director at Keystone Infectious Diseases, alongside his medical student assemblage, a profound understanding of Clostridium difficile is central to infection prevention…

September 24, 2025

Infection Prevention News

Tracing the Threat: Outsmarting ICU Pathogens and Preventing Outbreaks

In an ordinary scenario at an intensive care unit (ICU), a highly unusual result threw everyone off guard. A strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, commonplace in hospital-acquired infections identified in moist areas was discovered with a peculiar twist. It carried the New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase or NDM-1 gene, an enzyme notorious for nullifying the effects of potent…

September 3, 2025

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