American Journal of Infection Control
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American Journal of Infection Control
@ajicjournal.bsky.social
270 followers 81 following 140 posts
@APIC's scientific journal. AJIC is the foremost resource on infection control, epidemiology, infection diseases, quality management, disease prevention, and implementation science.

https://www.ajicjournal.org
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ajicjournal.bsky.social
Genomic sequencing of SNF COVID‑19 outbreaks showed multiple lineages = multiple introductions—and longer outbreaks 🧬🏥 Highlights need to prevent SARS‑CoV‑2 entry into SNFs.
🔗 www.ajicjournal.org/article/S019...

#InfectionPrevention #Genomics #COVID19
Using genomic epidemiology to infer transmission dynamics in selected skilled nursing facility COVID-19 Outbreaks—Los Angeles County, February 2023—March 2024
To evaluate mandated infection control measures to reduce SARS-CoV-2 introduction and transmission in skilled nursing facilities, we characterized outbreak duration by the number of lineages identifie...
www.ajicjournal.org
January 19, 2026 at 4:02 PM
ajicjournal.bsky.social
Standardized blood culture kits cut contamination to 0.97% in the ED 🩸✨ Powered by teamwork + peer education to improve collection practices.
🔗 www.ajicjournal.org/article/S019...
#InfectionPrevention #PatientSafety #QI
Using a standardized blood culture collection kit to reduce the rate of contamination in the emergency room
Accurate blood culture collection is essential for guiding appropriate antibiotic therapy, with contamination posing a risk to diagnostic reliability. The American Society for Microbiology recommends ...
www.ajicjournal.org
January 19, 2026 at 3:59 PM
ajicjournal.bsky.social
Nationwide SPD study found ~90% of departments reported defects in a single week 😬 Lack of certification & inconsistent checklists increased risks—some defects even reached the OR.
🔗 www.ajicjournal.org/article/S019...
#InfectionPrevention #SterileProcessing #PatientSafety
Breaking the seal: Defects in sterile processing
This study provides the first national-level data on measuring defects in sterile processing departments (SPDs). Over 90% of SPDs reported at least one defect in a single week, with higher defects in ...
www.ajicjournal.org
January 19, 2026 at 3:57 PM
ajicjournal.bsky.social
Home‑based care relies on patients & caregivers—yet IPC knowledge and practices vary widely 🏠🧼 Review shows gaps in device care, disinfection & training. More targeted education is needed.
🔗 www.ajicjournal.org/article/S019...
#InfectionPrevention #HomeCare #IPAC
Infection prevention and control knowledge, attitudes, and practices among patients and informal caregivers in home-based care: A systematic review
Infection prevention and control (IPC) remains a challenge in home-based care, a rapidly expanding care sector worldwide. Despite the central role of patients and informal caregivers, little is known ...
www.ajicjournal.org
January 19, 2026 at 3:54 PM
ajicjournal.bsky.social
A phased Candida auris screening program improved early detection and kept positivity rates low 🧫✨ Powered by strong collaboration and continuous quality improvement.
🔗 www.ajicjournal.org/article/S019...

#InfectionPrevention #CandidaAuris #IPAC
A phased approach to implementation of a Candida auris screening program in a large, acute care hospital system
A phased Candida auris screening program was implemented in a large acute care hospital system. This program used high-risk criteria as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to su...
www.ajicjournal.org
January 19, 2026 at 3:47 PM
ajicjournal.bsky.social
Closing the toilet lid helps—but widening gaps let more bioaerosols escape 🚽💨 Viruses escaped up to 57% at a 6‑mm gap, far more than bacteria. Gap height matters for sanitation and safety.
🔗 www.ajicjournal.org/article/S019...
#InfectionPrevention #Bioaerosols #EnvironmentalHygiene
Study on the air gap effect when closing toilet lid on droplet and pathogen escaping from flushing
Closing the toilet lid before flushing is widely recommended to minimize the dispersal of pathogen-laden aerosols. However, an often-overlooked issue is that aerosols can still escape through the air ...
www.ajicjournal.org
January 19, 2026 at 3:44 PM
ajicjournal.bsky.social
Smartphone wound follow‑up detected more SSIs than routine calls 📱🩹—showing mHealth can improve early reporting & treatment. Promising tool for safer postop care.
🔗 (www.ajicjournal.org/article/S019...
#InfectionPrevention #SSI #DigitalHealth
The impact of smartphone-based wound follow-up on surgical site infection detection: A quasi-experimental study
Surgical site infections (SSIs) are common postoperative complications that are frequently missed or diagnosed late due to limited follow-up. This study evaluated a smartphone-based wound follow-up sy...
www.ajicjournal.org
January 19, 2026 at 3:42 PM
ajicjournal.bsky.social
Eliminating IUSS led to major drops in hip (–76%) and knee SSIs 🏥📉 Accountability steps + enough instrument trays helped sustain zero IUSS use.

🔗 www.ajicjournal.org/article/S019...

#InfectionPrevention #SSI #Sterilization #IPAC
Reduction in immediate use steam sterilization associated with reduction in surgical site infections
Immediate use steam sterilization (IUSS) is a potential risk factor for surgical site infection (SSI). A quality improvement project to reduce IUSS was implemented at a single hospital after a regulat...
www.ajicjournal.org
January 19, 2026 at 3:38 PM
ajicjournal.bsky.social
Hydrogen peroxide wipes worked best, and polypropylene outperformed cotton 💥🧼 Quat & ethoxylated alcohol wipes left viable bacteria—leading to cross‑contamination. Material + chemistry choice matters.

🔗 ajicjournal.org/article/S0196-6553(25)00574-7/abstract

#InfectionPrevention #Disinfection #IPC
Wiping cloth material choice significantly impacts the bactericidal efficacy of select disinfectant chemistries in environmental surface decontamination
Manual surface wiping, a primary method in preventing hospital-acquired infections, varies significantly in its ability to eliminate bacteria and prevent cross-contamination.
ajicjournal.org
January 19, 2026 at 3:35 PM
ajicjournal.bsky.social
Victoria, Australia hospitals show variation in IPC staffing—driven by size, funding model & location. Some gaps match care complexity, others signal under resourcing 🏥📉 Highlights need for standardized IPC support.

🔗 www.ajicjournal.org/article/S019...

#InfectionPrevention #IPC #PublicHealth
January 19, 2026 at 3:32 PM
ajicjournal.bsky.social
Aged care staff cited knowledge & skills as IPC enablers—but environmental barriers and social pressures still hinder best practice 🏡🛡️ Study maps strategies to close evidence–practice gaps.

🔗 www.ajicjournal.org/article/S019...

#InfectionPrevention #AgedCare #IPAC
January 19, 2026 at 3:28 PM
ajicjournal.bsky.social
Aged care staff see keeping older people safe—physically and emotionally—is central to IPAC. Workforce shortages strain this work, but staff want ongoing infection prevention education for all roles 🏡🛡️
🔗 www.ajicjournal.org/article/S019...

#InfectionPrevention #AgedCare #IPAC
January 19, 2026 at 3:25 PM
ajicjournal.bsky.social
Older adults with CDI entering from SNFs had higher mortality, readmissions & costs—and 28% of hospitalized CDI patients were discharged to a SNF 💉🏥 Stronger SNF-to-hospital transitions are critical.

🔗 www.ajicjournal.org/article/S019...

#InfectionPrevention #CDI #PublicHealth
January 19, 2026 at 3:21 PM
ajicjournal.bsky.social
Outpatient safety matters: Among 4,182 investigations nationwide, 330 involved outpatient settings—most in dental, ambulatory surgery & urology. Infection control breaches were common, especially in device reprocessing.

🔗 www.ajicjournal.org/article/S019...

#InfectionPrevention #PublicHealth
January 19, 2026 at 3:17 PM
ajicjournal.bsky.social
Detroit’s teen “Vaccine Ambassadors” boosted vaccine knowledge for themselves (↑ from 57% to 78%) and for peers (↑ from 45% to 82%) 💉📚 Peer to peer education works—and builds community trust.

academic.oup.com/ofid/article...

#PublicHealth #Vaccines
January 19, 2026 at 3:13 PM
ajicjournal.bsky.social
New in AJIC: A single-site analysis found that COVID-19 vaccination reduced health care personnel absences—but only until Feb 2022, when absences began to rise among vaccinated staff as epidemiology changed.

Read: www.ajicjournal.org/article/S019...

#InfectionPrevention #COVID19 #AJIC
Effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination to prevent health care personnel absences: A single site experience
Absenteeism from infections has a significant impact on the health care workforce. We found that COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment reduced absenteeism in health care personnel until Fe...
www.ajicjournal.org
December 4, 2025 at 10:47 PM
ajicjournal.bsky.social
New in AJIC: At a large academic hospital, rhinovirus/enterovirus made up 32.5% of HA-RVIs, second only to SARS-CoV-2. Rates rose each year after 2021—especially in pediatric units—pointing to possible gaps in testing, policy, or visitor practices.

Read: www.ajicjournal.org/article/S019...
Trends in rhinovirus/enterovirus health care-associated infections at a large academic hospital from July 2018 to June 2024
This report identifies rhinovirus/enterovirus as the second most prevalent cause of health care-associated respiratory viral infections (HA-RVIs) at a large academic hospital with > 950 inpatient beds...
www.ajicjournal.org
December 4, 2025 at 10:44 PM
ajicjournal.bsky.social
New in AJIC: A national survey of 2,084 medical personnel in China found moderate hospital resilience during emerging infectious disease surges.

Read: www.ajicjournal.org/article/S019...

#InfectionPrevention #EmergencyPreparedness #AJIC
Assessment of hospital resilience in response to medical surges during major emerging infectious diseases: A cross-sectional study from China
This study aimed to systematically assess hospital resilience of China and identify critical contributing elements using a score-based evaluation and network analysis approach.
www.ajicjournal.org
December 4, 2025 at 10:43 PM
ajicjournal.bsky.social
New in AJIC: Video review of pediatric trauma resuscitations found frequent PPE lapses, early mask nonadherence, and low correction rates. Many lapses occurred among non-clinical observers, emphasizing need to streamline access and reinforce PPE policies.
Read: www.ajicjournal.org/article/S019...
Timing and type of personal protective equipment adherence lapses in pediatric trauma resuscitation: A retrospective video study
Although personal protective equipment (PPE) reduces the transmission of infectious diseases, adherence among health care providers remains inconsistent. Developing strategies to improve PPE use requi...
www.ajicjournal.org
December 4, 2025 at 10:41 PM
ajicjournal.bsky.social
New in AJIC: A comparative study found that AISI, SII, and SIRI—simple, low-cost inflammatory indices—can help predict CLABSI within 2 days of central line insertion.

Read: www.ajicjournal.org/article/S019...
#InfectionPrevention #CLABSI #AJIC
Early screening of central line-associated bloodstream infections: A novel comparative analysis of AISI, SII, and SIRI as predictive biomarkers
Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) are a significant cause of morbidity and early detection remains a challenge. This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of inflammatory...
www.ajicjournal.org
December 4, 2025 at 10:31 PM
ajicjournal.bsky.social
New in AJIC: A multi-institutional benchmarking project (22 systems, 32M+ encounters) found that while benchmarking didn’t reduce overall pediatric ARI antibiotic prescribing, it improved prescribing quality.

Read: www.ajicjournal.org/article/S019...

#AntimicrobialStewardship #Pediatrics #AJIC
Identifying successful pediatric outpatient antimicrobial stewardship strategies through benchmarking: A multi-institutional project
We evaluated the impact of benchmarking on antibiotic prescribing and identified antibiotic stewardship strategies affecting pediatric outpatient antibiotic prescribing.
www.ajicjournal.org
December 4, 2025 at 10:27 PM
ajicjournal.bsky.social
New in AJIC: Nationwide data from South Korea (2018–2023) show a sharp drop in antibiotic prescriptions at the start of the pandemic, followed by a gradual rebound during the endemic period.

Read: www.ajicjournal.org/article/S019...

#AntimicrobialStewardship #InfectionPrevention
Changes in antimicrobial prescriptions in South Korea during and beyond the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: An interrupted time-series analysis
Although the coronavirus pandemic significantly affected antibiotic use, studies on the long-term effects of the pandemic on antibiotic use are lacking. We aimed to investigate the changes in antibiot...
www.ajicjournal.org
December 4, 2025 at 10:16 PM
ajicjournal.bsky.social
New in AJIC: A study of 677 Ohio nursing homes found that allowing outside visitors did not increase COVID-19 infections among residents—even during high community transmission and before vaccines.

Read: www.ajicjournal.org/article/S019...

#InfectionPrevention #LongTermCare #COVID19 #AJIC
Nursing home visitor policy and COVID-19 infection rates
During the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Ohio was the only state that collected facility-level visitation data after rescinding its ban on visitors. This study examines the association...
www.ajicjournal.org
December 4, 2025 at 9:55 PM
ajicjournal.bsky.social
New in AJIC: Researchers developed and validated the Operating Room Ventilation System Assessment (ORVSA) tool—a 7-domain, 44-item checklist to evaluate OR ventilation systems and support SSI prevention.

Read the full article: www.ajicjournal.org/article/S019...
Development and validation of an Operating Room Ventilation System Assessment (ORVSA) tool: A comprehensive checklist for surgical site infection prevention
Surgical site infections (SSIs) can lead to increased mortality rates, extended hospital stays, and higher health care costs. Application of an effective operating room (OR) ventilation system is a cr...
www.ajicjournal.org
December 4, 2025 at 9:53 PM
ajicjournal.bsky.social
New in AJIC (Open Access): A qualitative study exploring how skilled nursing facility staff clean mobile medical equipment—and how gaps in time, training, and clarity of responsibility contribute to MDRO risk

Read: www.ajicjournal.org/article/S019...
#InfectionPrevention #MDRO #LongTermCare #AJIC
A qualitative study of health care professionals’ attitudes and practices of mobile equipment cleaning
Skilled nursing facilities report a high prevalence of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) among their vulnerable patient population. While research has identified fomite-mediated transmission such ...
www.ajicjournal.org
December 4, 2025 at 9:51 PM