News & Perspective

(CIDRAP News) – Federal health officials today released a lengthy set of new guidelines for preventing bloodstream infections in patients with intravenous catheters, a problem that's estimated to cost the nation billions of dollars a year.

(CIDRAP News) – An observational survey of infection control practices in ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) in three states found that two thirds of the centers had at least one lapse and nearly 18% had three or more gaps in five reviewed areas, researchers from two federal agencies reported yesterday.

(CIDRAP News) – Reports from 17 states show that one major type of healthcare-associated infection (HAI) dropped 18% in the first half of 2009, suggesting that the healthcare system is making progress in the battle against infections in hospitals, national health officials announced today.