Safe Healthcare Blog

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My Daughter Died from Sepsis–Public Awareness is Critical

Allison, Daniel, and Clover Harrold

When our 9-month-old daughter, Clover, got sick with a fever in 2017, sepsis did not even cross our minds. Clover was a healthy baby and in daycare since she was 8 weeks old. When in daycare, a fever becomes a normal occurrence for children. We were told babies were little “germ factories,” and that seemed Read More >

Posted on by Allison HarroldLeave a comment
Categories Healthcare-associated infections, Sepsis

I Want My Sepsis Experience to Help Save Lives

Katy Grainger, Sepsis Alliance Board of Directors

In 2018, I got a small infection on my thumb that looked unusual, so I visited an emergency room. All my vital signs were strong at the time, and there was no indication that the infection had progressed or that my body had developed sepsis. Over the next 36 hours, I developed several of the Read More >

Posted on by Katy Grainger, Sepsis Survivor, double amputee, patient advocate and member of Sepsis Alliance Board of Directors12 Comments
Categories Healthcare-associated infections, Infection Control and Prevention, Patient Stories and Patient Safety, Sepsis
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One Pill Can Kill

Our daughter, Maisie, died after ingesting a methadone pill at a neighbor’s house that was on the floor. Six adults, three of them doctors, were with her the entire evening. Still, the small white pill found her hand, and then, as a nine-month-old baby would do, found her mouth. After putting Maisie to bed during Read More >

Posted on by Adam and MaryBeth Gillan, Maisie’s parents1 Comment
Categories Medication Safety, Patient Stories and Patient Safety
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Reminder: Infection Control Actions to Take During Respiratory Virus Season

Last year’s considerable respiratory virus season saw spread of COVID-19, flu, and RSV, which led to extra stress on an already overwhelmed healthcare system. When respiratory viruses are spreading in the community, the risk for spread in healthcare settings increases as well. Remember: Regardless of your healthcare setting or which respiratory viruses are spreading in Read More >

Posted on by Mike Bell, MDLeave a comment
Categories Infection Control and Prevention
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New Africa CDC Legal Framework Helps Promote Infection Prevention and Control

Jay K. Varma, MD & Yewande Alimi, DVM, MPH

The authors of this post co-led the development of the Africa CDC Legal Framework for Infection Prevention and Control.  When we first began developing a strategy for Africa CDC to combat antimicrobial-resistant infections in Africa, we kept hearing the same message from people working in hospitals or in governments: no one gives us the authority Read More >

Posted on by Jay K. Varma, MD and Yewande Alimi, DVM, MPH
Categories Advancing Global Healthcare Safety, Healthcare-associated infections, Infection Control and Prevention