Safe Healthcare Blog

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Dentists: Improve patient safety by optimizing antibiotic prescribing

Dr. Erinne Kennedy is smiling wearing a purple blazer and a white collared shirt underneath. The background is faded.

Dentists prescribe approximately 10% of all outpatient antibiotics in the United States.1 Many of these antibiotic prescriptions may not be needed based on existing guidelines. Studies show that patients with total joint replacement (TJR) commonly receive unnecessary antibiotic prophylaxis [PDF – 1 Page] despite clinical practice guidelines from the American Dental Association (ADA) and American Academy of Read More >

Posted on by Erinne Kennedy, DMD, MPH, MMSc3 Comments
Categories Healthcare-associated infections
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Effective diagnostic processes and patient safety means not having to ask “What if”

Col. Steven L. Coffee

“What If” I was seen, heard, and treated like a partner? Regarded as the greatest English novelist during the Victorian Era, Charles Dickens once said, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.” Those words never rang truer than Read More >

Posted on by Col. Steven L. Coffee2 Comments
Categories Patient Stories and Patient Safety
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World Sepsis Day 2024: Focus on Protecting Children from Sepsis

Nicole Gladden

For the last seven years, Get Ahead of Sepsis has encouraged patients, their loved ones, and healthcare professionals to know the risks, spot the signs and symptoms, and act fast if they suspect sepsis during Sepsis Awareness Month and year-round. Anyone can get an infection, and almost any infection can lead to sepsis. Some people Read More >

Posted on by Nicole Gladden5 Comments
Categories Healthcare-associated infections
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In case you missed it: August HICPAC Public Meeting Recap

Sydnee Byrd at the HICPAC meeting on August 22, 2024

The Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) held a public meeting August 22, 2024, in Atlanta, GA. Official meeting minutes will be available on the HICPAC website soon. Until then, here is a summary of key issues from the day’s discussion. Watch recording of the live public webcast: HICPAC Meeting – Aug. 22, 2024 Read More >

Posted on by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)3 Comments
Categories Healthcare-associated infections
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Looking Ahead: New Opportunities for Improving Sepsis Care and Outcomes

Michael Bell, MD

While our work and commitment to addressing sepsis span the entire year, Sepsis Awareness Month is when CDC and its partners put a figurative exclamation point on our sepsis activities and honor the patients and families impacted by this medical emergency and public health threat. For this Sepsis Awareness Month, CDC is highlighting what we Read More >

Posted on by Mike Bell, MD, Division Director, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion
Categories Healthcare-associated infections
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