Infection Control Matters

In this week's episode, Martin Kiernan talks to Dr David Weber, Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics and Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina about recent papers on environmental contamination with Clostridioides difficile. We discuss antibiotics and the effect of asymptomatic carriage on risk of transmission. The papers we discuss are: Warren BG, et al. The Impact of Infection Versus Col...

In this podcast, Brett Mitchell talks to Professor Daryl Williams about respirators and facial hair. So much to learn, so much more to know. The talk was based on a paper published in Infection Disease and Health. The article link: https://www.idhjournal.com.au/article/S2468-0451(22)00003-7/fulltext Prof Daryl Williams is the Director of the Department of Anaesthesia and Pain Management. His clini...

After his excellent session atthe ECCMID meeting, Martin talks to Dr Gonzalo Bearman (Chief of Infectious Diseases at VCU Health, Editor in Chief of Antimicrobial Stewardship Healthcare Epidemiology (ASHE), footballer and drummer) about the removal of contact precautions for endemic organisms like MRSA and VRE and how evidence can change practice. Challenges of applying evidence from one setting t...

In this podcast, Brett Mitchell talks to A/Professor Stéphane Bouchoucha about a recent article exploring the role of patient service assistants in environmental cleaning. The article is published in Infection Disease and Health. https://www.idhjournal.com.au/article/S2468-0451(22)00006-2/fulltext Dr Stéphane Bouchoucha is an Associate Professor and Associate Head of School (International) in the...

In this episode recorded at the 2022 SHEA spring meeting, Martin Kiernan discussed measuring the effectiveness of cleaning with Dr Phil Carling from Boston. We also discuss how data used from environmental monitoring can be used to promote improvements in practice. Some of Phil's key papers in this area are here: Carling PC, et al. Improved cleaning of patient rooms using a new targeting method. C...

In this episode recorded at the ECCMID 2022 meeting in Lisbon, Portugal, Martin Kiernan talks to poster abstract presenter Clinical Scientist Sharon Bamber about her organisation's use of small, portable and inexpensive CO2 monitors (Airvisual Pro iQAir - other monotors are available..) that measure air quality. Through the use of these, the organisation (Wirral University Hospital Trust in the UK...

In this episode recorded at the 2022 SHEA Sprong meeting, Martin Kiernan talks to Dr Dian Baker, Emeritus Professor at California State University, Sacramento, USA. Dian has been a passionate advocate for action against healthcare-onset non-ventilator associated pneumonia (nVHAP) for over 12 years and as ever, it was a personal experience that motivated her to look into this important topic. Apart...

Martin Kiernan managaed to grab a few minutes with Dr Michael Klompas, ID Physicial at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston and Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School, at the SHEA Spring meeting. We discuss the use of N95 masks and whether in a time of Omicron increased prevalence they should be used in all healthcare settins and not just for suspected or confirmed cases of COVID. Some of D...

In this week's episode, Martin Kiernan talks to Dr Judith Tanner, Professor of Adult Nursing at the University of Nottingham, UK about a paper in which a mixed methods approach to examining potential and actual barriers to implementation of patient warming were examined. Papers discussed during the session include:   Tanner J, et al. Using a comprehensive audit to identify local context prior to c...

In this episode, Phil Russo flies solo and discusses strategies for prevention of SSI with Professor Charles Edmiston, Emeritus Professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Chuck has a longstanding interest in SSI prevention and a few of his papers are listed below. As ever, 'compliance' with interventions is a key issue. Parvizi, J., S. Barnes, N. Shohat & C. E. Edmiston, Jr. (2017...

In this episode Brett Mitchell talks to Associate Professor Holly Seale about the role of social scientists, vaccine hesitancy, booster vaccines and the potential implications for the next influenza season. Holly is an infectious disease social scientist at the School of Population Health at the University of New South Wales in Australia. She has over 15 years of experience in undertaking social s...

In this week's episode, Martin Kiernan talks to Alexandra Peters, who works in Prof. Didier Pittet's group at the University Hospitals of Geneva and with a WHO Collaborating Centre. We discuss a new systematic review that demonstrates that there is significant evidence that environmental decontamination reduces healthcare-associated infections and colonisations and also progress on a new Healthcar...

In this week's episode, Brett Mitchell and Martin Kiernan use a recent paper published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology to start a discussion about an relationship between IPC Team staffiing levels and levels of healthcare-associated infections. How are staffing levels set and is it just a number or is there more to it? The papers that we discuss are listed below. 1. Clifford RJ, New...

In this episode, Martin Kiernan talks to Professor Gonzalo Bearman, Chair, Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiologist/Medical Director of VCU Healthcare and the Richard P. Wenzel Professor of Internal Medicine at the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System (full CV here)  Following on from the increase in virtual working due to the pandemic, we discuss the potential for pro...

In this episode, Brett Mitchell and Martin Kiernan discuss methods of drying hands after hand hygiene has been performed, with a focus on hand dryers versus paper towel. Personal details about Martin's habits are disclosed as we mull this over and present some papers. Papers presented include: 1. Suen, L. K., Lung, V. Y., Boost, M. V., Au-Yeung, C. H., & Siu, G. K. (2019). Microbiological evaluati...

The WHO Global Outreach Alert and Response Network (GOARN) is the topic for this podcast. We talk with Dr Peta-Anne Zimmerman about the network, what is does and how to get involved. Dr Peta-Anne Zimmerman is Senior Lecturer and Program Advisor for the Griffith University and is Board Director of the Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control. She is also a Senior Faculty and Focal...

In this episode we return to another ICM favourite topic, healthcare-associated pneumonia that is not device-associated. Martin Kiernan talks to Dr Mark Garvey, Director of Infection Prevention and Helen Woodall, Senior Dental Nurse, both of University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust about the 'Mouth Care Matters' initiative. Education of registered nurses and healthcare assistants was a key part o...

In this podcast, Brett talks to Adjunct A/Professor Greg Whiteley about adenosine triphosphate (ATP). We chat about its use in healthcare as a way to evaluate environmental cleanliness.   Greg is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney, and is also an adjunct Fellow in the School of Medicine at Western Sydney University. Greg is also the Exe...

In this, the first episode of 2022, Martin Kiernan talks to Dr Matt Butler, Consultant Geriatrician (Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge, UK), Dr Christine Peters, Consultant Microbiologist (NHS Greater Glasgow, Scotland) and Dr Evonne Curran, now an independent IPC Consultant. We start off by discussing how Matt came to design a study that looks at the effect of air filtration on a range of infectio...

In this largely unedited Christmas special podcast, Martin, Phil and Brett reflect on podcasts undertaken in 2021 and the year that was. This podcast is a little longer as we "chinwag" about a range of different topics and issues and have a laugh along the way. We hope you enjoy.

In this week’s episode, Martin Kiernan talks to Professor Jennie Wilson of the Richard Wells Research Centre at the University of West London and current Infection Prevention Society President. We discuss her recent editorial, co-written with Associate Professor Jacqui Prieto from the University of Southampton. After 25 years of contact precautions, first introduced as putative best practice, the...

In this podcast, Phil and Brett talk to Simon Witts on a wide ranging topics related to ventilation and also touch on air scrubbers (purifiers). Simon is Director of Engineering at VA Science, with extensive experience in hospital and building ventilation design. We cover topics such as air changes, what makes a good ventilation system and hotel quarantine.  We also cover practical things like whe...

In this podcast, Phil and Brett talk to Adjunct Professor Alison McMillan on the topics of leadership and negotiation. Alison is Australia's Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer. We hear first hand experiences related to COVID and tips for building relationships and nursing leadership.   Professor (Practice) Alison McMillan PSM was appointed as Australia's Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer in Nov...

In the last ACIPC conference special podcast, Brett and Phil talk to Stephanie Curtis about wearable proximity devices for nurses and doctors - and their use for contact tracing. We also talk about other potential uses. Stephanie is an epidemiologist at the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre. She worked on the COVID-19 response in Victoria over 2020-2021 and recently completed Austr...