- Standardization of Color Change Interpretation for Sterilization Chemical Indicators: A Multicenter Analysis Aligned with International Safety Color Standards. [Journal Article]Am J Infect Control. 2026 Aug 17. [Online ahead of print]AJ
- CONCLUSIONS: The current lack of cross‑manufacturer harmonization in CI color‑change schemes leads to confusion and misinterpretation risks among clinical staff. A unified, intuitive color‑change standard, preferably based on an international safety color system, is urgently needed to improve the accuracy and practicality of sterile package assessment, thereby ensuring patient safety and reducing clinical risks.
- Publisher Full Text (DOI)
- Risk Factors Associated with Surgical Site Infections Following Hip Arthroplasty Among Patients Served by a Large Safety Net Hospital System. [Journal Article]Am J Infect Control. 2026 Aug 17. [Online ahead of print]AJ
- CONCLUSIONS: Our report demonstrated the association of poverty level with SSIs following hip arthroplasty. This underscores the need for comprehensive and aggressive post-discharge programs in under resourced communities in the prevention of SSI following hip arthroplasty.
- Publisher Full Text (DOI)
- Protective performance of medical fabrics used in protective clothing and masks against viral particles smaller than severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. [Journal Article]Am J Infect Control. 2026 Aug 13. [Online ahead of print]AJ
- CONCLUSIONS: Our findings may serve to inform optimal PPE selection by healthcare workers.
- Publisher Full Text (DOI)
- Towards Early Detection: Expanding Screening Protocols for HCIDs. [Journal Article]Am J Infect Control. 2026 Aug 12. [Online ahead of print]AJ
- This pilot study evaluates the implementation of a High Consequence Infectious Disease (HCID) screening process using the "identify, isolate, and inform" (III) framework across three emergency departments in Minnesota. The study compares adherence rates from a COVID-19-specific screening baseline to broader, disease-nonspecific screenings. Findings indicate stable adherence rates, suggesting that…
- Publisher Full Text (DOI)
- Needlestick and Sharps Injuries Among Healthcare Workers: An 8-Year Infection Control Perspective on Preventable Occupational Exposure. [Journal Article]Am J Infect Control. 2026 Aug 12. [Online ahead of print]AJ
- CONCLUSIONS: Mechanism-based classification identified a substantial proportion of preventable NSIs, suggesting that a considerable fraction of occupational exposures may be reduced through targeted infection control interventions. These findings highlight the importance of focusing on modifiable procedural and waste-management-related factors to improve healthcare worker safety.
- Publisher Full Text (DOI)
- Characterizing Measles IgG-related Seroprevalence in the US Veteran Population during the 2025 West Texas outbreak. [Journal Article]Am J Infect Control. 2026 Aug 11. [Online ahead of print]AJ
- CONCLUSIONS: As measles reemerges, certain populations were identified that may be at higher risk of infection and transmission, particularly those with immune compromise.
- Publisher Full Text (DOI)
- ORAL COLONIZATION BY HOSPITAL-ASSOCIATED BACTERIAL PATHOGENS AMONG INTENSIVE CARE UNIT PATIENTS: ASSOCIATION WITH VENTILATORY SUPPORT. [Journal Article]Am J Infect Control. 2026 Aug 11. [Online ahead of print]AJ
- CONCLUSIONS: Oral colonization by hospital-associated bacterial pathogens was highly prevalent and more frequent with increasing invasiveness of ventilatory support. Tracheostomy was independently associated with colonization, supporting systematic oral assessment and evidence-based oral healthcare within multidisciplinary ICU infection prevention strategies.
- Publisher Full Text (DOI)
- Impact of Electronic Stewardship Interventions on Antibiotic Prescribing for Asymptomatic Bacteriuria: A Multicenter Observational Study. [Journal Article]Am J Infect Control. 2026 Aug 08. [Online ahead of print]AJ
- CONCLUSIONS: Electronic stewardship interventions reduced unnecessary antibiotic treatment of ASB. Active alerts at the time of urine culture ordering were more effective than passive reminders introduced later in care. Interventions that require immediate action appeared to be more effective than passive reminders.
- Publisher Full Text (DOI)
- Diagnostic Architecture of Healthcare-Associated Infection Surveillance Definitions: A Comparative Methodological Analysis of International Surveillance Frameworks. [Journal Article]Am J Infect Control. 2026 Aug 07. [Online ahead of print]AJ
- CONCLUSIONS: Structural variation in HAI surveillance definitions should be considered when comparing infection indicators, implementing automated surveillance systems, or adapting surveillance frameworks across healthcare settings.
- Publisher Full Text (DOI)
- The visibility window of point-prevalence surveys: interpreting prolonged surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis indicators. [Journal Article]Am J Infect Control. 2026 Aug 06. [Online ahead of print]AJ
- Point-prevalence surveys (PPSs) support antimicrobial stewardship, but surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis (SAP) estimates may be shaped by visibility windows. Using PPS and prospective surgical site infection surveillance (SNICh) data, we compared crude procedure-level, visibility-weighted PPS-like, and PPS-observed estimates of prolonged SAP. The crude SNICh estimate was 12.44%, increasing to 40…
- Publisher Full Text (DOI)
- Emerging infectious diseases (Mpox, Nipah, and Andes): A narrative review of transmission, environmental survival, and disinfection. [Review]Am J Infect Control. 2026 Sep; 54(9S):S88-S100.AJ
- CONCLUSIONS: Rapid identification of patients with known or suspected infections of these emerging viruses coupled with adherence to infection prevention recommendations will prevent healthcare-associated transmission.
- Publisher Full Text (DOI)
- Disinfection and sterilization: Current issues, new research, and new technology. [Review]Am J Infect Control. 2026 Sep; 54(9S):S79-S87.AJ
- CONCLUSIONS: In general, these advancements via guidelines, research, and technology, which guide appropriate use of disinfectants and sterilization technologies and offer promising solutions to minimize patient risk by increasing the margin of safety with medical device reprocessing and surface decontamination by automation, sterilization, or environmental control.
- Publisher Full Text (DOI)
- Effectiveness of endoscope processing: An update. [Review]Am J Infect Control. 2026 Sep; 54(9S):S70-S78.AJ
- CONCLUSIONS: To improve processing outcomes and reduce the risk of patient exposures and infections, routine audits and quality assurance steps including cleaning verification tests and visual inspection, are needed. Sterilization may offer a greater margin-of-safety than high-level disinfection because it is capable of a larger reduction in microbial load, utilizes automated systems, has embedded quality indicators, and provides an endoscope that is packaged and protected from contamination.
- Publisher Full Text (DOI)
- Monitoring and improving the effectiveness of cleaning medical and surgical devices: A practical verification framework. [Review]Am J Infect Control. 2026 Sep; 54(9S):S66-S69.AJ
- CONCLUSIONS: A structured monitoring strategy paired with competency assessment, equipment monitoring, and data-driven quality improvement reduces reliance on assumption and strengthens defensible practice. Infection preventionists are essential bridges between clinical and technical departments, integrating data into quality management systems to improve cleaning reliability and patient safety.
- Publisher Full Text (DOI)
- Microbial assessment of recontamination with multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter in patient room environment in a burn unit. [Journal Article]Am J Infect Control. 2026 Sep; 54(9S):S63-S65.AJ
- CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that recontamination with Acinetobacter occurred rapidly at environmental sites in burn units even after cleaning/disinfection and underscored the need for enhanced environmental cleaning, including continuous disinfection methods, to prevent transmission of health care-associated pathogens.
- Publisher Full Text (DOI)