Talk Clean to Me
Surfaces, Devices, Hands and anything else we think you should know about chemical disinfectants and their effective use for infection prevention.
Physics of Flying Feces – not for faint folk!
Some of you may have heard my Webber Teleclass with the above title, or my follow up presentation "Portal of Entry: the Missing Link". Both presentations look at how we handle fecal waste in our healthcare facilities and the organisms that are harboured in the patient's feces: I focussed primarily on Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE), Clostridium difficile (CD), but this list could be expanded to include the Extended Spectrum Beta lactamase (ESBL) organisms and the Carbapenem Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). All found frequently in fresh (or foul) feces (no more alliteration, I promise!). Read more
In the air we breathe…
WARNING!!! The following may be a bit graphic. If you have a weak stomach you may want to refrain from eating while reading this blog!
Years ago, when I first started down this path of educating on the use of disinfectants for infection prevention I had lunch with a veteran ICP. We were sitting across from each other (less than 1 meter apart) over soup and salads chatting about transmission of various pathogens. Being a bit naïve, I asked her about the importance of a TB claim on products as I had received several inquiries pertaining to products that carried TB claims for use in populations with high TB prevalence. Let me tell you, I got schooled on Airborne Transmission that day!Read more
Keep your droplets to yourself!
“JOHNNY” yells his mother “How many times do I have to tell you to cover your mouth when you cough!”
“Sorry mom!” Johnny yells back….
Growing up, my mom was a nurse. My brother and I just thought her reflexive “Cover your mouth”, “Wash your hands” was the nagging rite of passage nurse-moms have over their kids. We rarely responded with a “Yes, mom!” The usual response from us would be rolling of the eyes, shrugging of the shoulders and yelling “Whatever!” As an adult, a mom and in a career related to infection prevention and control, I realize my mom’s often repeated phrases to cover our mouths and wash our hands were in fact sound guidance not just to teach us good manners, but to help prevent the transmission of disease. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2QAGVMlns4
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Talk Clean To Me….a product neutral forum
Without a doubt social media can be an effective way to reach more people with your social marketing messages. A blog or social media site such as Facebook, “Likes” or Twitter “ReTweets” and comments help to show that people are actively engaged in your content, EVEN if or when they disagree with it. The downside is of course that your messaging can fall off the tracks and be hijacked by passionate people with their own agendas and special interests. Read more
