HealthcareMay 30, 2019

Event Sneak Peek: APIC 2019

Healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) is a top of mind worry amongst healthcare professionals and their respective facilities. Since dangerous pathogens that cause infectious diseases are transient in nature, they can often spread and adapt to different healthcare environments—making effective disinfection complex and challenging to achieve. Combatting myriad HAIs, many of which are highly resistant, requires an effort that is both committed and highly collaborative.

That’s why we mark industry events like the annual Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) conference on our calendars each year. By discussing the current challenges and trends in HAIs and disinfection practices with industry leaders, we can better understand the evolving needs of our clients across healthcare settings and continue to raise the standard for our whole room disinfection solution. As we prepare to attend APIC 2019, let’s take a closer look at some of the topics we look forward to discussing with leading infection prevention professionals from around the world.

1. CDC Updates

Several announcements and updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be shared at APIC 2019 on a broad range of topics, including top HAI outbreaks, tools and approaches for infection prevention and control (IPC), as well as outbreak plans and investigations. Within these topics, the CDC will provide in-depth regulatory opinions that are applicable both nationally and globally. Specifically, updates will include lessons learned from recent HAI outbreak responses, IPC tools for settings ranging from nursing homes to middle-income countries, and an overview of the regulatory and public health response framework needed for managing medical device investigations.

In today’s evolving landscape of increasingly resistant and formidable pathogens, these updates are vital to the worldwide effort to disinfect the many places and spaces found in healthcare environments. As a vigilant steward of the CDC’s latest updates, our Halosil team looks forward to the knowledge sharing that will take place at the conference.

2. Emerging Pathogens

In addition to the CDC’s updates, other leading professionals will present data on emerging pathogens and antimicrobial resistance. This data will include input from the CDC, World Health Organization (WHO), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on topics like the emerging trends of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) in post-acute and long-term care populations. Additional data will include the pathological progression and potential consequences of sepsis, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), and cephalosporin- and quinolone-resistant Gram-negative organisms (R-GNB), which can be deadly.

With one group of investigators presenting findings that show more than 50% of recently hospitalized patients enter community-based nursing homes colonized with an MDRO, VRE and R-GNB, this data input is critical in order to understand the pathogens and settings that whole room disinfection practices must target.

3. Outbreak Prevention & Response

Continuing the conversation, industry leaders will also analyze the most recent infectious disease outbreaks to assess and improve prevention and control tactics in the future. Highlighted outbreaks will include bloodborne pathogens (BBP), hepatitis C virus (HCV), norovirus, hepatitis A virus, Elizabethkingia anophelis, and invasive group A streptococcus (iGAS) in a multitude of healthcare settings, such as pediatric long-term acute care facilities and acute care behavioral health units.

Through an assessment of recent outbreaks and the industry’s response, our Halosil team will gain an even more robust understanding of the disinfection strategies our clients must implement in order to competently recognize and respond to pathogens in the hospital setting.

4. Protocols for Environmental Disinfection

Finally, infection prevention professionals will offer emerging protocols for proper environmental disinfection, such as IPC during infrastructure repairs, construction, and remediation. Additional topics will include interdisciplinary approaches to disinfecting healthcare environments, the importance of hand hygiene, risks for waterborne pathogen exposure, and processes needed for successful internal laundering services.

As a whole room disinfection solution registered under the EPA to kill 99.9999% of C. difficile spores, as well as a broad range of infection-causing pathogens, our Halo Disinfection System^® adheres to all applicable environmental disinfection standards while delivering the greatest value in whole room disinfection on the market today. Stop by our Booth #738 to speak with our team of infection prevention professionals and learn how our dry fogging solution can bring the highest possible efficacy to your environment.

Meet Us at Booth #738

As pathogens continue to evolve, so too must disinfection protocols, which should uphold only the highest standard in whole room disinfection. If you’re attending APIC 2019, make sure to visit us at Booth #738 to learn how our Halo Disinfection System^® delivers six-log disinfection through the dry fogging delivery of our proprietary HaloMist^® solution, representing the only disinfection standard suited for today’s ever-intensifying pathogenic landscape.

Want to schedule a meeting with us at APIC 2019? Set up a time to talk with our team.