Before the holiday season, The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) conducted a survey of infection preventionists in the United States. Results showed, similar to APIC’s previous survey conducted in March, that healthcare facilities across America are being forced to reuse masks, respirators and are implementing PPE crisis standards of care due a lack of supply throughout the pandemic.
The survey also showed an increase in the following healthcare-associated infections since the pandemic began last year:
- 27.8% reported increases in central line associated blood stream infections (CLABSI)
- 21.4% reported an increase in catheter associated urinary tract infections
- 17.6% reported an increase in ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAPs) or ventilator-associated events (VAEs)
Almost 80% of respondents reported being concerned about the impact of medical supply shortages in their facility during the current flu season. Another 84% reported being more concerned about supply shortages in general than compared to previous years because of the pandemic.
View APIC’s full press release here.
