Becker's Clinical Quality & Infection Control

8 INFECTION CONTROL & PATIENT SAFETY Flu-Related Hospitalizations Reach 10-Year High: 4 Things to Know By Brian Zimmerman T he number of Americans hospital- ized for influenza has increased to the highest levels in nearly 10 years, according to the CDC's Feb. 2 flu update. During the week ending Jan. 27, the num- ber of people in hospitals with flu-like illness increased from 6.6 percent to 7.1 percent, the third-highest rate of flu-re- lated hospitalizations recorded in the last 15 years, according to CDC officials. The hospitalization rate peaked at 7.8 percent during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic and 7.6 percent during the 2003-04 flu season. "In the past week, we have seen increased influenza-like illness activity, more hospi- talizations, and tragically, more flu-asso- ciated deaths in children and adults," said Anne Schuchat, MD, acting CDC director. "We also continue to hear reports of crowded hospitals and spot shortages of antiviral medications and rapid influenza tests. Unfortunately, our latest tracking data indicate that the flu activity is still high and widespread across most of the nation, and increasing overall." Here are four more flu insights to know. 1. The most frequently identified virus type in positive specimens continued to be influenza A, with a majority of these cases — 89 percent — attributable to the H3N2 strain. This strain is associated with more severe illnesses in the elderly and young children. In total, the CDC has identified 102,364 positive influenza A and B specimens for the 2017-18 flu season. 2. The CDC reported 16 new pediatric flu deaths Feb. 2, which brings the pediatric death count to 53 for the current season. This death count is expected to rise as flu season continues. "e last time that we had this many per week was in 2014-15," said Dan Jernigan, MD, director of the influenza division in the CDC's National Center for Immuni- zation. "For this season, only around 20 percent of these pediatric deaths had been vaccinated and half of these children were otherwise healthy." 3. Forty-eight U.S. states and Puerto Rico reported widespread flu activity for the week ending Jan. 27. Guam and Oregon reported regional flu activity; Washington, D.C., and Hawaii reported local influenza; and the U.S. Virgin Islands reported spo- radic activity for the week. 4. e overall hospitalization rate was 51.4 per 100,000 population for the week ending Jan. 27. e CDC tallied 14,676 laborato- ry-confirmed flu-associated hospitalizations from Oct. 1 through Jan. 27. n Aspen Valley Hospital Suspends Elective Surgeries Over Sterilization Issues By Alia Paavola A spen (Colo.) Valley Hospital suspended elective surgeries Jan. 25 due to problems with the facility's sterilization process, reported The Aspen Times. Hospital workers noticed extra moisture in surgical packs, which prompted sterilization concerns. The problem was attributed to a mechanical issue with the hospital's steam ster- ilization process. Out of an abundance of caution, the hospital suspended elective surgeries until the issue was resolved. The hospital still conducted emergent surgeries with a small supply of untainted surgical packs. "We have very tight monitoring in place for moisture con- tent, and if it is slightly elevated, we can't have moisture in a sterilized pack," Aspen Valley CEO David Ressler told The Aspen Times. "We immediately suspended any surgeries using those packs. We couldn't put them into our inventory, and we decided to suspend surgeries in general." The hospital resolved the steam sterilization issue and received clearance to resume all surgeries Feb. 1. n 135 Surgical Patients Exposed to Unsterile Equipment at Missouri Hospital By Mackenzie Bean F ort Leonard Wood, Mo.-based General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital on Feb. 5 con- firmed 135 patients were treated with laparoscopy equipment that was not properly sterilized. Patients who underwent gynecological or general sur- gery at the hospital from Aug. 1, 2017, to Jan. 26, 2018, may be at risk for infection. "While the risk of infection is extremely low, we regret that we may cause our patients any concern," said Colonel Christian Meko, GLWACH's commander. "The safety of our patients is always at the forefront of everything we do." The hospital is working with Army headquarters and The Joint Commission to ensure proper sterilization processes, and retrained staff members on how to de- contaminate instruments per manufacturers' guidelines, according to Mr. Meko. n

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