In this episode of The ICHE Podcast, host Dr. Dave Calfee sits down with Kavita Bhavan, MD, Sara Keller, MD, MPH, MSHP, Deborah Lockard, BSN, MPH, and Sara Szathmary, BSN, RN, CNRI to discuss their recent publications in ICHE. The authors discuss what current evidence tells us about CLABSI incidence in outpatient infusion populations, why surveillance data remain limited, and the unique challenges healthcare organizations face when trying to monitor and prevent infections outside the acute care setting. Featured ICHE papers : - Hannum S, Marsteller J, Gurses AP, … Keller SC. Reducing home infusion CLABSI through a dashboard and toolkit implementation. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2026;47(5): 433-440. -Johnson K, Alvarez KS, Jaybanks A, …Bhavan K. Rates of line associated bloodstream infections in self-administered outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy compared to standard of care: 11 years of data at a safety net hospital. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2026;47(5): 533-535 Other relevant resources: - Keller SC, Hannum SM, Weems K, et al. Implementing and validating a home-infusion central-line-associated bloodstream infection surveillance definition. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2023;44:1748–1759. - https://nhicpc.org/

In this episode of THE ICHE Podcast, host Dr. David Calfee is joined by two authors from the April 2026 issue of ICHE to discuss current infection control practices and ongoing challenges in preventing multidrug-resistant organisms and Candidozyma auris in U.S. acute care hospitals. During the conversation, Dr. KC Coffey and Dr. Sarah Sansom explain the rationale behind their studies, share key findings on current practices, and highlight the challenges hospitals face in their efforts to control transmission of these pathogens. Articles discussed: - https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/infection-control-and-hospital-epidemiology/article/current-infection-control-practices-for-multidrugresistant-organisms-mdro-a-survey-of-the-society-for-healthcare-epidemiology-of-america-shea-research-network-and-affiliated-usbased-hospitals/F6250FE7353AB4B56C4323CDC7EB7843 - https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/infection-control-and-hospital-epidemiology/article/candidozyma-auris-prevention-practices-in-the-united-states-insights-from-the-shea-research-network/681623BFF050669F472BB80F4DCB073F

In this episode of The ICHE Podcast, host Dr. David Calfee speaks with Jose Navarrete, MD. of Emory University School of Medicine and Marin Schweizer, PhD. of the University of Wisconsin about infection risks among patients receiving hemodialysis, including common pathogens and factors that increase vulnerability. They discuss their recent research and share key findings, along with practical insights on how to improve infection prevention in hemodialysis settings. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/infection-control-and-hospital-epidemiology/article/trends-of-bloodstream-infection-incidence-rates-among-patients-on-outpatient-hemodialysis-national-healthcare-safety-network-20122021/3DC9CCED04161F16F274F12919DC3F7C https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/infection-control-and-hospital-epidemiology/article/abs/survey-of-hemodialysis-patients-knowledge-of-their-infection-risk-and-acceptability-of-an-intranasal-decolonization-intervention/EA68F7DAB1D54174D633E1DE5EE38136

In this episode of The ICHE Podcast, host Dr. David Calfee speaks with Bobby Warren of Duke University Medical Center and Ibrahim Ahmed El-Imam of the University of Maryland School of Medicine about their recent publications examining sink drain contamination as a reservoir for gram-negative bacteria and other healthcare-associated pathogens. "Evaluation of hydrogen peroxide-based foam disinfection for reducing gram-negative bacterial contamination in hospital sinks": https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/infection-control-and-hospital-epidemiology/article/evaluation-of-hydrogen-peroxidebased-foam-disinfection-for-reducing-gramnegative-bacterial-contamination-in-hospital-sinks/83B2F0FFD71D28FEE9C25311F2F6D82B "Efficacy of a foamed disinfectant in reducing pathogen contamination in renovated inpatient in-room sinks: a randomized controlled trial": https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/infection-control-and-hospital-epidemiology/article/efficacy-of-a-foamed-disinfectant-in-reducing-pathogen-contamination-in-renovated-inpatient-inroom-sinks-a-randomized-controlled-trial/8BF1DC52E1B37AA2D186C41EF0EAA86C

In this episode of The ICHE Podcast, host Dr. David Calfee explores non–ventilator-associated hospital-acquired pneumonia (NV-HAP)—what it is, how common it is, and why it matters for patient outcomes. He is joined by Dr. Barbara Jones (University of Utah) and Dr. Sheryl Kluberg (Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute and Harvard Medical School) to discuss key risk factors for NV-HAP and how preventable it may be. The conversation highlights practical prevention strategies, including the role of routine oral care and patient mobility. Dr. Jones shares insights from her ICHE study evaluating the impact of an oral care initiative using electronic clinical data and diagnostic coding, while Dr. Kluberg discusses her research on the associations between oral care, in-hospital mobility, and NV-HAP. Together, they break down the study questions, methods, key findings, and real-world implications for infection prevention efforts. This episode offers a concise, evidence-based look at how everyday care practices can help reduce the burden of NV-HAP in hospitalized patients. Links: Jones, Barbara E., Alec B. Chapman, Jian Ying, McKenna R. Nevers, Shannon Munro, Michael Klompas, Amy L. Valderrama, and Daniel O. Scharfstein. “Evaluating the Impact of an Oral Care Initiative on the Risk of Non-Ventilator-Associated Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia Using Electronic Clinical Data and Diagnostic Coding Surveillance Criteria.” Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology 46, no. 12 (2025): 1190–98. https://doi.org/10.1017/ice.2025.54. Kluberg, Sheryl A., Tom Chen, Rui Wang, Robert Jin, Laura DelloStritto, Dian Baker, Karen Giuliano, et al. “Associations between Routine Oral Care and In-Hospital Mobility with Non-Ventilator Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia.” Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology 46, no. 12 (2025): 1181–89. https://doi.org/10.1017/ice.2025.10245.

In this episode of The ICHE Podcast, host Dr. David Calfee speaks with the authors of the newly released Multisociety Guidance for Infection Prevention and Control in Nursing Homes. He is joined by Dr. Lona Mody, Dr. Deborah Burdsall, Dr. Susan Huang, Dr. Robin Jump, and Dr. Rekha Murthy to discuss the development, key updates, and practical implications of this comprehensive guidance. Developed by SHEA in collaboration with APIC, IDSA, PALTmed, and the American Geriatrics Society, the guidance document updates the earlier SHEA/APIC guideline: Infection prevention and control in the long-term care facility published in July 2008. The authors walk through how the updated guidance reflects current evidence and lessons learned, offering a flexible framework to help nursing homes prevent and control infections while preserving the social, rehabilitative, and quality-of-life goals that are central to residential care. Links for this episode: - https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/infection-control-and-hospital-epidemiology/article/multisociety-guidance-for-infection-prevention-and-control-in-nursing-homes/88B28E99CD7FDB3668DDAE9C3D2184A0

Host Dr. David Calfee speaks with Dr. Westyn Branch-Elliman, Dr. Rani Elwy, and Dr. Stephanie Stroever about their recent Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology (ICHE) papers, “The life cycle of infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship projects and interventions: The dynamic interplay of implementation and de-implementation science (Part I & II).” They discuss the role of de-implementation—removing or reducing low-value practices—in improving patient safety and care quality, how it complements implementation science, and real-world examples from diagnostic and antimicrobial stewardship. -- Branch-Elliman, Westyn, David A. Chambers, Owen Albin, Lynne Batshon, Sandra Castejon-Ramirez, Vincent Chi-Chung Cheng, Nkechi Emetuche, et al. “The Life Cycle of Infection Prevention and Antimicrobial Stewardship Projects and Interventions: The Dynamic Interplay of Implementation and de-Implementation Science (Part I of II).” Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology 46, no. 10 (2025): 961–72. https://doi.org/10.1017/ice.2025.75. Branch-Elliman, Westyn, Samira Reyes Dassum, Stephanie Stroever, Owen Albin, Lynne Batshon, Sandra Castejon-Ramirez, Vincent Chi-Chung Cheng, et al. “Leveraging De-Implementation Science to Promote Infection Prevention and Stewardship: A Roadmap and Practical Examples (Part II of II).” Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology 46, no. 10 (2025): 973–83. https://doi.org/10.1017/ice.2025.76.

Long-term care facilities face unique challenges in preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and managing multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs). In this episode of The ICHE Podcast, Dr. Loren G. Miller (UCLA), Dr. Lyndsay M. O’Hara (University of Maryland School of Medicine), and Dr. Mary-Claire Roghmann (University of Maryland School of Medicine) share insights from their recent studies on decolonization and enhanced barrier precautions—two promising approaches for reducing infection risk among residents. They explore what the latest research tells us, where evidence gaps remain, and how facilities can apply practical, evidence-based interventions today to improve safety and quality of care. UCI SHIELD Nursing Home Decolonization Toolkit: https://www.ucihealth.org/healthcare-professionals/shield/nursing-home-decolonization-toolkit Enhanced barrier precautions to prevent transmission of *Staphylococcus aureus* and Carbapenem-resistant organisms in nursing home chronic ventilator units: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/infection-control-and-hospital-epidemiology/article/abs/enhanced-barrier-precautions-to-prevent-transmission-of-staphylococcus-aureus-and-carbapenemresistant-organisms-in-nursing-home-chronic-ventilator-units/43FBB459BB569B052DEDF87EA57193FB Impact of routine chlorhexidine bathing and nasal iodophor on MDRO colonization and environmental contamination in nursing homes: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/infection-control-and-hospital-epidemiology/article/abs/impact-of-routine-chlorhexidine-bathing-and-nasal-iodophor-on-mdro-colonization-and-environmental-contamination-in-nursing-homes/EE2288CCE486EB4822A545BFE6210BA5

This episode of The ICHE Podcast explores the use of virtual reality (VR) in healthcare training, with a focus on infection prevention and control. Experts examine the current state of VR adoption, its effectiveness as an educational tool, and common challenges in implementation. Dr. Aline Wolfensberger (University Hospital Zurich), Dr. Erica Shenoy (Mass General Brigham/Harvard Medical School), and Dr. Thomas Murray (Yale University School of Medicine) present findings from their recent studies, outlining the research questions they addressed, study designs, key results, limitations, and implications for practice. The discussion concludes with actionable recommendations for institutions and practitioners considering the integration of VR into infection prevention training programs.

In this episode of The ICHE Podcast, we take a deep dive into the evolving role of plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in the diagnosis of infectious diseases. Hosted by experts from UCLA Health, this discussion breaks down what cfDNA mNGS is, how it differs from more traditional pathogen detection tools like PCR, and where it fits in the diagnostic landscape. Dr. Ishminder Kaur, Dr. Daniel Uslan, and Dr. Shangxin Yang join the episode to explore the clinical utility, benefits, and pitfalls of this rapidly emerging diagnostic modality. The group reviews several individual studies, highlighting how they approached their research questions, key findings, and the implications for patient care and antimicrobial stewardship. The conversation also addresses challenges such as interpreting complex results, cost considerations, and potential overuse. Whether you’re a clinician, laboratorian, or infection preventionist, this episode provides critical insights into when and how cfDNA mNGS may enhance your diagnostic toolkit—and when it might not. Each guest closes with a practical takeaway: concrete advice for healthcare professionals who are considering incorporating cfDNA testing into their own clinical or infection control practice.