SHEA's 18th Annual Scientific Meeting was held from April 5-8, 2008 in Orlando, FL at the Buena Vista Palace.  Session recordings are available for purchase.

Click here to learn more about our annual meetings. SHEA 2008 abstracts are now online.

Continuing Education Credit for Nurses (under the same heading on the page; please also download a certificate of attendance)

Online CME

The Spring 2008 SHEA/CDC Training Course will be held from April 26-29 at the Westin Arlington Gateway in Arlington, VA. Brochure; Registration Form.

Check the SHEA/CDC Training Course page for more information on the course and scholarships.

Spring 2008 attendees only: Online Evaluation Form

SHEA sponsored free CME offering

This educational initiative outlines the state-of-the-art in antimicrobial stewardship and infection control strategies that can be integrated into everyday practice. It is intended for infectious disease specialists, critical care physicians, primary care physicians, internists, and other specialties involved in the treatment of patients at risk for HAIs.

This activity focuses on: recent evidence regarding the prevention and control of HAIs, the use of active surveillance culturing to prevent and control MRSA and other resistant organisms, infection prevention with infected or colonized healthcare workers, the role of antimicrobial use, antimicrobial stewardship programs, key components of clinical practice guidelines, bundling changes for improvement in infection control practices and outcomes, the application of these concepts to the control of MRSA and C. diff transmission.

BBC - A UK hospital trust has claimed to have eliminated MRSA bloodstream infections by stopping the routine practice of administering intravenous injections. Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust has instead begun prescribing the insertion of cannulae - a small tube used for giving intravenous fluids. Doctors are able to monitor the tubes more closely for signs of infection. The trust said since the introduction last November there have been no new cases of MRSA infections. This figure covers all forms of MRSA, including bloodstream infections (also known as bacteraemia) and wound infections. article

Avalere - HHS will continue its value-based healthcare campaign during the remainder of the current Bush Administration, said Secretary Leavitt at a recent World Health Care Congress. The Secretary highlighted the need for standardized quality measures and urged the endorsement of a common set of measures. In an effort to accelerate this standardization, HHS plans to inventory, harmonize, and then publish all healthcare quality standards used across its agencies. Leavitt also described a new Medicare demonstration project led by CMS that will bundle payments for hospital-based episodes of care and invite hospitals to bid competitively on these episodes. Subsequent cost savings will be shared with beneficiaries who choose hospitals providing low-cost services to Medicare. article

IDSA News - Penicillin, one of the safest and most effective drugs for the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, is back in the armamentarium following action by FDA and pressure from IDSA and several key members. FDA has raised the concentration at which S. pneumoniae is considered susceptible to penicillin, according to an amended package insert for Baxter Healthcare Corporation’s penicillin G approved by FDA and obtained by IDSA. The breakpoint changes are: Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) (mcg/mL) Susceptible (S) Intermediate (I) Resistant (R) Updated ≤2 4 ≥8 Previous ≤0.06 0.12-1.0 ≥2 The susceptible breakpoint for meningitis caused by S. pneumoniae remains unchanged (0.06 mcg/mL). The package insert is available online from FDA’s website. article