IPC Partners

IPC Partners Journal Club – Disinfection Strategies for CPE in Hospital Water Systems Join Dr Phil Norville for a detailed summary of a recently published scoping review in the Journal of Hospital Infection, with Dr Jon Otter facilitating the Q&A. Phil shares insights from 22 studies exploring chemical, physical, and integrated approaches to tackling carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) in hospital water systems. Key discussion points include: - Why water systems and biofilms matter for infection prevention - The effectiveness and limitations of different disinfectants - Physical interventions like sink redesign, heating, and vibration - The role of staff education and proactive water safety planning - Future innovations: nanoparticles, bacteriophages, and self-disinfecting siphons 💬 Got questions? Add them in the comments! 📌 Subscribe for more IPC Partners Journal Clubs and (new for 2026!) upcoming Insight Webinars.

This IPC Journal Club session, hosted by IPC Partners in partnership with the Healthcare Infection Society (HIS), exploring the integration of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) from a global perspective. 🗓️ Recorded: 5 November 2025 ⏱️ Duration: 59 minutes 🎙️ Speakers: Dr. Jon Otter – Director of IPC, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust Dr. Phil Norville – CEO, IPC Partners Chaired by Dr. Elisabeth Ridgway – President, Healthcare Infection Society 🔍 What’s Covered: 1. Fighting AMR in Resource-Limited Settings Dr. Jon Otter presents findings from a cross-sectional study in Sierra Leone, highlighting the challenges and opportunities of integrating IPC and AMS in low-income healthcare systems. He discusses infrastructure gaps, the absence of microbiology labs, and the potential of combining IPC and AMS committees to improve outcomes. 2. Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) as a Novel Decontaminant Dr. Phil Norville introduces CAP as a promising environmental decontamination technology. He explains its broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, potential use in occupied spaces, and its role in reducing healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance. 3. Panel Discussion and Q&A The session includes a lively discussion on the feasibility of integrated IPC/AMS models, training needs, policy implications, and the future of novel technologies like CAP. Audience polls and real-world insights from different healthcare settings enrich the conversation. 📚 Related Reading: Fofanah et al. (2025). Fighting antimicrobial resistance in a resource-limited setting: an integrated approach to IPC and AMS. Journal of Hospital Infection, 161:132–134. Humphreys & Daniels (2025). Cold atmospheric plasma as an alternative decontaminant. JHI, 155:231–233. 🔗 Learn more at ipcpartners.org and his.org.uk

This Webber Teleclass, aired on 23/10/2025 and chaired by Dr Jean-Yves Maillard was an interactive discussion between Dr Curtis Donskey and Dr Jon Otter about whether current healthcare cleaning and disinfection guidelines are sufficient to prevent the transmission of pathogens that cause HCAI and spread antimicrobial resistance. It was fascinating to hear perspective from both sides of the Atlantic on these issues, with some areas of agreement and a few differences of opinion! Thanks to Webber Training for this recording to share. Enjoy!