Infection Control Matters12 Marras 2025

Reducing harm at the Front Line: Oral Care driving down C. difficile and Line Care - the Power of Better Data

In this episode, Martin spoke to the authors of two compelling posters showcased at the 2025 Infection Prevention Society Conference in Brighton, each discussing practical, data-driven approaches to reducing avoidable harm. Download the posters and have a listen to two authors with a passion for their projects.

First, Catherine Lemsalu, a Dental Nurse from the IPC Team at University Hospital Plymouth discusses her quality-improvement work on an acute stroke ward, demonstrating how structured mouth-care assessment, targeted staff education, and consistent daily oral care contributed to reductions in non-ventilated hospital-acquired pneumonia and Clostridioides difficile infections. Her poster highlights how simple, early interventions—done well—can strengthen antimicrobial stewardship, improve patient outcomes, and build ward-level capability through mouth-care champions.

We then explored the development of a national surveillance framework and digital tool for vascular access device–related bloodstream infections (VAD-BSI) with Sue Rowlands from The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust. Their multidisciplinary initiative has created a standardised, user-friendly approach to classifying VAD-BSI, identifying risk factors, and generating automated visual outputs that support local reporting, audit, and education. Early pilot data show strong usability, enhanced insight into bloodstream infection epidemiology, and meaningful impact on line-care practice.

Posters can be downloaded here:

Reduction of hospital-acquired pneumonia and Clostridioides difficile infections through focused line care

Developing a surveillance framework and digital tool for Vascular Access Device-Related Bloodstream Infections (VAD-BSI): improving patient safety through local data and national insight

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Highlights from ESCMID 2026: Key Papers in Infection Control

In this episode, Brett and Martin talked to Dr Nico Tom Mutters about the papers he selected in the always popular 'Year in Infection Control' session at ESCMID Global 2026. Nico is Director of the In...

20 Touko 12min

ESCMID Global 2026: What Matters for Practice

In this episode, Brett and Martin reflect on the IPC components a major conference. Recorded after our visit to ESCMID Global 2026 held in Munich, Germany in April, this episode brings together key in...

6 Touko 27min

Why Healthcare Cleaning Is Different: Reflections from Interclean 2026

In this episode, recorded live from Interclean in Amsterdam, Brett and Martin highlight the contibution of Clean Hospitals to healthcare hygiene and reflect on the contrast between healthcare cleaning...

16 Huhti 13min

Automated bloodstream infection surveillance - Measuring what matters?

How well do we really measure bloodstream infections and could it be routinely automated? In this episode, Brett and Martin look at two papers on automated hospital-onset bacteraemia (HOB) surveillanc...

1 Huhti 16min

Surfaces - High touch or high risk?

In this episode, Martin and Brett talk about what is a high risk and what is a high touch surface. Are they the same? The discussion is based on the following paper: Zheng et al (2025). “High-touch”...

18 Maalis 13min

Do we feel that we are experts? Take two

Back in July 2022 when the world was opening up again Brett, Phil and Martin were all in Melbourne and met up for a chat. The topic was 'Are we experts', however due to incompetence (Martin) the recor...

25 Helmi 19min

Resourcing of hospital infection prevention and control programs

In this podcast, Phil and Brett speak with Dr Lyn-Li Lim from VICNISS (Victorian Healthcare Associated Infection Surveillance System)in Australia. Dr Lim and colleagues recently explored the infection...

11 Helmi 24min

Hospital or Crime Scene? What Forensic Science Reveals About “Clean”

In this episode, Martin Kiernan talks to Dr Sarah Fieldhouse, Associate Professor of Forensic Science and Dr Emmanuel Babafemi, Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences both of the University of Staffor...

28 Tammi 27min