Reports of hepatitis C infections among dialysis patients in the United States are rising, largely because of poor infection control practices, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Lapses in infection control procedures — including cleaning and disinfection, and hand hygiene — were common at the affected clinics, according to an article on the Chicago Crusader website.
Hepatitis C “transmission can be prevented when proper infection prevention and environmental disinfection practices are consistently followed,” the CDC said.
The CDC said all dialysis facilities need to continually assess and improve their infection control, hepatitis C screening practices, and cleaning and disinfection methods, whether or not infections have occurred among their patients.
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