IPC Partners

Hospital sinks and drains are increasingly recognised as important reservoirs of antimicrobial-resistant organisms and a potential source of healthcare-associated infections. In this Insight Webinar, Dr Issy Centeleghe (Monash University and Cabrini Health, Australia) provides an expert overview of the latest evidence on drain biofilms, sink-related transmission risks, and practical approaches to risk mitigation. During this webinar, Dr Centeleghe explores: • Why hospital sinks and drains create ideal environments for biofilm formation • How biofilms contribute to the persistence and spread of antimicrobial-resistant organisms • Recent research examining drain disinfection, plumbing replacement, and biofilm regrowth • The strengths and limitations of current cleaning and disinfection strategies • Emerging approaches, including UV technologies, probiotics and bacteriophages • Practical interventions to reduce transmission risk in healthcare settings • The importance of sink design, placement, staff behaviour, and multidisciplinary collaboration between IPC and estates teams The presentation is followed by an engaging Q&A session covering water-free care, probiotic approaches, behavioural factors, sink design, outbreak management, and future directions for research and practice. Speaker Dr Issy Centeleghe, Research Fellow, Monash University and Cabrini Health, Melbourne, Australia. Hosted by IPC Partners, the Healthcare Infection Society (HIS) and the Infection Prevention Society (IPS).

Despite effective warming technologies and clear guidance, perioperative hypothermia remains surprisingly common. In this IPC Partners Journal Club in partnership with Solventum, Dr Jon Otter and Dr Phil Norville discuss a multicentre study examining the prevalence of hypothermia in surgical patients despite the widespread use of active warming devices. The discussion explores: - Why more than half of patients in the study arrived in recovery hypothermic despite active warming - The link between normothermia, surgical site infection (SSI) prevention, and wider surgical outcomes - The importance of pre-warming, intraoperative warming, and effective temperature monitoring - Barriers to implementation in real-world surgical pathways - The role of human factors, culture, and behavioural change in maintaining normothermia - Opportunities for quality improvement, continuous temperature monitoring, and patient engagement The session also includes a lively discussion with attendees, covering topics such as theatre design, patient transfer pathways, climate change, staff engagement, patient education, and practical strategies to improve temperature management across the perioperative journey. Whether you work in infection prevention and control, perioperative care, anaesthesia, surgery, or quality improvement, this session highlights the challenge of translating evidence-based interventions into reliable clinical practice. 🔔 Subscribe for more IPC Partners Journal Clubs, webinars, and discussions on infection prevention, healthcare epidemiology, AMR, environmental hygiene, patient safety, and implementation science. #IPC #InfectionPrevention #PatientSafety #SurgicalSiteInfection #SSI #Normothermia #PerioperativeCare #QualityImprovement #HealthcareImprovement #Surgery #Anaesthesia #HealthcareEpidemiology

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the greatest threats facing healthcare worldwide - but what does it mean in practice for patients, healthcare systems, and infection prevention professionals? In this Insight Webinar, Dr Luke Moore (Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust) joins Dr Jon Otter and Phil Norville to explore the growing impact of AMR and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE), and to discuss the interventions available to help address this complex challenge. The webinar examines: ✅ The global burden and clinical impact of AMR and CPE ✅ Why antimicrobial resistance affects far more than infection treatment alone ✅ The relationship between AMR, healthcare delivery, and patient outcomes ✅ The role of infection prevention and control (IPC) in limiting transmission ✅ Antimicrobial stewardship and appropriate prescribing ✅ The importance of rapid diagnostics and early detection ✅ Screening strategies, isolation, and practical IPC considerations ✅ Education and communication with patients and healthcare professionals ✅ Challenges and opportunities in both high-income and low-income healthcare settings The discussion also includes an extended Q&A covering topics such as screening policies, healthcare infrastructure, contaminated water systems, diagnostic implementation, resistance mechanisms, and strategies for tackling AMR in resource-limited environments. This webinar will be of interest to infection prevention and control professionals, microbiologists, infectious diseases specialists, antimicrobial stewardship teams, healthcare scientists, nurses, pharmacists, and anyone interested in improving healthcare outcomes through better management of antimicrobial resistance. The Insight Webinar series is co-hosted by IPC Partners, the Healthcare Infection Society (HIS), and the Infection Prevention Society (IPS). 🔔 Subscribe for future IPC Partners webinars, journal clubs, and expert discussions on infection prevention, healthcare epidemiology, antimicrobial stewardship, the built environment, and patient safety. #AMR #AntimicrobialResistance #CPE #IPC #InfectionPrevention #AntimicrobialStewardship #Microbiology #HealthcareEpidemiology #PatientSafety #Diagnostics #HealthcareInfectionSociety #InfectionPreventionSociety #HealthcareQuality