Protect Your Facility from the Flu The flu season, which typically peaks in January or February, is off to an early, vicious start. The CDC is reporting that flu activity is continuing to increase across the U.S. and that most of the country is now experiencing high levels of influenza-like illness.1 The situation has gotten so severe in some areas that hospitals have been forced to go on bypass status, rerouting non-critical patients to other hospitals because their emergency rooms are at capacity with patients complaining of flu-like symptoms. Seniors are more susceptible to flu due to their weakened immune systems. Ninety percent of flu-related deaths and more than half of flu-related hospitalizations are in people age 65 years and older.2 The CDC recommends taking the following steps to help prevent flu and other respiratory infections from spreading throughout your facility3: Post signs around the facility that instruct residents and visitors to alert staff members if they have any symptoms of a respiratory infection. Ensure that hand hygiene and other necessary items are within easy reach. Place alcohol-based hand-rub dispensers in convenient locations throughout your building. Provide tissues and no-touch receptacles for disposing of used tissues. Make sure that supplies for handwashing (i.e., soap and disposable towels) are readily available at all sinks. Encourage residents, staff and visitors to perform proper respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette, including: Covering the mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing (to download a handy "Cover Your Cough" poster from the CDC, click here). Placing used tissues in the closest waste receptacle after use. Performing hand hygiene (with alcohol-based hand rub, antiseptic handwash or non-antimicrobial soap and water) after having contact with respiratory secretions or contaminated objects or surfaces. Offer masks to residents who are coughing to contain respiratory secretions. Advise your staff to observe Droplet Precautions (i.e., wearing a mask during close contact) in addition to Standard Precautions when they are with residents who have symptoms of a respiratory infection, particularly if a fever is present. The CDC also recommends the flu vaccine as the best defense against the seasonal flu. The vaccine is approved for everyone six months of age and older. Professional Medical has everything you need to develop a comprehensive flu prevention and management strategy for your facility! To learn more, give us a call at (800) 648-5190 or click the link above!

Reference 1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Situation Update: Summary of Weekly FluView. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/summary.htm. Accessed January 9, 2013. 2 Flu.gov. Seniors. Available at: http://www.flu.gov/at-risk/seniors/index.html. Accessed January 9, 2013. 3 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Respiratory Hygiene/Cough Etiquette in Healthcare Settings. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/infectioncontrol/resphygiene.htm. Accessed January 9, 2013.

Join Us for This Thursday's Perfect Survey Webinar! There's still time to join us for this Thursday's Compliance Solutions: For the Perfect Survey Every Day webinar! From 3 to 4 p.m. CST, we'll be offering a complimentary online tour of our exclusive survey preparation website. We're confident that you'll see it's a valuable tool for prepping for the both the QIS and traditional survey! During the webinar, we'll introduce you to the site's contents, including the actual forms that surveyors use, guidance broken down by F tag and care area and exclusive tips from industry veterans. We'll also show you the fresh content that was recently added to the site. This month, we'll be paying special attention to the newly updated Tube Feeding care area, which reflects recent revisions to F tag 322. Click on the link above to register for the webinar!

The Gerson® N95 Particulate Respirator meets CDC guidelines for fluid resistance and TB exposure control. It provides respiratory protection for your entire staff, including doctors, nurses and maintenance personnel. Additional features: NIOSH N95 approved particulate respirator State-of-the-art filtration media provides comfortable breathing Electrostatically charged to enhance filtration Durable double-shell construction resists crushing and provides durability in hot, humid conditions Soft, comfortable outer layer and staple-free construction

Product pricing is only visible to registered promedsupply.com customers. If you are not yet registered, give us a call at (800) 648-5190 and our Customer Care Professionals will be happy to get you set up.