Adult Services, Infectious Disease, Infectious Disease, Pediatric Services

Notice to providers: Avian flu 2025 (bird flu)

The following guidance to health care providers has been issued by Norton Healthcare’s infection prevention and employee health department. Current situation in Kentucky On Jan. 16, 2025, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a health advisory to encourage rapid subtyping for patients hospitalized with influenza A. The Kentucky Department for Public Health…

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Adult Services, Infectious Disease, Infectious Disease, Pediatric Services

Measles guidance for providers

The following measles guidance for providers has been issued by Norton Healthcare’s department of infection prevention and employee health. When should children receive MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine? Do we need to vaccinate children early because of measles cases in the United States? All children are recommended to get two doses of the MMR vaccine, starting with…

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Adult Services, Infectious Disease

Antimicrobial stewardship

The Norton Healthcare Antimicrobial Stewardship Program was recognized this year as the first and only antimicrobial stewardship center of excellence in the United States by the British Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. The international collaboration is part of the society’s new Global Antimicrobial Stewardship Accreditation Scheme. The accreditation process, developed by BSAC and led by experts…

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Adult Services, Infectious Disease, News, Research

Study looks at how to detect RSV in adults

Norton Infectious Diseases Institute has been selected by Pfizer as the only site in United States to study how to effectively detect respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in adults. “For the most part, RSV attention has been focused on children,” said Julio A. Ramirez, M.D., FACP, chief scientific officer, Norton Infectious Diseases Institute. “But some studies…

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Adult Services, Cancer, Infectious Disease, Womens

HPV and your lesbian patients

Lesbians may be at higher risk for HPV because of historical health care barriers that may have caused reluctance to get preventive screenings. Making matters worse, much of the discussion around sexually transmitted infections (STIs) has focused on heterosexual couples. “Providers and patients alike need to realize that the risks of sexually transmitted infections, including…

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Adult Services, Infectious Disease

CDC guidelines for sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening

The following guide for sexually transmitted infection (STI)/sexually transmitted disease (STD) screening is adapted from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Chlamydia Assigned female at birth Sexually active under 25 years of age Sexually active ages 25 years and older if at increased risk (Those who have a new sex partner, more than…

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Adult Services, COVID-19, Infectious Disease

Norton Healthcare providing Bamlanivimab for COVID-19 patients at risk of hospitalization

Norton Healthcare is making monoclonal antibody treatment Bamlanivimab available under the Food and Drug Administration’s emergency use authorization for certain patients at high risk for requiring hospitalization for COVID-19. We are fortunate to have extensive expertise in the development and utilization of monoclonal antibodies in the treatment of a wide array of diseases. Bamlanivimab is…

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Adult Services, COVID-19, Infectious Disease

All Norton Healthcare providers now can order convalescent plasma for severe or critical COVID-19 patients

Under an emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), all Norton Healthcare providers can order convalescent plasma therapy for confirmed COVID-19 hospitalized patients with severe or critical symptoms. Norton Healthcare hospitals have been providing convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19 since early April under an FDA-approved extended access program. Until recently, only a…

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Adult Services, COVID-19, Infectious Disease, News, System

Norton Healthcare to offer COVID-19 Long-term Care Clinic for patients with lasting side effects

Norton Healthcare will launch a COVID-19 Long-term Care Clinic for adult patients who continue to experience side effects after having battled the coronavirus. “Norton Healthcare has been a regional leader in caring for patients with COVID-19. From innovative treatments and clinical trials to community-based testing, we have been at the forefront of this pandemic,” said…

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COVID-19, Infectious Disease

Critically ill COVID-19 patients who received convalescent plasma leaving hospital

More than 30 critically ill COVID-19 patients at Norton Healthcare have received convalescent plasma, an experimental treatment that began in mid-April. Some are still recovering, while many patients have been able to go home. Norton Healthcare physicians have been testing the treatment for COVID-19 that has shown promise in smaller studies around the world. The…

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Infectious Disease

New algorithm available for C. difficile testing

Effective Monday, Sept. 9​, Norton Healthcare replaced the algorithm for C. difficile testing with a new approach designed to provide clinicians greater clarity regar​ding the significance of a positive result. The new algorithm will begin with a PCR test, which will determine if C. difficile organism is present. ​If that is positive, a second test…

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Infectious Disease

Sepsis information for providers

Define sepsis Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) criteria Temperature > 38.3 C (> 100.9 F) Temperature < 36.0 C (< 96.8 F) Heart rate > 90 Respiratory rate > 20 White blood cell >12,000 or < 4,000 or > 10 percent bands Sepsis is: 2 SIRS + Confirmed/suspected source of infection Severe sepsis* is: Sepsis…

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