The recent tragedies at Royal Prince Alfred (RPA) and The Children’s Hospital at Westmead (late 2025–early 2026) have sent a shockwave through the Australian healthcare sector.Four lives were lost to hospital-acquired (nosocomial) Aspergillus fungal infections. While the “trigger” is often nearby construction or redevelopment work, the delivery mechanism is almost always the same: The HVAC […]
Launch the interactive dashboard version of this articleOpen the IPC Dashboard >>AbstractThis dashboard presents a snapshot of common healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and related complications—effectively a “report card” on patient safety. Percentage changes indicate whether infection rates are improving (negative values) or worsening (positive values).Key findings include:MRSA bloodstream infections: ↓16% – a significant reduction in hard-to-treat […]
The quality of indoor air influences immune responses. Components like mould spores, pollutants, allergens, and irritants in the air can affect immune cell function, which can lead to respiratory issues, allergies, and other health issues.Those with compromised immune systems are at greater risk from poor indoor air quality, as well as people over 65 years […]
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and Infection Control (IC) is critically important in healthcare environments. Mould spores along with bacteria and other contaminants contribute to life-threatening hospital acquired infections (HAI), referred to as nosocomial infections. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has estimated that 1.7 million nosocomial infections occur each year, with nearly 100,000 associated deaths […]