Infection Control Matters
We are a group of professionals who work in the field of infectious disease and infection prevention and control. In this podcast series, we discuss new research and issues on the topic of infection prevention and control. We will pick new papers of interest and will discuss them, often with an author of the paper who can give us some insights into the research that go beyond the written paper. Authors will include nurses, doctors, academics, clinicians, administrators and leaders. We should stress that all of our comments relate to our own opinions and that they do not necessarily reflect those institutions and employers that we relate to. We welcome comment, suggestions and ideas. Please consider subscribing for updates and to find collections of topic specific podcasts at www.infectioncontrolmatters.com
Episodes

4 days ago
4 days ago
In this episode, we explore the crucial disconnect between national infection prevention and control (IPC) guidelines and the local policies implemented in residential aged care (RAC) facilities. Brett and Martin talk to Dr Sanne Peters and Dr Kirsty Buising about their recent paper that reports on their recent analysis using the AACTT (Action, Actor, Context, Target, Time) behavioural framework, which reveals a lack of alignment and specificity in many local IPC documents.
We discuss:
Why well-intentioned policies often fail to drive behaviour
The implications of vague IPC statements in high-risk environments
How local RAC settings can better translate national guidelines into actionable, behaviourally specific practices
The role of co-design, leadership, and implementation science in bridging the gap
The paper we discuss:
Peters S, Lim LL, Francis JJ, Bennett N, Fetherstonhaugh D, Buising K, et al. Analysis of infection prevention and control documentation in residential aged care based on a behaviour specification framework. Infect Dis Health 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.idh.2025.03.002.

Wednesday Apr 30, 2025
Wednesday Apr 30, 2025
In this episode Martin talks to Dr Andy Borman, (Acting Head and Consultant Clinical Scientist, UKHSA National UK Mycology Reference Lab. also Hon Professor of Medical Mycology, MRC CMM, University of Exeter), Dr Colin Brown (Deputy Director of Emerging and Epidemic Infections at UK Health Security Agency; Honorary Consultant in Infectious Diseases & Medical Microbiology at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust) and Dr Mariyam Mirfenderesky (Consultant in Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases North Middlesex and RF (AMS Lead) and UKHSA on HCAI). The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is the national organisation in the United Kingdom responsible for protecting public health by preventing, detecting, and responding to infectious diseases and other health threats.
We chat about how Candidozyma auris (formerly known as Candida auris) is identified in the lab, why it matters clinically, and what it means for infection prevention and control teams. From early lab detection to real-world frontline challenges, we discuss the key issues around this emerging pathogen — and what we need to do next.
UK C. auris guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/candida-auris-laboratory-investigation-management-and-infection-prevention-and-control

Wednesday Apr 16, 2025
Wednesday Apr 16, 2025
In this episode of Infection Control Matters, we explore the potential of AI tools to support education and professional dialogue in infection prevention and control.
We used NotebookLM, an experimental tool from Google designed to help users interact with their documents in new ways—summarising, clarifying, and even generating structured discussions based on uploaded content. Using research and guidance documents, we demonstrate how NotebookLM can be used to create a voice-generated conversation on key themes in IPC.
The paper that we uploaded was the recently published cost-effectiveness research that relates to the CLEEN study that we have previously highlihghted. A link to the open access paper can be found below.
The main part of this podcast was a dialogue created by NotebookLM following the upload of the paper. None of the voices are human (apart from Martin at the beginning and Brett at the end).
This episode offers a glimpse into how AI might be used to support reflection, training, and knowledge sharing across the healthcare community... but with caveats!
The paper we discuss can be found here:
Brain D, Sivapragasam N, Browne K, White NM, Russo PL, Cheng AC, et al. Economic Evaluation of Enhanced Cleaning and Disinfection of Shared Medical Equipment. JAMA Netw Open 2025;8(4):e258565. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.8565
NotebookLM: https://notebooklm.google/

Wednesday Apr 02, 2025
Wednesday Apr 02, 2025
In this episode of Infection Control Matters, Martin Kiernan speaks with Dr. Nicole Stoesser about a large-scale, multi-centre study exploring the role of hospital sink infrastructure in antimicrobial resistance and pathogen dissemination. Representing the collaborative NITCAR-led "Sinkbug Consortium" we discuss surprising findings from 29 UK hospitals—including widespread antibiotic residues in sink traps—and reflect on the implications for sink design, waste disposal practices, and infection prevention strategies
The paper we discuss is here:
Rodger G, Chau K, Aranega Bou P, Moore G, Roohi A, The SinkBug Consortium, et al. Survey of healthcare-associated sink infrastructure, and sink trap antibiotic residues and biochemistry, in 29 UK hospitals. J Hosp Infect 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2025.02.002.
Information on Nitcar: https://nitcollaborative.org.uk/wp/
Other papers of interest:
Aranega-Bou P, George RP, Verlander NQ, Paton S, Bennett A, Moore G, et al. Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae dispersal from sinks is linked to drain position and drainage rates in a laboratory model system. J Hosp Infect 2019;102(1):63-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2018.12.007
Grabowski M, Lobo JM, Gunnell B, Enfield K, Carpenter R, Barnes L, et al. Characterizations of handwashing sink activities in a single hospital medical intensive care unit. J Hosp Infect 2018;100(3):e115-e22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2018.04.025

Wednesday Mar 19, 2025
Wednesday Mar 19, 2025
In this episode, Brett and Martin chat with Dr. Jessica Schults and Dr. Sally Havers about a recent study published in the American Journal of Infection Control. The study used a modified Delphi process to identify key healthcare infection surveillance priorities in Queensland.
Through a two-round methodology, infection prevention experts identified 13 key infection measures for a standardized minimum dataset. This dataset aims to improve statewide HAI surveillance, enhance data consistency, and support targeted infection prevention efforts. The findings offer a model that could inform broader national and international surveillance strategies.
The in-press paper is currently available here
Schults JA, Havers S, Henderson B, Healy S, Runnegar N, Hurst T, et al. Expert consensus and recommendations for Healthcare-Associated Infection surveillance in Queensland, Australia: A modified Delphi study. Am J Infect Control 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2025.02.012.

Wednesday Mar 05, 2025
Wednesday Mar 05, 2025
In this episode, Phil and Martin talk to Dr Aline Wolfensberger, Senior Attending Physician, Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology at University Hospital Zurich and a Senior Researcher at the Institute for Implementation Science in Health Care at the Univetsity of Zurich. We discuss a recent paper that has analysed a range of algorithms for detecting non-ventilator associated pneumonia (nvHAP) that have the potential for significantly reducing the surveillance burden. This work also demonstrated the value of an annual local hospital-wide point prevalence survey that provides data on which areas to target.
Relevant reading:
[1] Mueller A, Pfister M, Faes Hesse M, Zingg W, Wolfensberger A, Swissnoso G. Development and validation of selection algorithms for a non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia semi-automated surveillance system. Clin Microbiol Infect 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmi.2024.11.032 [2] Wolfensberger A, Scherrer AU, Sax H. Automated surveillance of non-ventilator-associated hospital-acquired pneumonia (nvHAP): a systematic literature review. Antimicrob Resist Infect Control 2024;13(1):30. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13756-024-01375-8 [3] Wolfensberger A, Jakob W, Faes Hesse M, Kuster SP, Meier AH, Schreiber PW, et al. Development and validation of a semi-automated surveillance system-lowering the fruit for non-ventilator-associated hospital-acquired pneumonia (nvHAP) prevention. Clin Microbiol Infect 2019;25(11):1428 e7- e13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmi.2019.03.019

Wednesday Feb 19, 2025
Wednesday Feb 19, 2025
In this episode Martin Talks to Silvana Gastaldi who is a infection prevention and control health referent at UK-MED (a frontline humanitarian medical NGO). We discuss her revent paper in the Journal of Hospital Infection that reviews the literature on methods of assessing how effective environmental cleaning services and procedures are, including ATP, fluorescent UV marking, visual and microbiological methods and also discuss the potential for AI to assist in the healthcare environmental decontamination arena.
The paper we discuss:
Gastaldi S, Accorgi D, D'Ancona F. Tools and strategies for monitoring hospital environmental hygiene services. J Hosp Infect 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2025.01.011
To listen to a previous podcast in which Dr Phil Carling, developer of the UV marking systems talks about it's development and initial use please click here
Podcast website and collections: www.infectioncontrolmatters.com

Wednesday Feb 05, 2025
Wednesday Feb 05, 2025
In this episode, Phil Russo talks to Brett Mitchell and Kate Browne about a study that did not make it over the line. Following a systematic review in 2021 that examined the issue of UTIs in those who self catheterise, a study to examine whether previous work demonstrating a reduction in CAUTI in indwelling catheters through the use of Chlorhexidine for meatal cleansing would be effective was designed. The team discuss the complexities of getting what was essentially a community-based study over the line and why ultimately it did not progress, much to the sadness of the team. previous relevant work is listed below.
Mitchell BG, Prael G, Curryer C, Russo PL, Fasugba O, Lowthian J, et al. The frequency of urinary tract infections and the value of antiseptics in community-dwelling people who undertake intermittent urinary catheterization: A systematic review. Am J Infect Control 2021;49(8):1058-65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2021.01.009.
Fasugba O, Cheng AC, Gregory V, Graves N, Koerner J, Collignon P, et al. Chlorhexidine for meatal cleaning in reducing catheter-associated urinary tract infections: a multicentre stepped-wedge randomised controlled trial. Lancet Infect Dis 2019;19(6):611-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(18)30736-9.

Wednesday Jan 22, 2025
Wednesday Jan 22, 2025
In this episode Brett and Phil chat about a few of the posters presented at the Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control 2024 Conference held in Melbourne in November 2024. Poster topics include hand hygiene, surveillance, and a pilot RCT on chlorhexidine impregnated dressings.
You can access poster abstracts below and a pdf of the posters here
Improving Hand Hygiene Practices in the Marshall Islands
Epidemiology of Hospital-acquired Bloodstream Infections at a Quaternary Hospital Service
An antimicrobial dressing for prevention of infection complication related peripheral intravenous catheter: an international randomised controlled trial.
Comparing Healthcare Associated Infection data to Hospital Acquired Complication Infection data collection and finding the documentation differences to improve accuracy

Wednesday Jan 08, 2025
Wednesday Jan 08, 2025
In this episode recorded at the 2024 Australasian College of Infection Prevention and Control (ACIPC) Conference in Melbourne, Brett and Phil talk to Dr Sarah Browning (ID Physician at Hunter New England) and two Junior Medical Officers (JMOs) Sam and Lochlan who worked on IPC-related projects whilst on placement.

About us and contact
Feel free to contact us with suggestions on topics and or speakers. Use Twitter to contact any one or all of us:
Brett Mitchell @1healthau (Twitter link)
Martin Keirnan @emrsa15 (Twitter link)
Deb Friedman @friedmanndeb
Phil Russo: @PLR_aus (Twitter link)
Martin Kiernan: Martin is a highly experienced nurse who has worked in the field of infection prevention and control since 1990 in the acute hospital community and, more recently, in academic and industry settings with GAMA Healthcare. Martin's reputation as a research collaborator is recognised both nationally and internationally. Martin’s involvement in professional organisations such as the Infection Prevention Society and the Healthcare Infection Society has enhanced his reputation as a key opinion leader, teacher, leader, and researcher. As a result, he has been invited to act in leadership and mentoring roles to support his colleagues throughout the world in terms of infection prevention.
Professor Brett Mitchell: Brett is a Professor of Nursing with over 150 peer reviewed journal and oral conference presentations, authored several books, and has been an invited speaker at numerous infection prevention and control conferences in Australia and internationally. He is a Fellow of the Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control and the Australian College of Nursing. Professor Mitchell is also Editor-in-Chief of Infection, Disease and Health. Professor Mitchell has experience leading nursing teams, research teams and infection prevention and control teams in both Australia and the United Kingdom. Further details: https://www.newcastle.edu.au/profile/brett-mitchell
Associate Professor Philip Russo: Phil is Director of Research, Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia and Director of Nursing Research, Cabrini Health. A/Prof. Russo is the Past President of the Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control. He has worked in both state and national positions, notably leading the establishment of the VICNISS Surveillance Program in Victoria followed by overseeing the successful implementation of the National Hand Hygiene Initiative sponsored by the Australian Commission for Safety and Quality in Health Care. Recently he has been an advisor at both a State and National level in the pandemic response. Further details: https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/philip-russo