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Information for ReadersEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
(Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - October 29, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: Frontmatter Source Type: journals

American Journal of Infection ControlEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
(Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - October 29, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: Frontmatter Source Type: journals

Editorial BoardEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
(Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - October 29, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: Frontmatter Source Type: journals

Table of ContentsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
(Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - October 29, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: Frontmatter Source Type: journals

Risk factors and outcomes of Candida albicans and non-albicans Candida species at a Thai tertiary care centerEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
To the Editor: Descriptive epidemiologic studies of Candida albicans and non-albicans Candida species have primarily been reported from developed countries. We performed a case-control study to evaluate the risk factors and outcomes of albicans and non-albicans candidemia in a resource-limited setting. Hospitalized adults at a Thai tertiary care center from January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2006, were retrospectively categorized into 3 groups: Case group 1 comprised all adults with C albicans bloodstream infections (BSI); case group 2 comprised all hospitalized patients with non-albicans Candida species BSI; and controls w...
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - October 29, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Anucha Apisarnthanarak, Nanta Naknarongkij, Pattarachai Kiratisin, Linda M. Mundy Tags: Letter to the Editor Source Type: journals

Infection prevention in points of dispensingEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: Infection prevention in PODs is important to prevent communicable disease spread. This article can assist emergency managers in developing an infection prevention program for PODs. (Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - October 29, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Terri Rebmann, Bill Coll, 2009 APIC Emergency Preparedness Committee Tags: Major Articles Source Type: journals

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(Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - September 25, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: Frontmatter Source Type: journals

American Journal of Infection ControlEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
(Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - September 25, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: Frontmatter Source Type: journals

Editorial BoardEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
(Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - September 25, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: Frontmatter Source Type: journals

Table of ContentsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
(Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - September 25, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: Frontmatter Source Type: journals

Pursuing appropriateness of antimicrobial therapy prescription: Is Italy on the move at last?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
To the Editor: Although the issues related to ever-increasing antimicrobial resistance in Italian intensive care units (ICU) have been fruitlessly pointed out for several years, the need for improving the management of antimicrobial therapy has become a concern in our country only in recent times. The hoary lack of interplay among clinical microbiologists, infectious diseases (ID) specialists, and intensive care physicians has certainly fostered such an awful condition. However, the excellent paper by Raineri et al highlights how close collaboration among those professional figures can generate sustained steps forward in ...
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - September 25, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Leonardo Pagani, Richard Aschbacher Tags: Letters to the Editor Source Type: journals

Reply to Dr. Kampf's letterEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
To the Editor: First of all, we used EN 12054 (now EN 13727) to assess the most interesting products from the cytotoxicity study against the 2 organisms responsible for most serious hospital-acquired infections—methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Clostridium difficile—which seemed more relevant to us than the recommended strains (Escherichia coli, Enterococcus hirae, Pseudomonos aeruginosa, S aureus). The neutralization step for the alcohol rubs was as per the recommended method (Ref 12). Xgel requires a calcium-rich environment for neutralization that is not provided by the usual neutralizers (eg, ...
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - September 25, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: T.J. Hall, M.W.D. Wren, A. Jeanes, V.A. Gant Tags: Letters to the Editor Source Type: journals

Are the conclusions on a copper-based biocidal handrub scientifically justified?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
To the Editor: Hall et al present an interesting study, which has, from my point of view, a few relevant limitations in its design and thereby also for the possible translation into clinical practice. (Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - September 25, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Günter Kampf Tags: Letters to the Editor Source Type: journals

Survey of instrument decontamination in dental surgeries located in Scottish prisonsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We describe an observational study in which the policies and procedures of dental surgeries in 14 of the 15 Scottish prisons for sterilizing instruments were viewed directly by a trained surveyor. The survey found that several key elements in the decontamination cycle, ranging from procurement of devices, cleaning, sterilizing, testing, maintenance, quality management and training were deficient in a number of aspects. The use of a central sterile supply service may be a more cost effective approach for the provision of compliant instrument reprocessing facilities in the sites surveyed. (Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - September 25, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Andrew J. Smith, Siobhan Creanor, David J. Hurrell Tags: Brief Reports Source Type: journals

Reflecting on the future of infection prevention and control: Are we waiting or creating?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
October is the time for International Infection Prevention Week in the United States, Canada, and many other countries around the world. The week provides an opportunity to focus on the unique specialty of infection prevention and control (IPC), highlight the important contributions of the profession to patient safety, and provide infection prevention education for heath care workers and the larger community. In 1986, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the third week in October as “Infection Control Week” (now known as International Infection Prevention Week) as a way to focus attention on the importance of infection p...
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - September 25, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Carol O'Boyle, Barbara M. Soule Tags: Editorial Source Type: journals

Stockpile of personal protective equipment in hospital settings: Preparedness for influenza pandemicsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: Purchasing a PPE stockpile requires a sizable budget. The PPE calculation system in this paper will hopefully support hospitals in deciding their PPE stockpile. (Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - September 14, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Mayuko Hashikura, Junko Kizu Tags: Major Articles Source Type: journals

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(Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - August 31, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: Frontmatter Source Type: journals

Editorial BoardEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
(Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - August 31, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: Frontmatter Source Type: journals

Table of ContentsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
(Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - August 31, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: Frontmatter Source Type: journals

Isolation of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from rented DVDsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
To the Editor: The infection potential within the home is closely related to that in the community, and transfer of infectious agents between the home and other related community settings undoubtedly occurs as a result from the movement of people and domestic animals in and out of the home as well as by way of food, air, and other inanimate objects. Through contact with a contaminated inanimate object (such as a toy), microbes acquired on hands can be transferred to another host by touch. (Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - August 31, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Khalifa Sifaw Ghenghesh, Halima Nashnoush, Amal Shaker, Hussam Enaami, Abdualaziz Zorgani Tags: Letter to the Editor Source Type: journals

Ventilator-associated pneumonia and oral care: A successful quality improvement projectEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: The use of an oral care protocol intervention and ventilator bundle led to an 89.7% reduction in the VAP rate in mechanically ventilated patients from 2004 to 2007. (Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - August 31, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Kathleen Hutchins, George Karras, Joan Erwin, Kevin L. Sullivan Tags: Major Articles Source Type: journals

Changes in Medicare reimbursement for hospital-acquired conditions including infectionsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
As part of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, Congress required the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to identify conditions that (1) are high cost or high volume or both, (2) result in the assignment of a case to a diagnosis-related group that has a higher payment when present as a secondary diagnosis, and (3) could reasonably have been prevented through the application of evidence-based guidelines. For the conditions identified and discharges occurring on or after October 1, 2008, hospitals do not receive additional payment for cases in which one of the selected conditions was not present on admission (POA). T...
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - August 31, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Patricia W. Stone Tags: Editorial Source Type: journals

Assessing hospital emergency management plans: A guide for infection preventionistsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: Infection preventionists should use this article as an assessment tool for evaluating their hospital emergency management plan and for developing policies and procedures that will decrease the risk of infection transmission during a mass casualty event. (Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - August 24, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Terri Rebmann Tags: Major Articles Source Type: journals

The antiviral action of common household disinfectants and antiseptics against murine hepatitis virus, a potential surrogate for SARS coronavirusEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: Common household disinfectants and antiseptics were effective at inactivating MHV, a possible surrogate for SARS-CoV, from surfaces when used as directed. In an outbreak caused by novel agents, it is important to know the effectiveness of disinfectants and antiseptics to prevent or reduce the possibility of human-to-human transmission via surfaces. (Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - August 18, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Christine Dellanno, Quinn Vega, Diane Boesenberg Tags: Major Articles Source Type: journals

Is use of the hands-free technique during surgery, a safe work practice, associated with safety climate?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: Consistent with previous research linking management support for health and safety to uptake of safety practices, management support and HFT training acted synergistically to increase HFT use most of the time in surgery. (Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - August 3, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Bernadette Stringer, A. Ted Haines, Charles H. Goldsmith, Ramon Berguer, Jennifer Blythe Tags: Major Articles Source Type: journals

Information for ReadersEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
(Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - July 30, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: Frontmatter Source Type: journals

Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
(Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - July 30, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: Frontmatter Source Type: journals

Editorial BoardEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
(Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - July 30, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: Frontmatter Source Type: journals

Table of ContentsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
(Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - July 30, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: Frontmatter Source Type: journals

ErrataEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The following Letter to the Editor was not included in the June issue of the American Journal of Infection Control. It is followed by a reply that was previously published in the June issue (Am J Infect Control 2008;37:432-4). (Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - July 30, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: Erratum Source Type: journals

Hepatitis B-related policies: Inconsistent patient safety in Indonesian hospitalsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
As Indonesian medical practitioners and researchers with experience in many urban and rural Indonesian hospitals, we found some infection control-related patient safety policies that are nonevidentiary, reflecting an incomplete understanding of basic infection control as illustrated by the following case studies on hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related policies. (Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - July 30, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Brahmaputra Marjadi, Astrid Pratidina Susilo, Mary-Louise McLaws Tags: Letters to the Editor Source Type: journals

Mortality associated with Pandrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections in ThailandEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Nosocomial transmission of multidrug-resistant (MDR), gram-negative pathogens, particularly Acinetobacter baumannii, is a major concern in Asia. Although previous studies have evaluated the risk factors associated with the occurrence of MDR-A baumannii, the predictors for mortality have not been adequately explored. To identify predictors associated with mortality among patients with pandrug-resistant (PDR)-A baumannii infections compared with those with drug-sensitive (non-MDR/PDR)-A baumannii, a 1:2 matched case-control study was performed at a Thai tertiary care center from July 1, 2007, to June 30, 2008. A case was def...
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - July 30, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Anucha Apisarnthanarak, Linda M. Mundy Tags: Letters to the Editor Source Type: journals

ID tags—does the ID stand for identification or infectious diseases risk?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We sought to evaluate whether identification tags may be another fomite in pediatrics and whether certain demographics (including suspension from lanyards) or areas of practice in a pediatric hospital may increase the risk of contamination. Much like ties, patient contact with these tags occurs when health care workers lean forward to provide care. In pediatrics, the risk of contact and microorganism transmission is increased: we have observed young children reaching for tags dangling from lanyards to place them in their mouths. (Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - July 30, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Magali Buffet, LeeAnn Turnbull, Donald Spady, Robert Rennie, Sarah E.D. Forgie Tags: Letters to the Editor Source Type: journals

Environmental sampling for Clostridium difficile: Swabs or sponges?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Clostridium difficile spores excreted during episodes of C difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) can cause widespread environmental contamination, and contaminated surfaces may contribute to C difficile transmission. Several different methods have been used to culture C difficile from the hospital environment including moistened swabs with or without broth enrichment, contact plates, selective broth, and, more recently, a moistened cellulose sponge method developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We compared 2 methods—swabs with broth enrichment and cellulose sponges—for the recovery of C diffi...
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - July 30, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Jonathan A. Otter, Nancy L. Havill, Nicholas M.T. Adams, Timothea Cooper, Allison Tauman, John M. Boyce Tags: Letters to the Editor Source Type: journals

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: An assessment of environmental contamination in a burn centerEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen frequently isolated in the hospital and community environments, with symptoms ranging from minor skin lesions to sepsis. Nearly 19,000 people die per year in the United States of active MRSA infections, and the number of infections in hospitals continues to rise. Environmental surfaces in the hospital serve as a reservoir for pathogenic organisms and increase the potential for spread of infection. Fomites that have come in contact with infected patients are repeatedly touched or handled by health care workers, who unknowingly spread i...
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - July 30, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Cassandra Andrade, Sue Champagne, Daniel Caruso, Kevin Foster, Kelly Reynolds Tags: Letters to the Editor Source Type: journals

Collaborative approach in assessing community readiness for a pandemic eventEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other experts, a pandemic will inevitably occur and will likely cause substantial illness, death, social disruption, and widespread panic. Preparing for a pandemic requires support and collaboration from multiple partners. Ashtabula County Health Department, acting as the lead agency, organized the Pandemic Preparedness Committee in 2003. The health department coordinates the monthly meetings of this committee. Members of the committee, in addition to public health department staff, include infection preventionists from the hospitals and long-term care/r...
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - July 30, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Christine M. Kettunen, Jay Becker, Katie McIntyre Tags: Letters to the Editor Source Type: journals

APIC position paper: The importance of surveillance technologies in the prevention of health care-associated infectionsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Surveillance of health care-associated infections (HAI) is the cornerstone of an effective infection prevention program. By definition, surveillance is a comprehensive method of measuring outcomes and related processes of care, analyzing the data, and providing information to members of the health care team to assist in improving those outcomes and processes. (Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - July 30, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Linda R. Greene, Theresa A. Cain, Raed Khoury, Sharon P. Krystofiak, Marcia Patrick, Stephen Streed Tags: Special Article Source Type: journals

Influence of internal and outdoor factors on filamentous fungal flora in hematology wardsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: This study highlights that specific preventive measures participate significantly in the control of the filamentous fungal flora intensity due to internal factors but not those due to outdoor factors, stressing the importance of high-efficiency particulate air filtration in high-risk units. (Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - July 23, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Marie-Pierre Brenier-Pinchart, Bernadette Lebeau, Jean-Louis Quesada, Marie Reine Mallaret, Jean-Luc Borel, Annie Mollard, Frédéric Garban, Jean-Paul Brion, Lysiane Molina, Jean-Luc Bosson, Jean-Yves Cahn, Renée Grillot, Hervé Pelloux Tags: Major Articles Source Type: journals

Perceptions, attitudes, and behavior towards patient hand hygieneEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study aimed to explore perceptions, attitudes, and self-reported behavior towards patient hand hygiene among clinical ward nurses within an acute hospital environment.Methods: A mixed methodologic, descriptive, cross-sectional survey design using questionnaires exploring perceptions, attitudes, and self-reported behavior was used.Results: Despite clinical ward nurses demonstrating good perceptions and positive attitudes toward patient hand hygiene, they were not found to be independently associated with positive behavior. A positive, modest correlation was found between perceptions and attitudes (P (Source: American J...
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - July 22, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Emma Burnett Tags: Major Articles Source Type: journals

A fall in bloodstream infections followed a change to 2% chlorhexidine in 70% isopropanol for catheter connection antisepsis: A pediatric single center before/after study on a hemopoietic stem cell transplant wardEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: The introduction of chlorhexidine was followed by a profound, sustained fall in catheter-related infections. The results support the 2007 United Kingdom guidelines recommending 2% chlorhexidine in 70% isopropanol as a disinfectant of needleless connectors and hubs of central venous catheters. (Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - July 20, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: James S. Soothill, Karen Bravery, Anne Ho, Susan Macqueen, Jane Collins, Paul Lock Tags: Major Articles Source Type: journals

Assessment of measures to prevent disease associated with animals in agricultural fairs—Maine, 2008Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: The results from this survey suggest that the recommendations provided by the NASPHV are not being fully implemented at agricultural fairs in Maine. (Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - July 15, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Lisa Bondeson Tags: Major Articles Source Type: journals

Experimental evaluation of the efficacy of sanitation procedures in operating roomsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: Our data demonstrate that the spatial (vertical/horizontal) disposition of materials affects the initial contamination level, which is always much lower on vertical surfaces than on horizontal ones. Moreover, postsanitation bacterial load recovery is dependent on the physical properties of the surface. (Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - July 12, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Alessia Frabetti, Alberta Vandini, Piergiorgio Balboni, Fabio Triolo, Sante Mazzacane Tags: Major Articles Source Type: journals

Impact of revising the National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance System definition for catheter-related bloodstream infection in ICU: Reproducibility of the National Healthcare Safety Network case definition in an Australian cohort of infection control professionalsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: Further educational interventions are required to improve the discrimination of primary and secondary causes of bloodstream infection in Victorian intensive care units. Although reproducibility of the CLABSI case definition is relatively poor, adoption of the revised NHSN definition for CLABSI is likely to improve the concordance of Victorian data with international centers. (Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - July 8, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Leon J. Worth, Judy Brett, Ann L. Bull, Emma S. McBryde, Philip L. Russo, Michael J. Richards Tags: Major Articles Source Type: journals

Clinical features and molecular epidemiology of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-A baumannii complex in a regional teaching hospital in TaiwanEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We conducted a case-controlled study in a regional teaching hospital in Taiwan to investigate the clinical features and molecular epidemiology of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-A baumannii (MDR Acb) complex. Case patients had higher mortality than controls did. MDR Acb complex acquisition risk factors include longer hospital stays, higher ratio of nasogastric tube and Foley catheter use, and more carbapenem use. All available isolates were divided into 36 subtypes by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. The proportion of the same subtypes with their appearance within 1 and 2 months was 62.5% and 87.5%, respec...
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - July 3, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Ming-Feng Lin, Chih-Man Yang, Chung-Hui Lin, Mei-Luan Huang, Chi-Chao Tu, Ming-Li Liou Tags: Brief Reports Source Type: journals

Health care workers' perceptions of respiratory and gastrointestinal algorithms for patient management in emergency care settingsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: Algorithms were perceived to offer a clear and consistent approach to patient management and protect HCWs in spite of environmental and resource limitations. (Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - July 3, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Serena Siow, Elizabeth A. Bryce, Sydney Scharf Tags: Major Articles Source Type: journals

Use of atmospheric non-thermal plasma as a disinfectant for objects contaminated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureusEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: Generation of plasma is a promising method for disinfection of objects or surfaces that warrants further study in hospital settings. The USA300 strains of S aureus may be more resistant to disinfection than other strains. (Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - June 26, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Monica L. Burts, Igor Alexeff, Eric T. Meek, Jonathan A. McCullers Tags: Major Articles Source Type: journals

Risk factors for peripheral intravenous catheter infection in hospitalized patients: A prospective study of 3165 patientsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We conducted a prospective study of 6538 polyurethane peripheral intravenous (IV) catheters in 3165 hospitalized adult patients using semiquantitative culture techniques. We found that extending the scheduled catheter replacement interval from 48 to 72 hours to 72 to 96 hours was not a risk factor for local catheter infection, but that catheter insertion by personnel other than IV therapists and the use of continuous infusion to maintain catheter patency were 2 independent risk factors for infection. (Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - June 25, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Wei-Ling Lee, Hsiao-Lien Chen, Tzung-Yi Tsai, I-Chen Lai, Wen-Ching Chang, Cheng-Hua Huang, Chi-Tai Fang Tags: Brief Reports Source Type: journals

Successful prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia in an intensive care settingEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: These results suggest that reducing VAP rates to zero is a complex process that involves multiple performance measures and interventions. (Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - June 25, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Alexandre R. Marra, Ruy Guilherme Rodrigues Cal, Cláudia Vallone Silva, Raquel Afonso Caserta, Ângela Tavares Paes, Denis Faria Moura, Oscar Fernando Pavão dos Santos, Michael B. Edmond, Marcelino Souza Durão Tags: Major Articles Source Type: journals

Influenza vaccination attitudes and practices among US registered nursesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: Concerns about adverse reactions and vaccine effectiveness continue to be barriers to influenza vaccination among registered nurses. Those most knowledgeable about influenza vaccination of HCP have higher vaccination rates. Future efforts to improve vaccination rates should include data on vaccine effectiveness and adverse effects, as well as descriptions of high-risk populations. (Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - June 25, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Sarah J. Clark, Anne E. Cowan, Pascale M. Wortley Tags: Major Articles Source Type: journals

A prospective study of the impact of colonization following hospital admission by glycopeptide-resistant Enterococci on mortality during a hospital outbreakEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusion: This study shows that the GRE acquisition has a poor prognosis and that this is independent of the other prognostic factors such as age and severity of underlying disease. Survival in GRE+ patients was significantly shorter. (Source: American Journal of Infection Control)
Source: American Journal of Infection Control - June 25, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Alexis Hautemanière, Paul R. Hunter, Nathalie Diguio, Elaine Albuisson, Philippe Hartemann Tags: Major Articles Source Type: journals