JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association
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Comparative Study
Effect of iodophor vs iodine tincture skin preparation on blood culture contamination rate.
To determine if iodine tincture is a more effective skin antiseptic for blood culture collection than povidone-iodine, an iodophor. ⋯ The effectiveness of the skin antiseptic may be an important factor in determining contamination rate in blood culturing. If these results are confirmed by others, then institutions that have a high blood culture contamination rate when using an iodophor for skin preparation should consider changing to iodine tincture.
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To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of prolonged mechanical ventilation in patients 80 years of age and older in the intensive care unit (ICU). ⋯ Based on hospital charges and life expectancy, the cost-effectiveness of prolonged mechanical ventilation in ICU patients age 80 years and over was poor in our population when the combination of age and duration of mechanical ventilation exceeded 100. Further studies using this type of analysis may prove valuable in both clinical and administrative decision-making processes.