American journal of infection control
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Am J Infect Control · Sep 2009
Ventilator-associated pneumonia and oral care: a successful quality improvement project.
Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a nosocomial pneumonia that develops in patients on mechanical ventilation for >or=48 hours. VAP develops at an estimated rate of 1% to 3% per day of mechanical ventilation. ⋯ 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.
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Am J Infect Control · Sep 2009
Organizational climate and its relationship with needlestick and sharps injuries among Japanese nurses.
Although certain aspects of organizational climate have been shown to influence needlestick and sharps injuries (NSI) among nurses, this issue has not been adequately investigated in Japan. ⋯ Overall, this study suggests that hospital safety climate has an important influence on NSI injury rates and reporting behavior among Japanese nurses. Given the multifaceted nature of identified risk, a comprehensive approach to infection control is clearly required and one that encompasses preventive strategies in both the cultural and physical domains.
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Am J Infect Control · Sep 2009
Polymerase chain reaction screening for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and contact isolation.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections are thought to now be endemic in some populations. The early identification of individuals admitted to the hospital who are harboring this organism is important for the timely implementation of appropriate control strategies. Our objective was to measure the prevalence of MRSA carriage in high-risk patients entering our hospital and to determine which of these patients screened for MRSA should be placed in contact precautions on admission. ⋯ We used a rapid screening test to identify patients harboring MRSA. Our findings support that MRSA is harbored sporadically and patients do not have to be placed in contact isolation based on a history of previously being MRSA positive.