American journal of infection control
-
Am J Infect Control · Mar 2012
ReviewEffectiveness of oral hygiene interventions against oral and oropharyngeal reservoirs of aerobic and facultatively anaerobic gram-negative bacilli.
Aerobic and facultatively anaerobic gram-negative bacilli (AGNB) are opportunistic pathogens and continue to cause a large number of hospital-acquired infections. AGNB residing in the oral cavity and oropharynx have been linked to nosocomial pneumonia and septicemia. Although AGNB are not considered members of the normal oral and oropharyngeal flora, medically compromised patients have been demonstrated to be susceptible to AGNB colonization. ⋯ With the recognition of the oral cavity and oropharynx as a reservoir of AGNB and the recent emergence of multidrug and pandrug resistance in hospital settings, there is a pressing need for additional high-quality randomized controlled trials to determine which oral hygiene interventions or combination of interventions are most effective in eliminating or reducing AGNB carriage.
-
Am J Infect Control · Mar 2012
Multicenter StudyThe associations between organizational culture and knowledge, attitudes, and practices in a multicenter Veterans Affairs quality improvement initiative to prevent methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
Previous research demonstrates that organizational culture (OC) and knowledge, attitudes, and practices of health care personnel are associated with the overall success of infection control programs; however, little attention has been given to the relationships among these factors in contributing to the success of quality improvement programs. ⋯ Three OC factors-Staff Engagement, Overwhelmed/Stress-Chaos, and Hospital Leadership-were found to be significantly associated with individual health care personnel knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported practices regarding MRSA prevention. When developing a prevention intervention program, health care organizations should not only focus on the link between OC and the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of health care personnel, but also target programs based on health care personnel type to maximize their effectiveness.
-
Am J Infect Control · Mar 2012
Randomized Controlled TrialProspective, randomized in vivo comparison of a dual-active waterless antiseptic versus two alcohol-only waterless antiseptics for surgical hand antisepsis.
This study aimed to demonstrate the value of adding an active level of a persistent antimicrobial agent, such as chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG), to an alcohol-based surgical hand antiseptic. ⋯ Given the primary objective of surgical hand antisepsis of reducing resident skin flora for the duration of the surgical procedure, using an alcohol-based hand antiseptic containing CHG appears to be the most appropriate choice for maintaining microbial levels as low as possible for as long as possible.
-
We believe we are the first union hospital to succeed in mandating the seasonal influenza vaccine for employees and physicians. We relate the process that we used to achieve this success. Our main purpose is to share our success with other colleagues in the health care industry who are facing similar opposition to mandatory vaccination.
-
Am J Infect Control · Mar 2012
Longitudinal epidemiology of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter species in a tertiary care hospital.
Acinetobacter species are well-known causes of health care-associated infections. The longitudinal epidemiology of this species in the hospital setting is poorly understood. A sudden, persistent increase in multidrug-resistant (MDR) A baumannii infections occurred beginning in June 2006 at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia. An analysis was done to describe the longitudinal molecular epidemiology of MDR A baumannii in a tertiary care hospital. ⋯ Following an outbreak in the surgical intensive care unit, MDR A baumannii persisted in our institution for a 3-year period despite rigorous infection control measures. An unexpected strain replacement occurred during this period, with the original predominant strain disappearing completely and new minor clones displacing the original minor clones.