American journal of infection control
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Am J Infect Control · Dec 2013
Risk of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus surgical site infection in patients with nasal MRSA colonization.
Patients colonized with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are at increased risk for invasive infection compared with noncolonized patients; however, the magnitude of risk for MRSA surgical site infection (SSI) is unclear. To aid in planning of infection prevention strategies, we sought to assess the incidence of MRSA SSI in MRSA carriers. ⋯ Surgical patients with a positive nasal MRSA PCR screen had a 9-fold greater odds of developing a subsequent MRSA SSI compared with patients with a negative nasal MRSA PCR screen. The incidence of MRSA SSI in PCR-positive patients was low (1.86%), however, and identifying subsets of patients at greatest risk for SSI may help target decolonization and other interventions.
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Am J Infect Control · Dec 2013
Relationship between nasal colonization and ventilator-associated pneumonia and the role of the environment in transmission of Staphylococcus aureus in intensive care units.
This study assessed the relationship between nasal colonization and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) by Staphylococcus aureus, as well the role of the environment in the transmission of this organism. ⋯ Nasal colonization for S aureus is a risk factor for development of VAP.
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Am J Infect Control · Dec 2013
Trends in validity of central line-associated bloodstream infection surveillance data, New York State, 2007-2010.
In 2007, New York State (NYS) hospitals began mandatory public reporting of central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) data associated with intensive care units (ICUs) into the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). Facilities were required to use the NHSN device-associated CLABSI criteria to identify laboratory-confirmed bloodstream infections. ⋯ A standardized audit process has helped improve the accuracy of CLABSI reporting. Data validation provides consistent data for measuring the progress of infection prevention strategies and allows for relevant comparison of ICU data.
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Am J Infect Control · Dec 2013
Physiologic and other effects and compliance with long-term respirator use among medical intensive care unit nurses.
Long-term use of respiratory protection may be necessary, but compliance may be low, and physiologic effects have not been well evaluated. ⋯ Long-term use of respiratory protection did not result in any clinically relevant physiologic burden for health care personnel, although many subjective symptoms were reported. N95 compliance was fairly high.