American journal of infection control
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Am J Infect Control · Apr 2000
A cluster of necrotizing enterocolitis in term infants undergoing open heart surgery.
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a serious gastrointestinal disease of unknown cause that predominantly affects premature infants, but it has been reported in term infants with congenital heart disease. ⋯ Although an infectious etiology cannot be ruled out, the cases of NEC in infants with congenital heart disease after cardiac procedures may have resulted from mesenteric ischemia associated with a low perfusion state in the perioperative period.
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Am J Infect Control · Dec 1999
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialA prospective, randomized, controlled trial comparing transparent polyurethane and hydrocolloid dressings for central venous catheters.
This study was undertaken to determine the frequency of skin colonization, hub colonization, and central venous catheter colonization in transparent hydrocolloid versus standard polyurethane dressings. ⋯ The results of this study suggest that an increased risk of catheter colonization is associated with the use of hydrocolloid dressings, despite previous research suggesting that they significantly reduce microbial growth compared with standard polyurethane. The clinical significance of increased numbers of positive blood cultures in the polyurethane group requires further examination, although distinguishing between contamination and true infection in intensive care settings continues to be methodologically challenging. Further studies are required to determine whether these findings are generalizable across different study settings and whether similar outcomes are obtained when different brands of hydrocolloid dressing are used.
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Am J Infect Control · Oct 1999
Comparative StudyWorst-case soiling levels for patient-used flexible endoscopes before and after cleaning.
The soiling levels of patient-used narrow-lumened flexible endoscopes were assessed for bronchoscopes, duodenoscopes, and colonoscopes. The effect of cleaning on the soil composition and concentration was evaluated. ⋯ These data demonstrated that cleaning effectively reduced or eliminated many components of soil, but a substantial amount of viable bacteria and protein remained. Hemoglobin levels in before samples indicated that blood was not present in high concentrations in the suction channels of the majority of flexible endoscope samples. Soil that mimics the worst-case composition from patient-used endoscopes would be ideal for simulated-use studies for such medical devices.