American journal of infection control
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Am J Infect Control · Jan 2019
Implementing the comprehensive unit-based safety program model to improve the management of mechanically ventilated patients in Saudi Arabia.
Ventilator-associated events are common in mechanically ventilated patients. They are associated with more days on mechanical ventilation, longer intensive care unit (ICU) stay, and increased risk of mortality. Theoretically, interventions that prevent ventilator-associated events should also reduce associated morbidity. We evaluated the Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program approach to improve the care of mechanically ventilated patients. ⋯ The implementation of a multipronged program like the Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program could improve the care processes and outcomes of mechanically ventilated patients.
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Am J Infect Control · Dec 2018
Risk of self-contamination during doffing of personal protective equipment.
PPE doffing carries significant risk for self-contamination. Assisted doffing likely reduces this risk.
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Am J Infect Control · Dec 2018
Evaluation of the bacterial burden of gel nails, standard nail polish, and natural nails on the hands of health care workers.
Acrylic nails harbor more bacteria than natural nails, and wear is not recommended for health care workers (HCWs). Little is known about the new and popular gel nail products. This study sought to evaluate the bacterial burden of gel nails, standard nail polish, and natural nails on the hands of HCWs. ⋯ This study did not show an increased number of microorganisms on nails with gel polish; however, gel nails may be more difficult to clean using alcohol hand gel.
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Am J Infect Control · Dec 2018
Contaminated clothing of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriers is a potential source of transmission.
We examined the burden of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on the clothing of MRSA carriers in a hospital and long-term care facility and assessed the potential for clothing to be a source of transmission. Of 50 MRSA carriers studied, 37 (74%) had MRSA recovered from clothing. For a subset of carriers with clothing contamination, transfer of MRSA from clothing to gloved hands and to a wheelchair occurred in 8 of 13 (62%) and 5 of 10 (50%) carriers, respectively. These findings suggest that measures to reduce clothing contamination should be investigated as a potential means to reduce MRSA transmission in healthcare settings.
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Am J Infect Control · Nov 2018
Identification of surgical site infections using electronic health record data.
The objective of this study was to develop an algorithm for identifying surgical site infections (SSIs) using independent variables from electronic health record data and outcomes from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program to supplement manual chart review. ⋯ We identified a model that accurately identified SSIs. The framework presented can be easily implemented by other American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-participating hospitals to develop models for enhancing surveillance of SSIs.