American journal of infection control
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Am J Infect Control · Jun 2015
Comparative StudySurveillance versus clinical adjudication: differences persist with new ventilator-associated event definition.
The National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) has recently supported efforts to shift surveillance away from ventilator-associated pneumonia to ventilator-associated events (VAEs) to decrease subjectivity in surveillance and minimize concerns over clinical correlation. The goals of this study were to compare the results of an automated surveillance strategy using the new VAE definition with a prospectively performed clinical application of the definition. ⋯ There was good agreement between the study teams. Awareness of the limitations of the surveillance definition for VAE can help infection prevention personnel in discussions with critical care partners about optimal use of these data.
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To our knowledge, no studies to date demonstrate potential spread of microbes during actual emergency medical service (EMS) activities. Our study introduces a novel approach to identification of contributors to EMS environment contamination and development of infection control strategies, using a bacteriophage surrogate for pathogenic organisms. ⋯ Results suggest firefighters' hands were the main vehicles of microbial transfer. Current practices were not consistently applied or standardized and minimally reduced prevalence and quantity of microbial contamination on EMS surfaces. Although use of a consistent protocol of H2O2 wipes significantly reduced percent prevalence and concentration of viruses, training and promotion of surface disinfection should be provided.
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Am J Infect Control · Jun 2015
Increased reports of measles in a low endemic region during a rubella outbreak in adult populations.
In 2013, a rubella outbreak was observed in Japan, Romania, and Poland. The outbreak in Japan was accompanied by an increase of measles reports, especially from a region where measles is highly controlled. This was attributed to the adult populations affected by this rubella outbreak, similarity of clinical signs between rubella and measles, sufficiently small impact of measles outbreaks from neighboring nations, and elimination levels of measles endemicity. Current and future concerns for measles control are discussed.
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Am J Infect Control · May 2015
Planning and response to Ebola virus disease: An integrated approach.
The care of patients with Ebola virus disease (EVD) requires the application of critical care medicine principles under conditions of stringent infection control precautions. The care of patients with EVD requires a number of elements in terms of physical layout, personal protective apparel, and other equipment. ⋯ The key to safely providing such care is a system that brings many valuable skills to the table, and allows communication between these individuals. We present our approach to leadership structure and function--a variation of incident command--in providing care to 3 patients with EVD.
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Am J Infect Control · May 2015
Regional and seasonal variation in Clostridium difficile infections among hospitalized patients in the United States, 2001-2010.
This study identified national regional and seasonal variations in Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) incidence and mortality among hospitalized patients in the United States over a 10-year period. ⋯ The region and season with the highest CDI incidence rates among patients hospitalized in U.S. hospitals were the Northeast and spring, respectively. The highest CDI mortality rates were seen in the Midwest and winter. Children exhibited different regional and seasonal CDI variations compared with adults and older adults.