American journal of infection control
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Am J Infect Control · Dec 2014
Trends in ventilator-associated pneumonia: impact of a ventilator care bundle in an Italian tertiary care hospital intensive care unit.
The impact on ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) occurrence of a multifaceted program, including progressive strategies for VAP prevention, implemented in an Italian intensive care unit (ICU) is reported. ⋯ The implementation of a standardized approach to patient care, including a number of key reduction interventions, was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of developing VAP.
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Am J Infect Control · Dec 2014
Impact of universal disinfectant cap implementation on central line-associated bloodstream infections.
Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) result in increased length of stay, cost, and patient morbidity and mortality. One CLABSI prevention method is disinfection of intravenous access points. The literature suggests that placing disinfectant caps over needleless connectors decreases CLABSI risk. ⋯ Use of a disinfectant cap on IV needleless connectors in addition to an existing standard central line bundle was associated with decreased CLABSI and costs.
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The majority of medical providers, nurses, and patients agree that appearance is important for patient care. However, at our institution, concerns regarding providers' white coats as fomites are expressed primarily by providers and nurses, not by patients. We provide a framework for approaching this important issue through a structured quality-improvement process.
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Am J Infect Control · Nov 2014
Comparison of human and electronic observation for the measurement of compliance with hand hygiene.
Monitoring of hand hygiene is an important part of the improvement of hospital quality indicators. ⋯ Our RFID (ZigBee) system showed good accuracy (92%) and is a useful method to monitor hand hygiene compliance.
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Am J Infect Control · Oct 2014
Observational StudySubglottic secretion drainage and continuous control of cuff pressure used together save health care costs.
Preventive strategies to reduce ventilator-associated respiratory infection (VARI) include the use of an endotracheal tube incorporating a lumen for subglottic secretion drainage (SSD) and a system for continuous control of endotracheal tube cuff pressure (CCCP). The health care costs associated with the combined use of these 2 measures aimed at preventing VARI are not known, however. The objective of this study was to determine whether the simultaneous use of these 2 preventive measures for VARI could save health care costs. ⋯ The combined use of SSD and CCCP reduced the incidence of VARI and saved health care costs.