American journal of infection control
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Am J Infect Control · Oct 2012
Assessing the quality of the peer review process: author and editorial board member perspectives.
Because peer review is central to the publication of rigorous research, periodic assessment of the process's effectiveness is clearly warranted. ⋯ This survey of authors and Board members provided important insights into perceptions of the peer review process and identified areas for improvement.
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Am J Infect Control · Sep 2012
Impact of clinical severity index, infective pathogens, and initial empiric antibiotic use on hospital mortality in patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia.
The prompt initial use of appropriate antibiotics should improve mortality rates in adults with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). However, the incidence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogen infections is on the rise, and the choice of the initial empiric antibiotic may be challenging. We investigated whether appropriate initial antibiotic therapy, infective pathogens, and the clinical severity index influence hospital mortality in patients with VAP and determined independent risk factors for the same. ⋯ High Charlson Comorbidity Index score, high initial oxygenation index, high SOFA score, and infection with Acinetobacter baumannii or MDR pathogens significantly affect hospital mortality in patients with VAP.
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Am J Infect Control · Sep 2012
Seasonal and H1N1 influenza vaccine compliance and intent to be vaccinated among emergency medical services personnel.
Only limited data are available on emergency medical technicians' (EMT) influenza vaccination compliance. ⋯ EMT-targeted interventions should be used to increase vaccine compliance, including implementing a mandatory vaccination policy and addressing EMTs' beliefs and attitudes about vaccine in an education campaign.
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Am J Infect Control · Aug 2012
An outbreak of Klebsiella pneumoniae late-onset sepsis in a neonatal intensive care unit in Guatemala.
Gram-negative bloodstream infections are an important cause of neonatal mortality. In October 2009, we investigated a Klebsiella spp outbreak in a neonatal intensive care unit in Guatemala. ⋯ We report a K pneumoniae outbreak with high neonatal mortality in Guatemala. PFGE clustering suggested a common source possibly related to reuse of a single-use intravenous medication or solution. The risk for K pneumoniae bloodstream infections in neonates in low-resource settings where sharing of solutions is common needs to be emphasized.
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Am J Infect Control · Aug 2012
Effectiveness of a multidimensional approach to reduce ventilator-associated pneumonia in pediatric intensive care units of 5 developing countries: International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium findings.
Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is one of the most common health care-associated infections in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). Practice bundles have been shown to reduce VAP rates in PICUs in developed countries; however, the impact of a multidimensional approach, including a bundle, has not been analyzed in PICUs from developing countries. ⋯ Our results show that implementation of the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium's multidimensional program was associated with a significant reduction in VAP rate in PICUs of developing countries.