Infection control and hospital epidemiology : the official journal of the Society of Hospital Epidemiologists of America
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Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · Jan 2010
How soon should patients with smear-positive tuberculosis be released from inpatient isolation?
In patients with smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis who are hospitalized or reside in congregate settings, guidelines recommend airborne infection isolation until sputum smear results are negative. Studies have identified factors associated with delayed sputum smear and culture conversion in patients with tuberculosis. Because these studies did not use methods of survival analysis, estimates of time to sputum smear conversion that are based on initial patient characteristics are not available. The ability to predict time to sputum smear conversion could be useful for programmatic planning and patient counseling. ⋯ Initial smear grade was the strongest predictor of time to sputum smear and culture conversion in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and may be a useful predictor for programmatic planning and patient counseling.
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This report examines patterns of influenza vaccination among preclinical and clinical medical students. We used an anonymous online survey to examine medical student behavior and knowledge. Students on clinical rotations, women, and students with better knowledge about the vaccine were more likely to receive the vaccine.