Infection control and hospital epidemiology : the official journal of the Society of Hospital Epidemiologists of America
-
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · Mar 2007
Compliance with isolation precautions at a university hospital.
Compliance with isolation precautions recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was evaluated in 3 hospital-wide observational surveys. The compliance rate, by type of isolation, was as follows: droplet transmission, 100% (4 observations); airborne transmission, 61.5% (13 observations); contact isolation, 73.3% (165 observations); and protective isolation, 73.6% (72 observations). As with hand hygiene, there is suboptimal compliance with recommended isolation precautions.
-
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · Mar 2007
Incidence and outcomes of ventilator-associated pneumonia in Japanese intensive care units: the Japanese nosocomial infection surveillance system.
To determine the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) among intensive care unit (ICU) patients in Japan and to assess the impact of VAP on patient outcomes, including mortality, length of stay, and duration of mechanical ventilation. ⋯ The incidence of VAP is substantial among ICU patients in Japan. The potential impact of VAP on patient outcomes emphasizes the importance of preventive measures against VAP, especially for VAP caused by drug-resistant pathogens.
-
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · Mar 2007
Trends in ventilator-associated pneumonia rates within the German nosocomial infection surveillance system (KISS).
To investigate trends in ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) rates during participation in the German nosocomial infection surveillance system (Krankenhaus-Infektions-Surveillance-System [KISS]). ⋯ Surveillance was associated with a significant reduction in the pooled rate of VAP during years 1-3 of KISS participation.
-
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · Feb 2007
Recommendations for surveillance of Clostridium difficile-associated disease.
The epidemiology of Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD) is changing, with evidence of increased incidence and severity. However, the understanding of the magnitude of and reasons for this change is currently hampered by the lack of standardized surveillance methods. ⋯ A CDAD case patient was defined as a patient with symptoms of diarrhea or toxic megacolon combined with a positive result of a laboratory assay and/or endoscopic or histopathologic evidence of pseudomembranous colitis. Recurrent CDAD was defined as repeated episodes within 8 weeks of each other. Severe CDAD was defined by CDAD-associated admission to an intensive care unit, colectomy, or death within 30 days after onset. Case patients were categorized by the setting in which C. difficile was likely acquired, to account for recent evidence that suggests that healthcare facility-associated CDAD may have its onset in the community up to 4 weeks after discharge. Tracking of healthcare facility-onset, healthcare facility-associated CDAD is the minimum surveillance required for healthcare settings; tracking of community-onset, healthcare facility-associated CDAD should be performed only in conjunction with tracking of healthcare facility-onset, healthcare facility-associated CDAD. Community-associated CDAD was defined by symptom onset more than 12 weeks after the last discharge from a healthcare facility. Rates of both healthcare facility-onset, healthcare facility-associated CDAD and community-onset, healthcare facility-associated CDAD should be expressed as case patients per 10,000 patient-days; rates of community-associated CDAD should be expressed as case patients per 100,000 person-years.