Infection control and hospital epidemiology : the official journal of the Society of Hospital Epidemiologists of America
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Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · Dec 2003
Absence of excess mortality in critically ill patients with nosocomial Escherichia coli bacteremia.
To evaluate excess mortality in critically ill patients with Escherichia coli bacteremia after adjustment for severity of illness. ⋯ After adjustment for disease severity and acute illness and in the presence of adequate antibiotic therapy, no excess mortality was found in ICU patients with E. coli bacteremia.
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Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · Nov 2003
Comparative StudyVentilator-associated pneumonia in a multi-hospital system: differences in microbiology by location.
To determine whether there were differences in the microbiologic etiologies of ventilator-associated pneumonia in different clinical settings. ⋯ Microbiologic etiologies of ventilator-associated pneumonia vary between and within hospitals. Knowledge of these differences can improve selection of initial antimicrobial regimens, which may decrease mortality.
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Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · Nov 2003
Ventilator-associated pneumonia at a tertiary-care center in a developing country: incidence, microbiology, and susceptibility patterns of isolated microorganisms.
Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) complicates the course of up to 24% of intubated patients. Data from the Middle East are scarce. The objective of this study was to evaluate the incidence, microbiology, and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of isolated microorganisms in VAP in a developing country. ⋯ Compared with other studies, the results from this referral center in Lebanon indicate a higher incidence of VAP and a high prevalence of resistant organisms. These data are relevant because they direct the choice of empiric antibiotic therapy for VAP.
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Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · Aug 2003
Comparative StudySurveillance for hospital-acquired infections on surgical wards in a Dutch university hospital.
To determine incidence rates of hospital-acquired infections and to develop preventive measures to reduce the risk of hospital-acquired infections. ⋯ Surveillance in four surgical wards showed that each had its own prominent infection, risk factors, and indications for specific recommendations. Because prospective surveillance requires extensive resources, we considered a modified approach based on a half-yearly point-prevalence survey of hospital-acquired infections in all wards of our hospital. Such surveillance can be extended with procedure-specific prospective surveillance when indicated.