Infection control and hospital epidemiology : the official journal of the Society of Hospital Epidemiologists of America
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Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · Apr 2002
Multicenter StudyA survey of reprocessing methods, residual viable bioburden, and soil levels in patient-ready endoscopic retrograde choliangiopancreatography duodenoscopes used in Canadian centers.
To obtain information about current reprocessing practices and to obtain samples from the biopsy channel to quantitate soil levels and bioburden in patient-ready flexible duodenoscopes used for endoscopic retrograde choliangiopancreatography (ERCP). ⋯ Although cleaning was generally well done, areas for improvement included ensuring the availability of written reprocessing protocols, immersion of scopes during manual cleaning, use of adequate fluid volume for rinsing, adequate drying of scopes prior to storage, and the separation of ERCP valves from scopes during storage.
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Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · Mar 2002
Limited impact of sustained simple feedback based on soap and paper towel consumption on the frequency of hand washing in an adult intensive care unit.
To determine whether hand washing would increase with sustained feedback based on measurements of soap and paper towel consumption. ⋯ Sustained feedback on hand washing failed to produce a sustained improvement. Live observers were associated with increased hand washing, even when they did not offer feedback. Hand washing decreased when the patient-to-nurse ratio increased.
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Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · Nov 2001
Hospital management of tuberculosis in a region with a low incidence of tuberculosis and a high prevalence of nontuberculous mycobacteria.
We prospectively assessed the management of patients with suspected tuberculosis (TB) in an area with a high prevalence of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) and a low incidence of TB. Clinicians' assessments were sensitive for TB but had poor predictive value. The acid-fast smear was a weak predictor of TB, owing to a high rate of isolation of NTM.
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Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · Nov 2001
Colonization with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in ICU patients: morbidity, mortality, and glycopeptide use.
To determine the impact of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization on the occurrence of S. aureus infections (methicillin-resistant and methicillin-susceptible), the use of glycopeptides, and outcome among intensive care unit (CU) patients. ⋯ In our unit, MRSA colonization greatly increased the risk of S. aureus infection and of glycopeptide use in colonized and non-colonized patients, without influencing ICU mortality. MRSA colonization influenced glycopeptide use even if an MRSA infection was not demonstrated; thus, an MRSA control program is warranted to decrease vancomycin use and to limit glycopeptide resistance in gram-positive cocci.