Infection control and hospital epidemiology : the official journal of the Society of Hospital Epidemiologists of America
-
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · Sep 2011
High incidence of multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria recovered from Afghan patients at a deployed US military hospital.
To investigate potential sources and risks associated with multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria in a deployed US military hospital. ⋯ Gram-negative bacteria from Afghan patients had high rates of antimicrobial resistance. Patients experiencing complex trauma and prolonged hospital stays likely contribute to the presence of MDR bacteria in this facility. However, many of these patients had community-acquired cases, which implies high rates of colonization prior to hospital admission.
-
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · Aug 2011
Preoperative nasal methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus status, surgical prophylaxis, and risk-adjusted postoperative outcomes in veterans.
To determine whether preoperative nasal methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriage is a significant predictor of postoperative infections, after accounting for surgical infection risk and surgical prophylaxis. ⋯ In our population, preoperative nasal MRSA colonization was independently associated with MRSA clinical cultures and infections in the postoperative period. Vancomycin prophylaxis increased the risk of total SSI in nasal MRSA-negative patients.
-
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · Aug 2011
Trends in catheter-associated urinary tract infections in adult intensive care units-United States, 1990-2007.
Over the past 2 decades, multiple interventions have been developed to prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs). The CAUTI prevention guidelines of the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee were recently revised. ⋯ Since 1990, CAUTI rates have declined significantly in all major adult ICU types in facilities reporting to the CDC. Further efforts are needed to assess prevention strategies that might have led to these decreases and to implement new CAUTI prevention guidelines.
-
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · Jul 2011
Using electronic health information to risk-stratify rates of Clostridium difficile infection in US hospitals.
Expanding hospitalized patients' risk stratification for Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is important for improving patient safety. We applied definitions for hospital-onset (HO) and community-onset (CO) CDI to electronic data from 85 hospitals between January 2007 and June 2008 to identify factors associated with higher HO CDI rates. ⋯ Electronic health information can be leveraged to risk-stratify HO CDI rates by patient age and CO-NHA prevalence on admission. Hospitals should optimize diagnostic testing to improve patient care and measured CDI rates.