Infection control and hospital epidemiology : the official journal of the Society of Hospital Epidemiologists of America
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Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · Mar 2011
Complications associated with 2 different types of percutaneously inserted central venous catheters in very low birth weight infants.
To identify the prevalence and risk factors for complications associated with percutaneously inserted central venous catheters (PICCs) and evaluate the effect of different catheter types and their indwelling time on catheter-related complications. ⋯ Different catheters do influence the complication rates. Spending more than 60 minutes for successful PICC insertion and PICCs indwelling for more than 30 days are associated with higher rates of catheter-related complications.
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Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · Mar 2011
Evaluation of hospital room assignment and acquisition of Clostridium difficile infection.
Clostridium difficile spores persist in hospital environments for an extended period. We evaluated whether admission to a room previously occupied by a patient with C. difficile infection (CDI) increased the risk of acquiring CDI. ⋯ A prior room occupant with CDI is a significant risk factor for CDI acquisition, independent of established CDI risk factors. These findings have implications for room placement and hospital design.
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Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · Feb 2011
Peripherally inserted central venous catheter-associated bloodstream infections in hospitalized adult patients.
Limited data on the risk of peripherally inserted central venous catheter-associated bloodstream infections (PICC BSIs) in hospitalized patients are available. In 2007, dedicated intravenous therapy nurses were no longer available to place difficult peripheral intravenous catheters or provide PICC care Barnes-Jewish Hospital. ⋯ PICC use and PICC BSI rates were higher in ICUs; however, most of the PICC BSIs occurred in non-ICU areas. Reduction in intravenous therapy services was associated with increased PICC use across the hospital, but PICC BSI rates did not increase.
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Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · Feb 2011
Contamination of hands with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus after contact with environmental surfaces and after contact with the skin of colonized patients.
In a study of 40 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriers, hand contamination was equally likely after contact with commonly examined skin sites and commonly touched environmental surfaces in patient rooms (40% vs 45%). These findings suggest that contaminated surfaces may be an important source of MRSA transmission.
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Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · Feb 2011
Is continuous subglottic suctioning cost-effective for the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia?
To establish whether continuous subglottic suctioning (CSS) could be cost-effective. ⋯ Replacement of CV with CSS was cost-effective even when assuming the most pessimistic scenario of VAP incidence and costs.