Infection control and hospital epidemiology : the official journal of the Society of Hospital Epidemiologists of America
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Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · Jul 2009
Likelihood of inadequate treatment: a novel approach to evaluating drug-resistance patterns.
To provide a novel way to predict the likelihood that antibiotic therapy will result in prompt, adequate therapy on the basis of local microbiological data. ⋯ The novel ratio LIT may help clinicians use microbiological data on drug resistance to predict which antimicrobial agents will provide adequate therapy. In daily practice, this new approach may be helpful for choosing adequate antimicrobial therapy.
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Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · Jun 2009
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyComparison of the efficacy of a hydrogen peroxide dry-mist disinfection system and sodium hypochlorite solution for eradication of Clostridium difficile spores.
To compare a hydrogen peroxide dry-mist system and a 0.5% hypochlorite solution with respect to their ability to disinfect Clostridium difficile-contaminated surfaces in vitro and in situ. ⋯ In situ experiments indicate that the hydrogen peroxide dry-mist disinfection system is significantly more effective than 0.5% sodium hypochlorite solution at eradicating C. difficile spores and might represent a new alternative for disinfecting the rooms of patients with C. difficile infection.
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Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · Jun 2009
Self-protection as a driver for hand hygiene among healthcare workers.
A total of 2,725 healthcare workers in 8 Mediterranean countries replied to a self-assessment questionnaire that assessed their perceptions on hand hygiene. Responses revealed that rates of hand hygiene compliance before patient contact were significantly less than rates after patient contact (P < .001) and that use of soap and water was preferred over use of alcohol-based hand rub. These findings suggest that self-protection could be a major subliminal driver for performance of hand hygiene.
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Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · Jun 2009
Prospective evaluation of colonization with extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing enterobacteriaceae among patients at hospital admission and of subsequent colonization with ESBL-producing enterobacteriaceae among patients during hospitalization.
To determine the rates of and risk factors for carriage and acquisition of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae during hospitalization. ⋯ Rectal carriage of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae occurred in 13 (8%) of 167 patients at admission to the medical departments of our hospital and in 4 (33%) of 12 patients still remaining in our hospital after 2 weeks.