Infection control : IC
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Infection control : IC · Dec 1985
Evaluation of the sterility and stability of insulin from multidose vials used for prolonged periods.
Diabetic patients frequently use their insulin vials for prolonged periods, even though antibacterial preservatives used in multidose insulin vials are not required to be effective beyond 28 days. For this reason, we evaluated the antibacterial activity present in multidose insulin vials for up to 50 days. Multidose lente insulin vials were inoculated with S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. ⋯ Insulin assays on 40 multidose insulin vials used for more than 28 days showed an average insulin content of 101.6 +/- 1.9 units/ml. This study did not demonstrate significant bacterial contamination, endotoxin activity, or insulin degradation of multidose insulin in vials used for periods longer than 28 days. In addition, antibacterial preservatives were more effective at room temperature than at refrigerator temperature; thus, the practice of patients not refrigerating insulin vials is sensible.
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Infection control : IC · Nov 1985
Inactivation of herpesvirus on CPR manikins utilizing a currently recommended disinfecting procedure.
The adequacy of a currently recommended protocol for disinfecting CPR manikins was investigated. Known quantities of Herpes simplex type 1 virus were applied to various sites on both adult and infant manikin heads, exposed to disinfectant under simulated classroom conditions, and then assayed for infectious virus. Results indicate that the disinfecting protocol and disinfectant are adequate for inactivating herpesvirus on CPR manikins, but that care must be exercised to ensure thorough cleaning.
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Infection control : IC · Sep 1985
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialA randomized study comparing a transparent polyurethane dressing to a dry gauze dressing for peripheral intravenous catheter sites.
We studied rates of peripheral intravenous (IV) catheter tip and insertion site colonization after randomly assigning patients to transparent polyurethane (TP) dressings (N = 316) or dry gauze (DG) dressings (N = 421). The study was conducted during both summer and fall seasons, in a facility which lacked air conditioning. All patients had a teflon plastic catheter inserted, maintained and cultured by a member of the IV therapy team; no antibiotic or antiseptic ointments were used. ⋯ Logistic regression analysis indicated that catheter tip colonization was associated with the summer season (odds ratio = 3.0, 95% CI 1.4-6.2) and TP dressings (odds ratio = 1.8, 95% CI 1.1-3.2), and that site colonization was associated with both summer (odds ratio = 4.0, 95% CI 2.2-7.1) and receipt of antibiotics (odds ratio = 1.9, 95% CI 1.1-3.2). Coagulase-negative staphylococci were isolated from 55.5% of the colonized catheter tips and insertion sites. The data suggest that bacterial colonization of peripheral IV catheters is increased in summer, and that use of TP dressings may increase both tip colonization and cost nearly twofold.