American journal of infection control
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Am J Infect Control · Apr 2000
Improved tuberculosis infection control practices in Maryland acute care hospitals.
In 1992 and 1993, the Maryland Hospital Association and the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene conducted 2 surveys of tuberculosis prevention practices in Maryland hospitals that showed poor compliance with the 1990 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidelines for preventing transmission of tuberculosis in health care facilities. ⋯ The survey results demonstrate excellent compliance with the 1994 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for tuberculosis control in Maryland acute care hospitals, even in those facilities determined to be at minimal to low risk for tuberculosis exposure. The proposed Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations are unlikely to further reduce the risk of tuberculosis exposure to health care workers in Maryland acute care hospitals.
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Am J Infect Control · Dec 1999
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialA prospective, randomized, controlled trial comparing transparent polyurethane and hydrocolloid dressings for central venous catheters.
This study was undertaken to determine the frequency of skin colonization, hub colonization, and central venous catheter colonization in transparent hydrocolloid versus standard polyurethane dressings. ⋯ The results of this study suggest that an increased risk of catheter colonization is associated with the use of hydrocolloid dressings, despite previous research suggesting that they significantly reduce microbial growth compared with standard polyurethane. The clinical significance of increased numbers of positive blood cultures in the polyurethane group requires further examination, although distinguishing between contamination and true infection in intensive care settings continues to be methodologically challenging. Further studies are required to determine whether these findings are generalizable across different study settings and whether similar outcomes are obtained when different brands of hydrocolloid dressing are used.
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Am J Infect Control · Oct 1999
Comparative StudyWorst-case soiling levels for patient-used flexible endoscopes before and after cleaning.
The soiling levels of patient-used narrow-lumened flexible endoscopes were assessed for bronchoscopes, duodenoscopes, and colonoscopes. The effect of cleaning on the soil composition and concentration was evaluated. ⋯ These data demonstrated that cleaning effectively reduced or eliminated many components of soil, but a substantial amount of viable bacteria and protein remained. Hemoglobin levels in before samples indicated that blood was not present in high concentrations in the suction channels of the majority of flexible endoscope samples. Soil that mimics the worst-case composition from patient-used endoscopes would be ideal for simulated-use studies for such medical devices.