American journal of infection control
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Am J Infect Control · Mar 2019
Randomized Controlled TrialA pilot study to assess the impact of an educational patient hand hygiene intervention on acquisition of colonization with health care-associated pathogens.
Patient hand hygiene is a commonsense measure that has been associated with reductions in colonization or infection with bacterial and viral pathogens in quasi-experimental studies. We conducted a nonblinded pilot randomized trial to assess the impact of an educational patient hand hygiene intervention on acquisition of colonization by selected health care-associated pathogens in hospitalized patients. For patients with negative admission cultures, the intervention did not reduce the new acquisition of colonization by pathogens compared with that of standard care.
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Am J Infect Control · Jun 2016
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyA comparative evaluation of antimicrobial coated versus nonantimicrobial coated peripherally inserted central catheters on associated outcomes: A randomized controlled trial.
Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) are a common life-threatening risk factor associated with central venous catheters (CVCs). Research has demonstrated benefit in reducing CLABSIs when CVCs coated with antimicrobials are inserted. The impact of chlorhexidine (CHG)-impregnated versus non-CHG peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) on risk of CLABSI is unknown. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is also a complication associated with CVCs. This study compares the impact of both PICC lines on these outcomes. ⋯ No differences were noted in the development of CLABSI and VTE between the CHG and non-CHG groups.
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Am J Infect Control · Nov 2015
Randomized Controlled TrialAlcohol handrubbing and chlorhexidine handwashing are equally effective in removing methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from health care workers' hands: A randomized controlled trial.
We conducted a randomized controlled trial in a tertiary-care hospital in a real-time setting to evaluate the effectiveness of 3 hand hygiene protocols in reducing hand carriage of methicillin-resistant and methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus among health care workers. Our study shows that use of alcohol handrub, either covering all hand surfaces in no particular order or using the 7-step technique, and chlorhexidine handwashing were equally effective in removing hand carriage of these pathogens.
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Am J Infect Control · Oct 2014
Randomized Controlled TrialImpact of Detection, Education, Research and Decolonization without Isolation in Long-term care (DERAIL) on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization and transmission at 3 long-term care facilities.
We tested infection prevention strategies to limit exposure of long-term care facility residents to drug-resistant pathogens in a prospective, cluster randomized 2-year trial involving 3 long-term care facilities (LTCFs) using methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) as a model. We hypothesized that nasal MRSA surveillance using rapid quantitative polymerase chain reaction and decolonization of carriers would successfully lower overall MRSA colonization. In year 1, randomly assigned intervention units received decolonization with nasal mupirocin and chlorhexidine bathing and enhanced environmental cleaning with bleach every 4 months. ⋯ In year 2, the colonization rate was 10.55% (P < .001) compared with baseline. The transmission rates were 1.66% and 3.52% in years 1 and 2, respectively (P = .034). The planned interventions of screening and decolonization were successful at lowering MRSA colonization.
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Am J Infect Control · Mar 2014
Randomized Controlled TrialHuman patient simulation education in the nursing management of patients requiring mechanical ventilation: a randomized, controlled trial.
Knowledge among critical care nurses and their adherence to evidence-based guidelines for preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia is reported to be low. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effectiveness of human patient simulation (HPS) education in the nursing management of patients requiring mechanical ventilation. ⋯ Our study identified significant transfer of learned skills to clinical practice following HPS education but no influence on the level of participants' factual knowledge.