Articles: hospitals.
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Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a common cause of nosocomial infections. Healthcare professionals in the United States should develop programs to prevent transmission of this organism within their institutions. Aggressive control efforts are justified for several reasons: (1) the incidence of nosocomial MRSA reflects the general effectiveness of infection control practice; (2) MRSA do not replace susceptible strains but instead increase the overall rate of nosocomial S. aureus infections; (3) MRSA infections cause substantial morbidity and mortality; (4) serious MRSA infections must be treated with vancomycin. ⋯ Staff should choose a control method based on the prevalence of MRSA in their institution and in their referring facilities, the rate of nosocomial transmission of MRSA in their hospital, the risk factors present in their patient population, the reservoirs and modes of transmission specific to their hospital, and their resources. Any MRSA control plan must stress adherence to basic infection control measures, such as hand washing and contact isolation precautions. In addition, decolonization of patients and staff, control of antimicrobial use, surveillance cultures, and molecular typing may be helpful adjuncts.
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J R Coll Physicians Lond · May 1999
Review Practice Guideline GuidelineMaintaining good medical practice. Clinical governance and self regulation for physicians. A report of the Royal College of Physicians.
A high standard of medical practice is a prerequisite of good medical care and clinical governance is the means for ensuring that a high standard is maintained. In February of this year the College issued the following report to its Fellows and Members. The report states unequivocally the College's position on clinical governance and self-regulation and what it expects of individual physicians and their employers in implementing them. Some of the proposals have already been acted upon and are set in train; others will require additional resources and the commitment of the Department of Health and the Trusts.
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Semin. Ultrasound CT MR · Apr 1999
ReviewUnenhanced CT in the evaluation of the acute abdomen: the community hospital experience.
The "Great Mimicker," acute appendicitis, has finally found its match with the advent of rapid unenhanced computed tomography (RUCT). With little, if any, operator dependence, RUCT can be performed easily at any facility that has CT capabilities. ⋯ In this article we describe our experience, since devising the technique in 1991, with over 7,000 RUCT scans done on patients with acute abdominal pain, predominantly in the right lower quadrant. We show how RUCT is extremely useful and accurate, not only in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis, but in many other disease entities that mimic the "Great Mimicker."
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Review Comparative Study
[Follow up of pediatric care is a good resource of knowledge that can be even better].