Our study assessed the factors that influence the resistance of blood residues on dental surgical instruments to washer-disinfector-based cleaning procedures in a clinical setting. The use of 2 additional cleaning methods—presoaking and scrubbing by hand—and the use of newer and/or less structurally complex instruments significantly increased the efficacy of washer-disinfector cleaning.

We investigated 4 hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection outbreaks at hemodialysis units to identify practices associated with transmission. Apparent failures to follow recommended infection control precautions resulted in patient-to-patient HCV transmission, through cross-contamination of the environment or intravenous medication vials. Fastidious attention to aseptic technique and infection control precautions are essential to prevent HCV transmission.

Suspected nosocomial Aspergillus fumigatus infections in an Australian hematology unit were investigated by molecular typing of clinical and environmental isolates using polymerase chain reaction fingerprinting, CSP typing, and multilocus microsatellite typing. Only multilocus microsatellite typing revealed that all isolates were genetically distinct. The selection of an appropriate typing method is essential for effective outbreak investigations.

Many patients with asymptomatic bacteriuria receive extended courses of broad-spectrum antibiotics. Antibiotic use was analyzed in patients admitted to the hospital with urinary tract infection. Strategies to optimize antibiotic use for such patients are discussed and include implementing a process whereby a urine culture is automatically performed if a urinalysis result suggests infection.

Integrons play an important role in the dissemination of resistance genes among bacteria. Nearly 70% of highly resistant gram-negative bacteria isolated at a tertiary care hospital harbored an integron. Epidemiologic analysis suggests that horizontal gene transfer is an important mechanism of resistance spread and has a greater contribution than cross-transmission to levels of resistance in settings where highly resistant gram-negative bacteria are endemic.

We examined interventions to optimize piperacillin-tazobactam use at 4 hospitals. Interventions for rotating house staff did not affect use. We could target empiric therapy in only 35% of cases. Because prescribing practices seemed to be institution specific, interventions should address attitudes of local prescribers. Interventions should target empiric therapy and ordering of appropriate cultures.

In a cross-sectional study of Thai medical students, we compared the seroprevalence of antibody to measles virus, rubella virus, varicella zoster virus, hepatitis A virus, and hepatitis B virus with self-reports of prior infection or vaccination. Self-report predicted immunity to varicella zoster virus only. These data contribute to risk assessment and occupational health strategies in this resource-limited setting.

Our survey of 133 on-duty medical ward nurses showed that, during peak influenza season, 30 (23%) developed an influenza-like illness, despite wearing a mask at work. Suboptimal adherence to standard precautions, such as the use of a face shield (odds ratio, 3.56) during high-risk procedures, and failure to receive influenza vaccination (odds ratio, 4.82) were independent risk factors, adjusted for household contacts.

We designed a prospective study to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention designed to increase awareness and knowledge of pertussis among parents and grandparents of newborns. We also evaluated its effect on their willingness to receive the tetanus toxoid-diphtheria toxoid-acellular pertussis vaccine. There was a statistically significant (P < .05) increase in participants' knowledge about pertussis and in their willingness to receive vaccination after our education program. However, follow-up several months after participants underwent the intervention revealed that only 12 (8%) of 150 participants had been vaccinated.

To evaluate the utility of the QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay for monitoring latent tuberculosis treatment efficacy, the assay was performed serially for healthcare workers receiving isoniazid therapy. After 9 months of isoniazid therapy, all of these healthcare workers remained QuantiFERON-TB Gold positive, and cellular proliferation assays revealed persistently strong purified protein derivative responses. These results do not support the use of the QuantiFERON-TB Gold assay to monitor therapy.

Presence of a bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccination scar in medical students was an independent factor associated with initial tuberculin skin test reactions of 10–19 mm (P = .03) and booster effects of 6–9 mm (P = .02). These findings suggest that an initial tuberculin skin test reaction of at least 20 mm or a booster effect of at least 10 mm will reveal tuberculosis among students with prior bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccination.

Our report details an implant-associated outbreak of surgical site infections related to the adverse effects of treatment for hepatitis C virus infection administered to surgeon X. During the 12-month period of this outbreak, 14 (9.5%) of 148 of surgeon X's patients developed a surgical site infection, a rate of SSI that was 8-fold higher than the rate during the 14-month baseline period or the 14-month follow-up period (P = .001), and higher than the rate among peer surgeons (P = .02).

Exposure of healthcare workers to patients with rapidly fatal infections invariably raises concerns regarding the risk of occupational acquisition. We describe acquisition of Streptococcus pyogenes by 2 nurses from a patient with fatal pneumonia and review previously reported cases of transmission of bacterial pathogens from patients with pneumonia to healthcare workers.

Of 49 long-term care facility residents, 21 (43%) were colonized with 2 or more distinct strains of Escherichia coli. There were no significant risk factors for colonization with multiple strains of E. coli. These results suggest that future efforts to efficiently identify the diversity of colonizing strains will be challenging.

Ten neonates developed blood stream infection with extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacter aerogenes in a neonatal intensive care unit in Fiji. The source of the outbreak was traced to a bag of contaminated normal saline in the ward, which was used for multiple patients. All isolates recovered from patients were indistinguishable from the bacteria recovered from the normal saline by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. The outbreak was controlled using simple infection control practices such as reinforcement of strict hand hygiene policy, provision of single use vials of normal saline, and strict aseptic technique for injections.

We developed a patient-based survey to evaluate the impact of a respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette implementation strategy on infection control practices in the emergency department. The frequency of self-reported mask use by coughing patients was low (27%) and often inconsistent. The frequency of use was highest among patients who presented with myalgia (odds ratio, 14.7; P = .02) and among patients who visited the emergency department during January (odds ratio, 4.1; P = .04).

We describe the prevalence of anti-human immunodeficiency virus (anti-HIV) among a sample of 1,652 surgical and gynecologic patients in Polish hospitals, contrasting it with the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti-hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) to assess the rationale for preoperative testing. No anti-HIV-positive samples were found; the prevalence of anti-HCV was 0.9%, slightly higher than the prevalence of HBsAg of 0.6%. Universal preoperative screening of hospital patients for HIV is currently not warranted according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. However, the seroprevalence of HIV should be reassessed periodically.

This randomized controlled trial was designed to assess the effect of preoperative chlorhexidine showers on skin colonization and postoperative infection rates associated with plastic surgical procedures involving the trunk. Chlorhexidine showers were effective in reducing skin colonization with coagulase-negative staphylococci and yeasts, but there was no difference in postoperative infection rates.