The quality of public reporting of bloodstream infection rates among hospitals may be affected by the variation in surveillance methods, according to a study in the November 10 issue of JAMA. Michael Y. Lin, M.D., M.P.H., of Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, and colleagues conducted a study to assess institutional variation in performance of traditional [...]

This article published in Infection Control Today in November 2010 explores luer-activated valve disinfection technology advances. Clinical experience with disinfection caps is described at three medical centers:  Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center, Chula Vista, Calif., Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego, Calif., and Miller Children’s Hospital, Long Beach, Calif. Click image to download full paper (.PDF)

Family caregivers perform a significant role in the care of patients with chronic illnesses and prescribed life-long complex home care treatments. A study published in the November 2010 Nursing Economics gauged the burdens of managing home parenteral nutrition (HPN), a complex therapy with risks for severe complications, such as catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSI). Although CRBSI [...]

During their hospital stays, patients may be exposed to many microorganisms. Contact between the patient and any microorganism does not necessarily ensure that the patient will acquire an infection, as infections can be influenced by a number of different factors. At times, however, patients who come in contact with any number of microorganisms, in fact, [...]