Environmental colonization and onward clonal transmission of carbapenem-resistant (CRAB) in a medical intensive care unit: the case for environmental hygiene.

Background: In May 2015, we noticed an increase in carbapenem-resistant (CRAB) infections in the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU). To investigate this, we studied the extent of environmental contamination and subsequent onward clonal transmission of CRAB.

Methods: We conducted a one-day point prevalence screening (PPS) of the patients and environment in the MICU.

Differences in psychosocial determinants of hand hygiene between health care professional groups: Insights from a mixed-methods analysis.

Background: Good hand hygiene (HH) prevents health care-associated infections. We compared psychosocial and organizational factors associated with HH compliance and perceived need for improvement among physicians, nurses, and allied health professionals (AHPs).

Methods: We conducted a mixed-methods study in a 1,600-bed adult tertiary-care hospital in Singapore.

Alcohol 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.

Alcohol handrubbing and chlorhexidine handwashing protocols for routine hospital practice: a randomized clinical trial of protocol efficacy and time effectiveness.

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend the use of alcohol handrubs to prevent health care-associated infections. However, the efficacy and time effectiveness of different alcohol handrubbing protocols have yet to be evaluated.

Methods: We conducted a randomized controlled trial in the general wards of a 1,300-bed, acute, tertiary care hospital to compare the effectiveness of 3 hand hygiene protocols during routine inpatient care: (1) handrubbing with alcohol covering all hand surfaces, (2) handrubbing with alcohol using the standard 7-step technique, and (3) handwashing with chlorhexidine using the standard 7-step technique.

Surgical masks for protection of health care personnel against pandemic novel swine-origin influenza A (H1N1)-2009: results from an observational study.

There is ongoing debate about the efficacy of surgical masks versus N95 respirators for protection against pandemic novel swine-origin influenza A (H1N1)-2009. Our hospital, which is designated to manage outbreaks of emerging infection, has robust surveillance systems to detect infection in staff. The incidence of pandemic H1N1-2009 remained low in staff with use of surgical masks.