Do blood contamination reduction devices work? A single institution comparison.

We compare two initial specimen diversion devices evaluated over 3 months to investigate their utility in lowering blood culture contamination rates at or below 1%. Overall contamination rates during trial periods were 2.46% and 2.

A coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak in a residential living facility with suboptimal ventilation in resident rooms.

We report a large outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in a residential living facility. Measurements of carbon dioxide levels, aerosol particle clearance, and airflow were used to identify and remediate areas with suboptimal ventilation. A simple intervention involving continuous operation of bathroom fans was effective in significantly improving ventilation in resident rooms.

Containment of COVID-19 outbreak at a veterans affairs community living center.

Asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic staff and residents likely contribute to widespread transmission of COVID-19 in long-term care settings. Here, we describe the successful containment of a COVID-19 outbreak on one floor of a 163-bed Veterans Affairs (VA) Community Living Center (CLC). Testing using nasopharyngeal swabs with a rapid turn-around-time identified 3 of 28 (11%) residents and 2 of 41 (5%) healthcare personnel (HCP) with COVID-19.

Bacterial urine profile and optimal urine specimen collection timing in asymptomatic chronically catheterized adults with spinal cord injuries and disorders.

Background: Adults with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D) require chronic indwelling catheterization which is associated with an increased risk of catheter-associated (CA) adverse events.

Methods: We studied urine samples (culture and urinalysis) from 2 cohorts of chronically catheterized males with SCI/D. Cohort 1 included 28 participants; 3 samples per patient were collected (before, after, and 7 days after catheter change).