Publications by authors named "C Kilpatrick"

Article Synopsis
  • Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are intense signals from deep space that last for milliseconds and share some characteristics with pulsars, suggesting they may originate from neutron stars.
  • Despite similarities, FRBs like 20221022A display different patterns in their linear polarization position angle (PA), particularly a 130° rotation that aligns with pulsar behaviors, hinting at magnetospheric origins.
  • This study rules out short-period pulsars as potential sources for FRB 20221022A, supporting the idea that its unique PA evolution fits the rotating vector model commonly used for pulsars.
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Incorporating infection prevention and control (IPC) is crucial for strengthening global surgery, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This review article highlights the critical role IPC plays in ensuring equitable and sustainable surgical care, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 3 and 10, which aim to promote health and reduce inequalities. Surgical site infections (SSIs) and other healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) disproportionately affect LMICs, where IPC infrastructure is often underdeveloped.

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This opinion paper addresses the role of nurses and the relevance of models and theories, both nursing and infection prevention and control (IPC), to visitor restrictions that were widely enforced in many countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on person-centredness. It outlines the social utility of nursing, reflecting on whether what happened during this period has made nursing theories more less relevant. It suggests that IPC guidance, rooted in a historic biomedical model, has had a tendency not to consider the impact that the precautionary measures it recommends, rather than the infections themselves, might have on the quality of life of people receiving healthcare.

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In recent years, there has been increased attention on the importance of healthcare environmental cleaning, including the need to professionalize and support the workforce responsible for performing cleaning. Global agendas and strategies on infection prevention and control (IPC) and water, sanitation and hygiene highlight the need for improvements to this sector, particularly in resource-limited healthcare facilities in low- and middle-income countries. Correspondingly, several resources have been developed that aim to (1) improve professional training of cleaners and (2) improve implementation of best practices in resource-limited settings.

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Background: Creating and sustaining an institutional climate conducive to patient and health worker safety is a critical element of successful multimodal hand hygiene improvement strategies aimed at achieving best practices. Repeated WHO global surveys indicate that the institutional safety climate consistently ranks the lowest among various interventions.

Methods: To develop an international expert consensus on research agenda priorities related to the role of institutional safety climate within the context of a multimodal hand hygiene improvement strategy, we conducted a structured consensus process involving a purposive sample of international experts.

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