Behavioral intention of physician trainees and medical students to practice hand hygiene.

Physician trainees were surveyed to assess intention to perform hand hygiene (HH). Compared with preclinical medical students (MS), clinical MS and residents reported less confidence that HH prevents carrying home microorganisms (P = .006, P = .

Group A Streptococcus Toxic Shock Syndrome: An outbreak report and review of the literature.

Group A Streptococcal (GAS) Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) is an acute, rapidly progressive, and often fatal illness. Outbreaks can occur in hospitals. However, early infection control measures may interrupt transmissions and prevent morbidity and mortality.

Maternal and newborn care during disasters: thinking outside the hospital paradigm.

Emergencies that challenge the infrastructure of the current health care system require a shift in the standard of usual practice. Pregnant women and their newborns are intimately linked special populations that require continued care despite the community circumstances. Pre-event planning with community partners can generate a safer alternative for providing care during a public health emergency.

Nurses and emergency disasters: what is known.

Following the events of September 11, 2001, the threat of bioterrorism events has become a realistic concern for health care workers in the United States. Bioterrorism events caused by infectious agents will be challenging because nurses will need to recognize unfamiliar infections and work long hours with limited resources in stressful conditions. During a bioterrorism event caused by biologic agents, nurses will be expected to provide care to infected patients and may fear that they, or their families, could also become infected.

Public health emergencies: nurses' recommendations for effective actions.

During a public health emergency such as an influenza pandemic or a bioterrorism attack, nurses may be at risk for exposure to lethal infectious diseases when caring for victims. The aim of this study was to identify interventions nurses believe will support their ability to cope during public health emergencies. A qualitative research design was used with 33 nurses from designated bioterrorism-receiving hospitals.

Nurses' beliefs about public health emergencies: fear of abandonment.

Background: Since the events of September 11, 2001, subsequent anthrax mailings, world political events, and natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the recent tsunami, public health emergencies including bioterrorism events are viewed as realistic possibilities. Public health emergencies would stress the current health care system.

Objective: The objective was to identify beliefs and concerns of nurses who work in hospitals designated as receiving sites during public health emergencies.

Comparison of community- and health care-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection.

Context: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has traditionally been considered a health care-associated pathogen in patients with established risk factors. However, MRSA has emerged in patients without established risk factors (community-associated MRSA).

Objective: To characterize epidemiological and microbiological characteristics of community-associated MRSA cases compared with health care-associated MRSA cases.

Vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus with phenotypic susceptibility to methicillin in a patient with recurrent bacteremia.

Vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) are an emerging problem. We observed a statistically significant inverse relationship in the MICs of vancomycin and oxacillin in S. aureus isolates from a patient undergoing hemodialysis who received 26 weeks of treatment with vancomycin during November 1999 through April 2000.

Staffing requirements for infection control programs in US health care facilities: Delphi project.

Background: The guideline for staffing infection control programs of 1 infection control professional (ICP) for every 250 occupied acute care beds has been used in many health care facilities in the United States since 1985. Since that time, the health care system, patient populations, and expectations about the work of infection prevention and control programs have changed substantially.

Methods: The Delphi method was used; data were obtained from a group of ICPs through a series of 10 surveys.