Risk factors for health care-associated infections: From better knowledge to better prevention.

Background: Health care-associated infections (HCAIs) are preventable with adoption of recognized preventive measures. The first step is to identify patients at higher risk of HCAI. This study aimed to identify patient risk factors (RFs) present on admission and acquired during inpatient stay which could be associated with higher risk of acquiring HCAI.

Endemic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: Nurses' risk perceptions and attitudes.

Dissemination of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) remains one of the most difficult challenges for prevention, control, and treatment of health care-associated infections. A survey and interviews were conducted on nurses from a hospital center. We found that most nurses' perceived risk of acquiring MRSA related to themselves (72%), other nurses (88.

Hip fracture and pressure ulcers - the Pan-European Pressure Ulcer Study - intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors.

Pressure ulcers (PU) in patients with hip fracture remain a problem. Incidence of between 8.8% and 55% have been reported.

Leg ulceration in Portugal: quality of life.

This study was undertaken to examine the impact of chronic leg ulceration on patients' health-related quality of life in an audit of practice in Lisbon, Portugal, and to observe the changes following 12 weeks of treatment. A questionnaire was administered at entry into an observational study and following 12 weeks of treatment. Patients entering the study were asked to complete the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP), Euroqol and visual analogue (VA) pain questionnaires at entry and after 12 weeks.

A prospective study on incidence of bacterial infections in portuguese dialysis units.

Background: Viral infection has been the main epidemiologic concern in the hemodialysis unit; however, bacterial infection is responsible for more than 30% of all causes of morbidity and mortality in our patients, vascular access infection being the culprit in 73% of all bacteremias.

Methods: A prospective multicenter cohort study of bacterial infections incidence, conducted from January to July 2004 in five hemodialysis units, to record and track bacterial infections, using a validated database from CDC's Dialysis Surveillance Network Program.

Results: 4,501 patient-months (P-M) were surveilled, being dialyzed through a native fistula (AVF) in 60.

[Epidemiology of chronic wounds treated in Primary Health Care in Portugal].

Unlabelled: This cross-sectional study of a sample of patients with wounds of duration > 2 weeks, attempts to characterize patients and type of wounds treated in community services and assess patient's views with regard to wounds and care received. 144 health centres were randomly selected so as to be nationally representative.

Results: 1424 wounds in 1115 patients aged > or = 18 yrs were assessed.

[Quality of life in patients with leg ulcers in Portugal].

Objective: To evaluate health related quality of life (HRQoL) in a sample of patients suffering from chronic leg ulceration in Portugal.

Design: Questionnaire administered at baseline and following 12 weeks of treatment.

Setting: Community health clinics and out-patient departments of hospitals within the catchment area.

[Microbiology of leg ulcers and microbiologic diagnosis of the infection].

Of all the complications which can interfere with healing, infection is among those which have a greater impact not only on the wound but also on the patient's quality of life and on the costs of care. The author addresses the microbiology of leg ulcers, the problem of the qualitative versus quantitative analysis and the continuing debate regarding the indication for sampling wounds, methods and interpretation of the results in the microbiological diagnosis of wound infection.

[Leg ulcers in Portugal: an underestimated health care problem].

To determine the prevalence and aetiology of leg ulceration in a population of patients registered with five health centres within Lisbon, a study was undertaken to identify patients receiving care from community and hospital. Identification of patients was through health professionals, with a simple questionnaire completed for all patients identified who were registered with the five health centres. In 263 patients were identified in a population of 186,000 (total prevalence 1.