The effectiveness of a single-stage versus traditional three-staged protocol of hospital disinfection at eradicating vancomycin-resistant Enterococci from frequently touched surfaces.

Background: Environmental contamination is a reservoir for vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) in hospitals.

Methods: Environmental sampling of surfaces was undertaken anytime before disinfection and 1 hour after disinfection utilizing a sodium dichloroisocyanurate-based, 3-staged protocol (phase 1) or benzalkonium chloride-based, single-stage clean (phase 2). VRE colonization and infection rates are presented from 2010 to 2011, and audits of cleaning completeness were also analyzed.

Compliance with surgical antibiotic prophylaxis at an Australian teaching hospital.

Background: Surgical antibiotic prophylaxis (SAP) is one practice proven to prevent surgical site infections.

Methods: Compliance of SAP choice, timing, and duration with guidelines was assessed utilizing prospectively collected surgical site infection (SSI) surveillance data from January 2008 through September 2010.

Results: Antibiotic choice was adequate or optimal in 97% of cardiac and orthopedic joint replacement procedures and 89% of colorectal procedures.

Incidence of catheter-related bloodstream infection among patients with a needleless, mechanical valve-based intravenous connector in an Australian hematology-oncology unit.

There are few Australian data on the incidence of catheter-associated bloodstream infection (BSI) among patients in hematology-oncology units. We found an increase in catheter-associated BSI rates coincident with the introduction of a mechanical valve connector (2.6 infections vs 5.