Effectiveness of alcohol-based hand rubs for removal of Clostridium difficile spores from hands.

Background: Alcohol-based hand rubs (ABHRs) are an effective means of decreasing the transmission of bacterial pathogens. Alcohol is not effective against Clostridium difficile spores. We examined the retention of C.

Emergence of ganciclovir-resistant cytomegalovirus in lung transplant recipients.

Background: Since ganciclovir-resistant cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease was initially described in a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in 1986, the incidence of ganciclovir-resistant CMV disease appears to be increasing in immunocompromised patients. More recently, there have been sporadic reports of ganciclovir-resistant CMV disease in solid organ transplantation.

Methods: We retrospectively assessed the incidence of ganciclovir-resistant CMV disease in all lung transplant recipients transplanted between 6/93 and 6/01 at Loyola University Medical Center.