Randomized Quality Improvement Trial of Opting-In Versus Opting-Out to Increase Influenza Vaccination Rates during Pregnancy.

 Despite strong recommendations, only 40.6% of pregnant women attending two prenatal clinics were vaccinated against influenza during the 2009 pandemic. We tested whether an opting-out approach would improve vaccine uptake.

Continued non-compliance with the American College of Surgeons recommendations to decrease infectious exposure in the operating room: why?

Background: The American College of Surgeons (ACS) Statement on Sharps Safety recommends the use of double gloving (DG), hands-free zone (HFZ), and blunt-tip suture needles (BTSN) in the operating room to decrease needlestick injuries. Despite this endorsement, compliance is low. This survey determined the perceptions, attitudes, and barriers to compliance with these guidelines.

Meningitis due to Bacillus cereus: A case report and review of the literature.

Bacillus cereus is infrequently associated with invasive central nervous system (CNS) disease. Infection is associated with conditions that lead to reduced host immunity and provide direct access to the CNS, such as spinal anesthesia and ventricular tubes and shunts. A case of ventriculitis secondary to B cereus in a patient receiving intrathecal chemotherapy is reported, along with a review of the current literature.

Achromobacter species endocarditis: A case report and literature review.

Endocarditis due to Achromobacter species is a rare, yet serious, endovascular infection. Achromobacter species infective endocarditis is associated with underlying immunodeficiencies or prosthetic heart valves and devices. A case of prosthetic pulmonary valve endocarditis secondary to Achromobacter xylosoxidans subspecies denitrificans is described in the present report.

A crossover trial of antimicrobial scrubs to reduce methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus burden on healthcare worker apparel.

Background: The impact of antimicrobial scrubs on healthcare worker (HCW) bacterial burden is unknown. Objective. To determine the effectiveness of antimicrobial scrubs on hand and apparel bacterial burden.

Invasive sinonasal disease due to dematiaceous fungi in immunocompromised individuals: case report and review of the literature.

Invasive dematiaceous fungal sinusitis is an uncommon and aggressive disease in immunocompromised individuals. We report a unique case of invasive Exserohilum sinusitis in a pregnant, immunocompromised woman. After treating the woman with pregnancy-induced aplastic anemia and invasive Exserohilum sinusitis and pulmonary disease, we performed a Medline/PubMed review of invasive dematiaceous fungal sinonasal disease in immunocompromised individuals.

Trial of universal gloving with emollient-impregnated gloves to promote skin health and prevent the transmission of multidrug-resistant organisms in a surgical intensive care unit.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of universal gloving with emollient-impregnated gloves with standard contact precautions for the control of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) and to measure the effect on healthcare workers' (HCWs') hand skin health.

Design: Prospective before-after trial.

Setting: An 18-bed surgical intensive care unit.

Treatment of severe cases of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza: review of antivirals and adjuvant therapy.

Three worldwide influenza pandemics were reported in the 20th century: in 1918, 1957 and 1968. All three pandemics were caused by different sub-types of Influenza A viruses: H1N1, H2N2 and H3N2 respectively. In early March 2009, the first cases of influenza -like illness (ILI) were reported from Mexico.

Nasal carriage of inducible dormant and community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in an ambulatory population of predominantly university students.

Background: We studied risk factors for nasal colonization with inducible dormant methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (ID-MRSA) and community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) in a cohort of predominantly university students.

Methods: Nasal surveillance cultures were performed in student health and ambulatory clinics. Molecular features were identified and risk factors for CA-MRSA and ID-MRSA colonization were determined by logistic regression.