Publications by authors named "M A Kainer"

Background: Guidelines recommend healthcare workers (HCWs) undertake fit testing of P2/N95 respirators to mitigate the risk of infectious aerosols, however few studies have assessed whether fit testing reduces COVID-19 infection.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted amongst HCWs across two tertiary health services in Melbourne, Australia during a period of low community transmission. Institution-wide quantitative fit testing and detailed questionnaires assessing COVID-19 acquisition risk factors were undertaken from September 2020.

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Carbapenem-resistant (CRE) are among the most concerning antibiotic resistance threats due to high rates of multidrug resistance, transmissibility in health care settings, and high mortality rates. We evaluated the potential for regional genomic surveillance to track the spread of -carrying CRE (KPC-CRE) by using isolate collections from health care facilities in three U.S.

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Article Synopsis
  • Most pediatric sepsis studies in the US rely on administrative data or focus on ICUs; this study reviews medical records from 10 states to better understand sepsis in children and young adults.
  • Out of 736 patients, 60.1% had underlying health conditions, with a majority experiencing community-onset sepsis, often associated with healthcare settings.
  • Age-specific variations were observed, indicating differing underlying conditions and risk factors for sepsis, suggesting a need for targeted awareness and prevention strategies among outpatient healthcare providers.
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Chlorhexidine bathing to prevent transmission of multidrug-resistant organisms has been adopted by many U.S. hospitals, but increasing chlorhexidine use has raised concerns about possible emergence of resistance.

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Background: Well tolerated antivirals administered early in the course of COVID-19 infection when the viremia is highest could prevent progression to severe disease. Favipiravir inhibits SARS-CoV-2 viral replication with evidence of clinical benefit in open label trials. Placebo controlled studies of people with early symptomatic COVID-19 with regular assessments of SARS-CoV-2 viral load can determine if it has an antiviral effect and improves clinical outcomes.

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