Temporal trends of inpatient infections within the Veterans Health Administration hospitals: An analysis of the effect of molecular testing, time to testing, and mandatory reporting.

Background: Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a reportable hospital metric associated with significant healthcare expenditures. The epidemiology of CDI is pivotal to the implementation of preventative measures.

Objective: To portray temporal CDI trends in Veterans Health Administration (VA) hospitals.

Determining the Utility of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Nares Screening in Antimicrobial Stewardship.

Background: Treatment of suspected methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a cornerstone of many antibiotic regimens; however, there is associated toxicity. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals screen each patient for MRSA nares colonization on admission and transfer. The objective was to determine the negative predictive value (NPV) of MRSA screening in the determination of subsequent positive clinical culture for MRSA.

Successful cure of daptomycin-non-susceptible, vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus prosthetic aortic valve endocarditis directed by synergistic in vitro time-kill study.

Infectious complications following surgical valve replacements are extremely difficult to treat, often requiring prolonged antimicrobials therapy with or without surgery. Vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus is an infrequent pathogen, with an estimated prevalence of less than 0.3%, but presents even greater challenges.