Surgical site infection is one of the most frequent and serious postoperative complications. Surgical site infections may be precipitated by high bacterial loads introduced into the operating room setting. The most common microorganisms contributing to infections are Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and Pseudomonas. The potential for scrub uniforms to carry bacteria has been shown in several studies. Recommendations for surgical scrubs worn by operating room personnel and specific laundering techniques remain debated in evidenced-based research. There exists a variance in perception and a lack of consensus among providers regarding the concept of where and how to launder surgical scrubs. The purpose of this literature review is to determine if facility-laundered surgical scrubs are superior in the prevention of surgical site infections for patients undergoing surgery over home-laundering methods, to evaluate the appropriateness and safety of surgical staff laundering scrub uniforms at home, and to provide recommendations for the laundering of reusable surgical scrubs.
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Nat Commun
January 2025
University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
Antibiotics can trigger antimicrobial resistance and microbiome alterations. Reducing pathogen exposure and undernutrition can reduce infections and antibiotic use. We assess effects of water, sanitation, handwashing (WSH) and nutrition interventions on caregiver-reported antibiotic use in Bangladesh and Kenya, longitudinally measured at three timepoints among birth cohorts (ages 3-28 months) in a cluster-randomized trial.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInfect Control Hosp Epidemiol
January 2025
One Health Trust, Washington, D.C., USA.
Background: Clinical trials for assessing the effects of infection prevention and control (IPC) interventions are expensive and have shown mixed results. Mathematical models can be relatively inexpensive tools for evaluating the potential of interventions. However, capturing nuances between institutions and in patient populations have adversely affected the power of computational models of nosocomial transmission.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Infection control in intensive care units (ICUs) is crucial due to the high risk of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), which can increase patient morbidity, mortality, and costs. Effective measures such as hand hygiene, use of personal protective equipment (PPE), patient isolation, and environmental cleaning are vital to minimize these risks. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) offers new opportunities to enhance infection control, from predicting outbreaks to optimizing antimicrobial use, ultimately improving patient safety and care in ICUs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Appl Microbiol
January 2025
Centre for Sustainable Disinfection and Sterilization, Technological University of the Shannon, Athlone Campus, N37 HD68, Ireland.
This is a timely and important review that focuses on the appropriateness of established cleaning, disinfection and sterilization methods to safely and effectively address infectious fungal drug-resistant pathogens that can potentially contaminate reusable medical devices used in healthcare environment in order to mitigate the risk of patient infection. The release of the World Health Organisation (WHO) fungal priority pathogen list (FPPL) in 2022 highlighted the public health crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in clinically relevant fungal species. Contamination of medical devices with drug-resistant fungal pathogens (including those on the FPPL) in healthcare are rare events that are more likely to occur due to cross-transmission arising from lapses in hand-hygiene practices.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Clin Med
December 2024
Pediatric Clinic, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Gramsci, 14, 43125 Parma, Italy.
The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the importance of preparedness in preventing the spread of infectious diseases, especially in Emergency Departments (EDs), where initial patient assessments and triage occur. This study aims to evaluate the current practices and available tools for infection control in Pediatric EDs across Italy, focusing on the differences between various hospital types and regional settings. A cross-sectional national survey was conducted in February 2022, targeting healthcare workers in Pediatric EDs across Italy.
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