Quantitative Results of a National Intervention to Prevent Clostridioides difficile Infection: A Pre-Post Observational Study.

Background: Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is on the rise.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of a tiered, evidence-based intervention to prevent CDI.

Design: Pre-post observational evaluation of a prospective, 12-month, national, nonrandomized, clustered quality improvement project to reduce hospital health care-associated infection.

Quantitative Results of a National Intervention to Prevent Hospital-Onset Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Bloodstream Infection: A Pre-Post Observational Study.

Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) remains one of the most common causes of health care-associated infection (HAI).

Objective: To evaluate the effect of education and a tiered, evidence-based infection prevention strategy on rates of hospital-onset MRSA bloodstream infection (BSI).

Design: Prospective, national, nonrandomized, interventional, 12-month, multiple cohort, pre-post observational quality improvement project.

Quantitative Results of a National Intervention to Prevent Hospital-Acquired Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection: A Pre-Post Observational Study.

Background: Many hospitals struggle to prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI).

Objective: To evaluate the effect of a multimodal initiative on CAUTI in hospitals with high burden of health care-associated infection (HAI).

Design: Prospective, national, nonrandomized, clustered, externally facilitated, pre-post observational quality improvement initiative, for 3 cohorts active between November 2016 and May 2018.

Quantitative Results of a National Intervention to Prevent Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infection: A Pre-Post Observational Study.

Background: Central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) remains prevalent in hospitals in the United States.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of a multimodal intervention in hospitals with elevated rates of health care-associated infection.

Design: Pre-post observational evaluation of a prospective, national, clustered, nonrandomized initiative of 3 cohorts of hospitals.

Qualitative Assessment of a State Partner-Facilitated Health Care-Associated Infection Prevention National Collaborative.

Background: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funded a 3-year national collaborative focused on facilitating relationships between health care-associated infection (HAI) prevention stakeholders within states and improving HAI prevention activities within hospitals. This program-STRIVE (States Targeting Reduction in Infections via Engagement)-targeted hospitals with elevated rates of common HAIs.

Objective: To use qualitative methods to better understand STRIVE's effect on state partner relationships and HAI prevention efforts by hospitals.

Cytomegalovirus infections in lung and hematopoietic cell transplant recipients in the Organ Transplant Infection Prevention and Detection Study: A multi-year, multicenter prospective cohort study.

Background: Most studies of post-transplant CMV infection have focused on either solid organ or hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients. A large prospective cohort study involving both lung and HCT recipients provided an opportunity to compare the epidemiology and outcomes of CMV infections in these 2 groups.

Methods: Patients were followed up for 30 months in a 6-center prospective cohort study.

Impact of hourly emergency department patient volume on blood culture contamination and diagnostic yield.

Emergency departments (EDs) are an important diagnostic site for outpatients with potentially serious infections. EDs frequently experience high patient volumes, and crowding has been shown to negatively impact the delivery of early care for serious infections, such as pneumonia. Here, we hypothesized that other important factors in the early care of infectious diseases, the rate of blood culture contamination and the accurate detection of pathogens, would be sensitive to ED operational stress, as proper collection requires fastidious attention to technique and timing.

Effects of aerobic exercise training in community-based subjects aged 80 and older: a pilot study.

Objectives: To assess the ability of sedentary, frail subjects aged 80 and older to train in a community-based exercise program and to evaluate clinical factors that predict improvements in peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak).

Design: Pretest, posttest.

Setting: Charlestown Retirement Community, Catonsville, Maryland

Participants: Twenty-two (11 male, 11 female; mean age +/- standard deviation = 84 +/- 4.