Continuous room decontamination technologies
2019
American Journal of Infection Control
Journal Article
Author(s): Weber, D. J., Rutala, W. A., Sickbert-Bennett, E. E., Kanamori, H., Anderson, D.
Added August 2020
Tracking and controlling soft surface contamination in health care settings
2018
American Journal of Infection Control
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 46
Pages 39-43
Author(s): Sexton, J. D., Wilson, A. M., Sassi, H. P., Reynolds, K. A.
Added December 2018
Copper Surfaces Reduce the Rate of Healthcare-Acquired Infections in the Intensive Care Unit
2013
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology
Journal Article
Issue 05
Volume 34
Pages 479-486
Author(s): Salgado, C. D., Sepkowitz, K. A., John, J. F., Cantey, J. R., Attaway, H. H., Freeman, K. D., Sharpe, P. A., Michels, H. T., Schmidt, M. G.
Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) have been known to substantially increase patient morbidity and mortality, while also creating considerable financial burdens on patients and healthcare providers. Patients in intensive care units (ICUs) are at higher risk for HAI due to the nature of the ICU environment. Metallic copper surfaces have been known to substantially reduce bacterial concentrations; however, the clinical efficacy of these surfaces in ICUs has not been previously measured.
Added October 2016
Surface Finish Materials: Considerations for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
2016
Newborn and Infant Nursing Reviews
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 16
Pages 203-207
Author(s): Harris, D.
In this literature review, it is shown that a growing body of research has been focusing on how surface material finishes within neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) can contribute to the operational, clinical, and social aspects of health outcomes.
Added September 2016
Promoting Hand Hygiene With a Lighting Prompt
2016
HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 10
Pages 65-75
Author(s): Diegel-Vacek, L., Ryan, C.
Added June 2016
Impact of Neonatal Intensive Care Bed Configuration on Rates of Late-Onset Bacterial Sepsis and Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Colonization
2015
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology
Journal Article
Issue 10
Volume 36
Pages 1173-1182
Author(s): Julian, S., Burnham, C.-A., Sellenriek, P., Shannon, W. D., Hamvas, A., Tarr, P. I., Warner, B. B.
Late-onset infections are a continuing issue, causing notable levels of morbidity and mortality in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), while also increasing the length of patient stay and financial burdens on healthcare institutions. Few previous studies have tested the hypothesis that infants in single-patient rooms have a lower risk of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization, late-onset sepsis, and death.
Added June 2016
Relationships Among Cleaning, Environmental DNA, and Healthcare-Associated Infections in a New Evidence-Based Design Hospital
2015
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology
Journal Article
Issue 10
Volume 36
Pages 1130-1138
Author(s): Lesho, E., Carling, P., Hosford, E., Ong, A., Snesrud, E., Sparks, M., Onmus-Leone, F., Dzialowy, N., Fraser, S., Kwak, Y., Miller, S., Chukwuma, U., Julius, M., McGann, P., Clifford, R.
Added June 2016
Norovirus in the hospital setting: virus introduction and spread within the hospital environment
2011
Journal of Hospital Infection
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 77
Pages 106-112
Author(s): Morter, S., Bennet, G., Fish, J., Richards, J., Allen, D.J., Nawaz, S., Iturriza-Gómara, M., Brolly, S., Gray, J.
Added May 2016
Impact of sink location on hand hygiene compliance after care of patients with Clostridium difficile infection: a cross-sectional study
2016
BMC Infectious Diseases
Journal Article
Author(s): Deyneko, A., Cordeiro, F., Berlin, L., Ben-David, D., Perna, S., Longtin, Y.
Hand hygiene is typically identified as the most important infection control measure. Many healthcare settings have adopted alcohol-based hand rub solutions because they are extremely easy to use, are accessible, and are effective against microbes. One limitation of alcohol-based hand rubs, however, is their ineffectiveness against spore-forming organisms such as Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). Thus, hand washing in sinks rather than rubbing with solutions is highly recommended after caring for patients with CDI.
Added May 2016
Antimicrobials in Hospital Furnishings: Do They Help Reduce Healthcare-Associated Infections?
2016
Health Care Without Harm
Report
Author(s): Schettler, T.
Added May 2016
Nebraska Biocontainment Unit perspective on disposal of Ebola medical waste
2014
American Journal of Infection Control
Journal Article
Issue 12
Volume 42
Pages 1256-1257
Author(s): Lowe, J. J., Gibbs, S. G., Schwedhelm, S. S., Nguyen, J., Smith, P. W.
Added May 2016
Determining high touch areas in the operating room with levels of contamination
2016
American Journal of Infection Control
Journal Article
Issue 11
Volume 44
Pages 1350-1355
Author(s): Link, T., Kleiner, C., Mancuso, M. P., Dziadkowiec, O., Halverson-Carpenter, K.
Added May 2016
Effectiveness of an extended period of flashing lights and strategic signage to increase the salience of alcohol-gel dispensers for improving hand hygiene compliance
2016
American Journal of Infection Control
Journal Article
Issue 7
Volume 44
Pages 782-785
Author(s): Rashidi, B., Li, A., Patel, R., Harmsen, I. E., Sabri, E., Kyeremanteng, K., D'Egidio, G.
Hospitals are often full of information and attention-seeking signs, colors, and noises, making it difficult for something as inconspicuous as alcohol-gel hand dispensers to stand out apart from everything else. Therefore if a hospital wishes to increase rates of hand hygiene compliance, the design and location of hand sanitizer dispensers is of high importance. In a previous study, the authors of this paper showed that affixing a flashing red light to alcohol-gel dispensers for one week doubled hand hygiene rates from 12.4% to 25.3%.
Added May 2016
The Creation of a Biocontainment Unit at a Tertiary Care Hospital: The Johns Hopkins Medicine Experience
2016
Annals of the American Thoracic Society
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 13
Pages 600-608
Author(s): Garibaldi, B. T., Kelen, G. D., Brower, R. G., Bova, G., Ernst, N., Reimers, M., Langlotz, R., Gimburg, A., Iati, M., Smith, C., MacConnell, S., James, H., Lewin, J. J., Trexler, P., Black, M. A., Lynch, C., Clarke, W., Marzinke, M. A., Sokoll, L. J., Carroll, K. C., Parish, N. M., Dionne, K., Biddison, E. L. D., Gwon, H. S., Sauer, L., Hill, P., Newton, S. M., Garrett, M. R., Miller, R. G., Perl, T. M., Maragakis, L. L.
Prior to the 2014 Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa, the United States had only one to three specialized biocontainment units. Once the EVD crisis began, a group of reputable American healthcare institutions worked together to renovate a deactivated clinical space into a functioning biocontainment unit (BCU).
Added April 2016
Visitor characteristics and alcohol-based hand sanitizer dispenser locations at the hospital entrance: Effect on visitor use rates
2016
American Journal of Infection Control
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 44
Pages 258-262
Author(s): Hobbs, M. A., Robinson, S., Neyens, D. M., Steed, C.
Proper hand hygiene is one of the most effective measures in the effort to prevent transmission of nosocomial pathogens in clinical settings. Previous studies have shown how healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) could be traced back to the spread of germs from hospital employees, patients, and visitors. While there is a large body of research on improving hand hygiene compliance among healthcare workers, there is a lack of similar studies aimed towards compliance among hospital visitors.
Added March 2016
Environmental factors and their association with emergency department hand hygiene compliance: an observational study
2016
BMJ Quality & Safety
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 25
Pages 372-378
Author(s): Carter, E. J., Wyer, P., Giglio, J., Jia, H., Nelson, G., Kauari, V. E., Larson, E. L.
Adherence to proper hand hygiene procedures has been repeatedly shown to help prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Emergency departments (EDs) often experience environmental conditions such as crowding and subsequently end up using non-traditional patient care areas such as hallways to administer treatment. It is possible that the use of non-traditional patient care areas contributes to lower levels of hand hygiene compliance.
Added March 2016
Effectiveness of improved hydrogen peroxide in decontaminating privacy curtains contaminated with multidrug-resistant pathogens
2014
American Journal of Infection Control
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 42
Pages 426-428
Author(s): Rutala, W. A., Gergen, M. F., Sickbert-Bennett, E. E., Williams, D. A., Weber, D. J.
Added January 2016
Do high-touch surfaces in public spaces pose a risk for influenza transmission? A virologic study during the peak of the 2009 influenza A(H1N1) pandemic in Geneva, Switzerland
2015
American Journal of Infection Control
Journal Article
Issue 12
Volume 43
Pages 1372-1373
Author(s): von Braun, A., Thomas, Y., Sax, H.
Added January 2016
Preparing an ICU room to welcome a critically ill patient with Ebola virus disease
2014
Intensive Care Medicine
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 41
Pages 118-119
Author(s): Pasquier, P., Ficko, C., Mérens, A., Dubost, C.
Ebola virus disease is a viral hemorrhagic fever that spreads through direct contact with the body fluids of an infected animal or human. Contamination may also occur through contact with items that were recently contacted by infected bodily fluids. No spread of the disease through the air has been documented. As no specific treatment or vaccine for the virus is currently available, specially coordinated medical services are necessary to control outbreaks.
Added December 2015
Modeling infection risk and energy use of upper-room Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation systems in multi-room environments
2015
Science and Technology for the Built Environment
Journal Article
Issue 1
Volume 21
Pages 99-111
Author(s): Noakes, C. J., Khan, M. A. I., Gilkeson, C. A.
Added December 2015
