Legionnaires' Disease in Long-Term Care Facilities: Overview and Proposed Solutions
2005
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Journal Article
Issue 5
Volume 53
Pages 875-880
Author(s): Seenivasan, M. H., Yu, V. L., Muder, R. R.
Legionnaires’ disease is a notable problem in acute care settings. Legionnaires’ disease has been shown to be an important cause of community- and hospital-acquired pneumonia. In hospitals with Legionella colonization of the water systems, hospital-acquired legionellosis is frequently endemic, accounting for 10% to 40% of hospital-acquired pneumonias. Legionnaires’ disease also accounts for 2% to 15% of community-acquired pneumonia. In contrast, the incidence of Legionnaires’ disease in long-term care residents is not clearly delineated.
Added July 2014
Fall and Injury Prevention in Older People Living in Residential Care Facilities: A Cluster Randomized Trial
2002
Annals of Internal Medicine
Journal Article
Issue 10
Volume 136
Pages 733–741
Author(s): Jensen, J., Lundin-Olsson, L., Nyberg, L., Gustafson, Y.
Despite the fact that falls and resulting injuries are common in the residential care population, little is known about how to prevent falls. Research during the past 10 years around fall prevention has shown positive and negative results. Some of these inconsistent results could be explained by differences in target groups, interventions, and outcome measures.
Added May 2014
Traffic Flow in the Operating Room: An Explorative and Descriptive Study on Air Quality During Orthopedic Trauma Implant Surgery
2012
Journal of Infection Control
Journal Article
Issue 8
Volume 40
Pages 750-755
Author(s): Andersson, A.E., Bergh, I., Karlsson, J., Eriksson, B.I. MD, Nilsson,K.
Three main strategies exist to prevent surgical site infections following surgery: 1) the patient, 2) the surgical technique, 3) the surgical environment. This study focuses on optimizing the effect of the surgical environment in preventing SSIs (surgical site infections). The authors attempt to understand that the protective potential of operating room (OR) ventilation under different conditions is crucial to optimizing the surgical environment.
Added April 2014
The Effect of Environmental Design on Reducing Nursing Errors and Increasing Efficiency in Acute Care Settings: A Review and Analysis of the Literature
2009
Environment and Behavior
Journal Article
Issue 6
Volume 41
Pages 755-786
Author(s): Chaudhury, H., Mahmood, A., Valente, M.
In acute care settings, the physical environment plays an important role in staff efficiency and patient safety. Some research suggests that poor environments can result in staff stress, anxiety, and distractions due to noise; artificial lighting; improper or inadequate ventilation; and disorienting layouts of nursing units. There is less research on how environmental factors affect nursing staff health, effectiveness, errors, and job satisfaction.
Added April 2014
Nurses’ Perception of Single-Occupancy Versus Multioccupancy Rooms in Acute Care Environments: An Exploratory Comparative Assessment
2006
Applied Nursing Research
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 19
Pages 118-125
Author(s): Chaudhury, H., Mahmood, A., Valente, M.
As people are living longer and the baby boomers age, the demand for hospital beds will increase. As new facilities are built to handle this influx of patients, the challenge for hospital designers and administrators is to design patient rooms that promote therapeutic goals, foster positive patient outcomes, and function as intensive care rooms. Recent research suggests that single-occupancy rooms are more suitable for infection control and patient care than multioccupancy rooms. However, no research has been done about nursing staff members’ perception of single-occupancy and multioccupancy patient rooms in acute care settings as it relates to patient care.
Added April 2014
Enhancing the traditional hospital design process: a focus on patient safety
March 2004
The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Safety
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 30
Pages 115-24
Author(s): Reiling, J.G., Knutzen, B.L., Wallen, T.K., McCullough, S. , Miller, R., Chernos, S.
The current study is an overview of innovative system engineering and patient safety factors, named as the Synergy model that a hospital system utilized to design their new facility.
Added April 2014
Acuity-Adaptable Patient Room Improves Length of Stay and Cost of Patients Undergoing Renal Transplant: A Pilot Study
2013
Critical Care Nursing Quarterly
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 36
Pages 181-194
Author(s): Bonuel, N., Degracia, A., Cesario, S.
As patient room design has evolved to accommodate changes in clinical services, operational trends, and new technologies, the acuity-adaptable patient room concept has emerged. In an acuity-adaptable room, patients are cared for across the continuum, from intake to discharge regardless of their progress or condition. This is a departure from the current standard care delivery, where patients move from unit to unit and room to room depending on the level of care acuity.
Added March 2014
Review of the Literature: Acuity-Adaptable Patient Room
2013
Critical Care Nursing Quarterly
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 36
Pages 251–271
Author(s): Bonuel, N. , Cesario, S.
Acuity-adaptable rooms allow patients to stay in one room from the time they are admitted to when they leave, regardless of their acuity level. These specially equipped private rooms are staffed by nurses who have the skills and training to support the complete range of care for patients with similar conditions or disease processes. The rooms are larger in size than a regular hospital room to accommodate various patients’ needs as their condition changes, such as critical care equipment, additional staff, procedures, and family members.
Added March 2014
The impact of health facilities on healthcare workers’ well-being and performance
2009
International Journal of Nursing Studies
Journal Article
Issue 7
Volume 46
Pages 1025–1034
Author(s): Rechel, B., Buchan, J., McKee, M.
There is extensive research on the effect of healthcare environments on patients. But much less is known about health facilities’ impact the staff, even while there is growing recognition of the need for healthy working environments. Poor healthcare working environments can relate to the nature of the work—long and antisocial hours, little administrative support, physical labor, and, sometimes, violence.
Added February 2014
Efficacy of controlling night-time noise and activities to improve patients’ sleep quality in a surgical intensive care unit
2011
Journal of Clinical Nursing
Journal Article
Issue 3-4
Volume 20
Pages 396–407
Author(s): Li, S., Wang, T., Wu, S. F. V., Liang, S., Tung, H.
In the intensive care unit (ICU), noises, continuous lighting, and constant care-related activities disrupt patients’ sleep. Patients also may struggle to sleep because they are in an unfamiliar environment, feel isolated, are in pain, have various tubes or other equipment to deal with, as well as just general treatment activities.
Added January 2014
Achieving EBD Goals Through Flooring Selection & Design
Author(s): Nanda, Upali, Malone, Eileen, Joseph, Anjali
Added April 2013
The Pebble Collaborative: An acoustic conversation
2008
Healthcare Design Magazine
Magazine Article
Issue 8
Volume 8
Pages 12-14
Author(s): Cheng, P
Added March 2013
Outbreak of Invasive Aspergillus Infection in Surgical Patients, Associated with a Contaminated Air-Handling System
2003
Clinical Infectious Diseases
Journal Article
Issue 6
Volume 37
Pages 786-793
Author(s): Lutz, B. D., Jin, J., Rinaldi, M. G., Wickes, B. L., Huycke, M.
Surgical Site Infections are a prominent concern Operating Room design. In this study a specific outbreak of aspergillus infection in a hospital was investigated and linked back to the air quality conditions in the O.R. The study is significant because typically Aspergillus species are ubiquitous thermotolerant molds that rarely cause invasive infection.
Added November 2012
Antimicrobial drug use and infection control practices associated with the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in European hospitals
2007
Clinical Microbiology and Infection
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 13
Pages 269-276
Author(s): MacKenzie, F. M., Bruce, J., Struelens, M. J., Goossens, H., Mollison, J., Gould, I. M.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a type of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics such as methicillin and cephalosporins. MRSA may cause serious infections to patients with open wounds, invasive devices, and weakened immune systems, which are in some cases extremely difficult to treat. In recent years, the rate of MRSA infections has been increasing globally and causing high morbidity, mortality, and healthcare cost.
Added October 2012
Predesign and Post-occupancy Analysis of Staff Behavior in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
2002
Children’s Health Care
Journal Article
Issue 3
Volume 31
Pages 237-253
Author(s): Shepley, M.M.
Advances in technology have resulted in an increase in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) population; allowing care for newborn babies who might have died in the absence of advanced medical care. The design of NICUs has therefore become an important concern in healthcare, and an ongoing debate is the merit of open bays over closed bays. s. Changes in design have a direct impact on staff experience, and potentially staff behavior, which in turn can impact patient care.
Added October 2012
Natural Ventilation for the Prevention of Airborne Contagion
2007
PlOS Medicine
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 4
Pages e68
Author(s): Escombe, R.R., Oeser, C.I., Gilman, R.H., Navincopa, M., Martinez, C., Chacaltana, J., Rodriguez, R., Moore, D.J., Friedland, J.S., Evans, C.A.
Controlling the break of nosocomial infections is arguably the highest priority in hospitals. Institutional transmission of airborne infections, such as Tubercolosis (TB) are, additionally, a public health concern. This is particularly true for developing countries, or other resource-limited settings where protective measures such as negative-pressure isolation rooms, which have become the norm in more modern settings, are difficult to implement. The global statistics on TB are staggering at 1.8 million dealths a year.
Added October 2012
Handwashing patterns in two dermatology clinics
2002
Dermatology
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 205
Pages 358-361
Author(s): Cohen, H.A., Kitai, E., Levy, I., Ben-Amitai, D.
Handwashing has been identified as one of the most critical elements of controlling risk of hopital acquired infections. Healthcare workers hands can be a source of nosocomial infections. Adherance to hand hygience protocols is important to prevent the spread of health care-associated infections.
Added October 2012
Decreasing Airborne Contamination Levels in High-Risk Hospital Areas Using a Novel Mobile Air-Treatment Unit
2007
Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology
Journal Article
Volume 28
Pages 1181-1186
Author(s): Bergeron, V., Reboux, G., Poirot, J.L., Laudinet, B.S.
To evaluate the performance of a new mobile air-treatment unit that uses nonthermal-plasma reactors for lowering the airborne bioburden in critical hospital environments and reducing the risk of nosocomial infection due to opportunistic airborne pathogens, such as Aspergillus fumigatus. Tests were conducted in 2 different high-risk hospital areas: an operating room under simulated conditions and...
Added October 2012
The ventilation of multiple-bed hospital wards: Review and analysis
2008
American Journal of Infection Control
Journal Article
Issue 4
Volume 36
Pages 250-9
Author(s): Beggs, C.B., Kevin, G., Noakes, C.J., Hathway, A., Andrewsleigh, P.
Ventilation is a key concern in hospitals, however this has received less attention in the context of hospital wards, as compared to operating theaters or isolation rooms which have a high risk of infections. In many countries in the world where private rooms are not yet the norm, the issue of ventilation in multi-bed rooms is a critical concern. This paper undertakes a review of guidelines in the UK and the US around this issue.
Added October 2012
Control of an outbreak of nosocomial aspergillosis by laminar air-flow isolation.
1989
Journal of Hospital Infections
Journal Article
Issue 2
Volume 14
Pages 89094
Author(s): Barnes, RA, Rogers, TR
Laminar air flow is a system for circulating filtered air in healthcare facilities. It is very relevant to the issue of Indoor Air Quality and the impact on potential spread of infections. This paper focuses on understanding how using Laminar Air Flow (LAF) can reduce the spread of hospital acquired infections in the context of Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) patients.
Added October 2012
