Pseudomonas aeruginosa bloodstream infection is a serious infection with significant patient mortality and health-care costs. Nevertheless, the relationship between initial appropriate antimicrobial treatment and clinical outcomes is not well established. This study was a retrospective cohort analysis employing automated patient medical records and the pharmacy database at Barnes-Jewish Hospita...

There is a controversy as to whether the number of lumens in the central venous catheters may impact the incidence of catheter-related bloodstream infection. We performed a systematic search (MEDLINE, PREMEDLINE, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, BIOSIS Previews, CINAHL, HealthSTAR/Ovid healthstar, bibliographies, any language, to April, 2003) for full reports on randomized comparisons of single-lumen ...

BACKGROUND Candida parapsilosis is increasingly responsible for invasive candidiasis in neonates. This study investigates phenotypic and genotypic features of C. parapsilosis microbial isolates and underlying clinical conditions associated with acquisition of C. parapsilosis in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Italy. METHODS Identification of C. parapsilosis was performed by VITEK® 2 ...

INTRODUCTION P. fluorescens is an aerobic, Gram-negative bacillus related to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Like other species of Pseudomonas, the organism is widespread in nature and is found in water, moist soil, and vegetation. Due to its low virulence, P. fluorescens is an infrequent cause of infections except for catheter-related bloodstream infections in cancer patients. From August 1, 2003 to M...

The emergence of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae is considered as a significant global public health challenge, especially in pediatric patients, since the optimal treatment remains undefined. We summarize the therapeutic experience of six cases with carbapenems-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae infection occurred in pediatric intensive care unit. Related clinical symptoms and examinat...

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To determine whether a comprehensive educational program influenced the incidence of hub colonization of central venous catheters (CVCs) and bloodstream infection rates in children with cancer, to identify risk factors related to infection rates, and to determine the impact of an educational program on nurses' knowledge of CVC care for children with cancer. DESIGN Prospecti...

BACKGROUND Bloodstream infections related to use of catheters are associated with increased morbidity and mortality rates, prolonged hospital lengths of stay, and increased medical costs. OBJECTIVES To compare the effectiveness of chlorhexidine-impregnated dressings with that of standard dressings in preventing catheter-related bloodstream infections. METHODS A total of 100 children were ra...