The reported prevalence of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) in Switzerland for the years 2008-2010 has been low at <5%. At the University Hospital Zurich, 17 cases of VRE were detected between 28 December 2009 and 15 February 2010. Nine cases were diagnosed clinically; eight cases were detected by rectal screening. The centre of the outbreak was the cardiac surgery department. Fo...

OBJECTIVE To introduce a new sequential chlorination disinfection process in which short-term free chlorine and chloramine are sequentially added. METHODS Pilot tests of this sequential chlorination were carried out in a drinking water plant. RESULTS The sequential chlorination disinfection process had the same or better efficiency on microbe (including virus) inactivation compared with the...

OBJECTIVE Disinfection procedures often cause deterioration in a maxillofacial prosthesis. Color and hardness alterations could lead to a replacement of the prosthesis. MATERIAL AND METHODS An experimental chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) and a commercial polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS) sample were treated with four different disinfection procedures for a period which simulates 1 year of clinical ...

A hand hygiene behavior questionnaire and environmental survey were conducted regarding the mobile X-ray system used in the emergency room. As a result, among a total of 22 radiological technologists at this hospital who replied to the questionnaire, 18 wore disposable gloves when performing X-ray imaging using the mobile system. Among those 18, 11 were found to touch computed radiology (CR) co...

Plastic piping made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and chlorinated PVC (CPVC), is being increasingly used for drinking water distribution lines. Given the formulation of the material from vinyl chloride (VC), there has been concern that the VC (a confirmed human carcinogen) can leach from the plastic piping into drinking water. PVC/CPVC pipe reactors in the laboratory and tap samples collected fr...

High speed instruments are versatile instruments used by clinicians of all specialties of dentistry. It is important for clinicians to understand the types of high speed handpieces available and the mechanism of working. The centers for disease control and prevention have issued guidelines time and again for disinfection and sterilization of high speed handpieces. This article presents the rece...

BACKGROUND The use of examination gloves is part of the standard precautions to prevent medical staff from transmission of infectious agents between patients. Gloves also protect the staff from infectious agents originating from patients. Adequate protection, however, depends on intact gloves. The risk of perforation of examination gloves is thought to correlate with duration of wearing, yet, o...

The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. (APIC) Board of Directors and Guidelines Committee are pleased to present the ‘‘APIC’’ Guideline for Hand Washing and Hand Antisepsis in Health Care Settings.’’ Elaine Larson, RN, PhD, FAAN, CIC, was selected to revise the previously published ‘‘APIC Guideline for Use of Topical Antimicrobial Agents’’ because of her r...

background: hospital infections are a main cause of infant death among hospitalized infants in the neonatal wards. this research was conducted aiming to assess the medical staff's knowledge of hospital infections. methods: this is a cross-sectional study, conducted in all neonatal in isfahan hospitals wards. 65 nurses answerd to a questionnaire. results: results showed that 66.7% considered sep...

We investigated two consecutive Serratia marcescens (S. marcescens) outbreaks which occurred in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of a tertiary level hospital in North Italy in a period of 10 years (January 2003-December 2012). Risk factors associated with S. marcescens acquisition were evaluated by a retrospective case-control study. A total of 21,011 clinical samples was examined: S. marc...