STUDY OBJECTIVE We evaluate the frequency of emergency department (ED) ultrasonographic probe contamination and the bacterial species involved and evaluate probe cleaning and disinfection methods. METHODS This was a 3-part observational cross-sectional study. Surveillance cultures were taken of linear and curvilinear probes on 3 ultrasonographic machines between patient encounters. Cultures o...

• Refurbished products are believed to be contaminated by their previous usage. Consumer choices for refurbished were tested with choice-based conjoint. Replacing contamination-sensitive parts is most important products. Reducing functional-and aesthetic signs enhances product choice refurbishment. Contamination-related attributes more influential than price and warranty. Refurbishment an effec...

Botulism in Nunavik, Quebec is associated with the consumption of aged marine mammal meat and fat. The objective was to identify meat handling practices presenting a risk of contamination of seal meat with C. botulinum. Potential sources of contamination were assessed through interviews with igunaq producers from five communities of Nunavik. These sources were verified by detection and isolatio...

Cultured skin substitutes have become therapeutic alternatives for treatment of acute and chronic skin wounds, but all models of these substitutes are avascular and susceptible to microbial destruction during vascularization. To develop a practical management protocol for increased survival of skin substitutes, experimental wounds were contaminated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and treated with a...

The contamination rate of phlebotomy tourniquets with meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was assessed, and it was determined whether this could be reduced by changes in practice or by the use of a physical barrier. Initially, the tourniquets of both preregistration house officers and phlebotomists were investigated, but as phlebotomists reported significantly more venepunctures d...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to determine the timing and type of surgical field contamination in 50 consecutive resections for advanced head and neck cancer with same-stage tissue reconstruction and to analyze the relationship between contamination and the surgical site infection. METHODS Swabs from the surgical field and from surgical drapes close to the field were taken every 2 ...

Background Blood culture contamination is a clinically significant problem that results in patient harm and excess cost. Methods In a prospective, controlled trial at an academic center Emergency Department, a device that diverts and sequesters the initial 1.5-2 mL portion of blood (which presumably carries contaminating skin cells and microbes) was tested against standard phlebotomy procedur...