Hospitals clean environmental surfaces to lower microbial contamination and reduce the likelihood of transmitting infections. Despite current cleaning and hand hygiene protocols, hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) continue to result in a significant loss of life and cost the U.S. healthcare system an estimated $45 billion annually. Stainless steel and chrome are often selected for hospital tou...

BACKGROUND Cleaning of environmental surfaces in hospitals is important for the control of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other hospital-acquired infections transmitted by the contact route. Guidance regarding the best approaches for cleaning, however, is limited. METHODS In this study, a mathematical model based on ordinary differential equations was constructed to st...

In this work, we report the antimicrobial efficacy of azetidinium functionalized polytetrahydrofurans in solution and their application in the preparation of non leaching, antimicrobial surfaces. The excellent antimicrobial efficacy of these water soluble polymers both in solution and on surfaces (>99.99%–100% bacterial growth inhibition) makes them excellent candidates for solving the hygiene ...

OBJECTIVE To determine the frequency of overhanging margins in amalgam restorations done by undergraduate students at Fatima Jinnah Dental College Hospital, Karachi. STUDY DESIGN Observational study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY Department of Operative Dentistry, Fatima Jinnah Dental Hospital, Karachi, from January to June 2009. METHODOLOGY Patients aged 20 - 45 years attending the Departm...

Recent studies using direct covert observation or a fluorescent targeting method have consistently confirmed that most near patient surfaces are not being cleaned in accordance with existing hospital policies while other studies have confirmed that patients admitted to rooms previously occupied by patients with hospital pathogens have a substantially greater risk of acquiring the same pathogen ...

Nipah virus (NiV) has been transmitted from patient to caregivers in Bangladesh presumably through oral secretions. We aimed to detect whether NiV-infected patients contaminate hospital surfaces with the virus. During December 2013-April 2014, we collected 1 swab sample from 5 surfaces near NiV-infected patients and tested surface and oral swab samples by real-time reverse transcription PCR for...

A European campaign of ground-based radar, lidar and optical measurements was carried out during the winter of 1996/1997 (28 December±2 February) to study lee waves in the northern part of Scandinavia. The participants operated ozone lidars, backscatter lidars and MST radars at ALOMAR/Andoya and Esrange/Kiruna, and an ALIS imaging system in Kiruna. The Andoya site was generally windward of the ...

T he role of medical devices, such as bronchoscopes, in the transmission of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) has long been recognized, however, the evidence that environmental and medical equipment surfaces play a role in the transmission of HAIs has been weak. Studies have demonstrated that pathogens can be transmitted from surfaces to personnel and patients, and that these pathogens ar...

OBJECTIVE to assess the efficiency of cleaning/disinfection of surfaces of an Intensive Care Unit. METHOD descriptive-exploratory study with quantitative approach conducted over the course of four weeks. Visual inspection, bioluminescence adenosine triphosphate and microbiological indicators were used to indicate cleanliness/disinfection. Five surfaces (bed rails, bedside tables, infusion pum...