OBJECTIVE We determined the percentage of healthcare workers' (HCWs') hands contaminated with Clostridium difficile spores after caring for patients with C. difficile infection (CDI) and risk factors associated with contamination. DESIGN Prospective study. SETTING A French university hospital. METHODS We compared the hand contamination rate among HCWs caring for patients with CDI (exposed...

Handwashing and hand drying are key elements of infection control. Paper towels are generally accepted as the most hygienic means of drying hands and are often distributed from generic dispensers. Effective dispensing of towels is of importance economically and may influence infection control objectives if hands become contaminated during hand drying. In this study, a method to identify potenti...

Molecular gut-content analysis enables detection of arthropod predation with minimal disruption of ecosystem processes. Mass-collection methods, such as sweep-netting, vacuum sampling and foliage beating, could lead to regurgitation or rupturing of predators along with uneaten prey, thereby contaminating specimens and compromising resultant gut-content data. Proponents of this 'cross-contaminat...

BACKGROUND Computer keyboards and mice are potential reservoirs of nosocomial pathogens, but routine disinfection for non-water-proof computer devices is a problem. With better hand hygiene compliance of health-care workers (HCWs), the impact of these potential sources of contamination on clinical infection needs to be clarified. METHODS This study was conducted in a 1600-bed medical center o...

BACKGROUND Periodic lack of availability and high cost of commercially produced isotonic fluids for intravenous (IV) use in horses have increasingly led to use of home-made or commercially compound fluids by veterinarians. Data regarding the quality control and safety of compounded fluids would be of benefit to equine veterinarians. OBJECTIVES To compare electrolyte concentrations, sterility,...

Results All methods use gram-negative bacteria as marker organisms and the measured endpoint is reduction on hands after test article application. ASTM E2755 includes Staph. aureus, more representative of a hand transmitted pathogen in healthcare environments. Both EN1500 and E1174 have unrealistic hand contamination procedures which necessitate evaluation of unrealistic volumes of product at e...