A before–after–before direct comparison between catheters lined with chlorhexidine and silver sulfadiazine (CHSS) versus silver ionotrophes (SI) with a primary objective of comparison of rate of central-line–associated infection (CLABSI) in three 10-month windows. The CHSS catheters were associated with a lower rate of CLABSI.

Not all patients who acquire carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) develop infections by these organisms; many remain only colonized. Of 54 CPE-colonized patients, 16 (30%) developed CPE infections. We identified indwelling urinary catheter exposure, exposure to intravenous colistin, and overseas transfer as variables associated with CPE infection development among colonized patients.

External urinary collection devices (EUCDs) may reduce indwelling catheter usage and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs). In this retrospective quasi-experimental study, we demonstrated that EUCD implementation in women was associated with significantly decreased indwelling catheter usage and a trend (P = .10) toward decreased CAUTI per 1,000 patient days.

Engineering controls play an important role in reducing the spread of severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).1 Established technologies such as air filtration, and novel approaches such as ultraviolet (UV)-C light or plasma air ionization, have the potential to support the fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.2 We tested the efficacy of an air purification system (APS) combining UV-C light and high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration in a controlled environment using SARS-CoV-2 as test organism. The APS successfully removed the virus from the air using UV-C light by itself and in combination with HEPA air filtration.

There are currently no guidelines for central-line insertion site evaluation. Our study revealed an association between insertion site inflammation (ISI) and the development of central-line–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs). Automated surveillance for ISI is feasible and could help prevent CLABSI.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has migrated to regions that were initially spared, and it is likely that different populations are currently at risk for illness. Herein, we present our observations of the change in characteristics and resource use of COVID-19 patients over time in a national system of community hospitals to help inform those managing surge planning, operational management, and future policy decisions.

More than 50% of women with clinically apparent infection after mastectomy did not meet the 2020 National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) definition for surgical site infection (SSI). Implant loss was similar whether the 2020 NHSN SSI definition was met or not, suggesting equivalent adverse outcomes regardless of restriction to the surveillance definition.

We implemented universal inpatient Clostridioides difficile screening at an 800-bed hospital. Over 3 years, 2,010 of 47,048 screening tests (4.2%) were positive, with significantly higher rates of C. difficile colonization on transplant units than medical-surgical units: 5.4% (152 of 2,801) versus 4.3% (880 of 20,564), respectively (P = .005). Compliance with screening ranged from 79% to 96%.

This case–control study investigated the association between isolation precautions and the frequency of infant–caregiver interaction in the NICU. Interactions were discretely counted; cases and controls were matched by isolation status. Cases had fewer interactions than controls (median, 4 vs 8; P < .0001). Further research is needed to determine whether this reduction impacts patient outcomes.

In this cross-sectional population-based study, women had significantly higher crude incidence rates of both community-associated Clostridioides difficile infection (CA-CDI) and ambulatory antibiotic prescriptions compared to men in South Carolina in 2015. After adjustments for antibiotic prescription rates, there was no difference in the incidence rates of CA-CDI between the genders.