All
RSSArticles
-
Mitral Annulus Disjunction and Ventricular Arrhythmias
A patient cohort with mitral annular disjunction (MAD) identified by echo was characterized clinically and by MRI. Ventricular arrhythmias were common in MAD patients and related to the degree of MAD and papillary muscle fibrosis by MRI but not the presence of mitral valve prolapse.
-
Detection of Prosthetic Heart Valve Endocarditis
A multicenter, retrospective, observational study of patients undergoing 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT for prosthetic valve endocarditis or other indications showed that if certain obvious confounders are excluded, this imaging technique offers a high degree of accuracy for diagnosing prosthetic valve endocarditis, especially if performed early in the course of the disease.
-
Study Adds Complexity to Post-TAVR Anticoagulation
In this large contemporary, prospective transcatheter aortic valve replacement registry, oral anticoagulation appears to be protective against valve degeneration but is associated with increased mortality. The strongest predictors of mortality at three years were male gender, renal failure, and atrial fibrillation.
-
Presenteeism: Working Sick Appears to Be Endemic
Healthcare facilities should have specific criteria clarifying when infected healthcare workers should stay home, as gray areas and disincentives currently result in exposures to patients and colleagues, the CDC reports.
-
CDC Drafts Infection Control Guidelines for HCWs
The CDC has issued draft guidelines for preventing infections in healthcare workers, urging collaboration between infection preventionists and employee health professionals. The guidelines, which are open for comment through Dec. 14, recommend that occupational health services engage administration and other departments in infection prevention activities.
-
Get Patients ‘Up’ to Reduce Pneumonia, Other HAIs
The American Hospital Association’s “Up” campaign can reduce the incidence of nonventilator-associated pneumonia, the leading HAI in a recent study. The campaign urges basic interventions that reduce patient harm.
-
Hospital-acquired Pneumonia, C. diff Leading HAIs
Significant progress is being made in reducing surgical site and urinary tract infections, but Clostridium difficile and pneumonia are entrenched in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sentinel hospitals, researchers report.
-
AFM Peaking Every Other Year
In an unusual pattern that adds to the mystery of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), the paralytic syndrome in children is peaking every other year in a fall seasonal pattern that began in 2014. -
Tips and Info on AFM From an Experienced IP
Sue Dolan, RN, an infection preventionist at Colorado Children’s Hospital in Denver, has extensive experience dealing with acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) and the viruses that can trigger the paralytic condition. She provided tips for IPs to Hospital Infection Control & Prevention.
-
What Is Causing Acute Flaccid Paralysis Syndrome in Children?
The recent increase of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) in pediatric patients has parents distraught and investigators looking at more questions than answers. Typical onset includes weakness in the arms and legs, with the median age of afflicted children being four years old.