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Seeking Vaccines for HAIs
The problem is like the one encountered in the search for a universal influenza vaccine, where researchers are trying to recreate an immune response that the human body has not mounted in nature. -
NICU MRSA Surveillance: Seek, Find, Then What?
An effective MRSA surveillance program in a NICU needs to address a question of balance. -
The Next Wave: Diagnostic Stewardship
On the heels of the antibiotic stewardship movement, there is a new push to rein in and refine the use of diagnostics to detect healthcare-associated infections. -
CDC Hammering Out Healthcare Worker Infection Control Guidelines
Comprehensively updating an infection control guideline that is two decades old, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently is immersed in an immense draft and review process that will include an “out of the box” rethinking of occupational exposures. -
Misidentification of Fungus Delays Outbreak Response
Infection preventionists should ensure their labs have the diagnostic capabilities to detect multidrug-resistant Candida auris, which often is misidentified as less pathogenic fungi.
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Emerging Fungus Hard to Detect, Treat, Remove
A highly drug-resistant yeast continues to emerge in the U.S. healthcare system, spreading to 11 states and threatening frail patients with fatal bloodstream infections. -
Sepsis-related Neurologic Dysfunction Strongly Associated With Long-term Mortality
In this multicenter, retrospective study, acute neurologic dysfunction was the organ dysfunction most strongly associated with short- and long-term mortality in patients surviving a sepsis hospitalization.
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Selection of Isotonic Crystalloid for Fluid Resuscitation: How Much Does It Matter?
Using balanced crystalloids rather than normal saline for intravenous fluid administration in critically ill adults leads to statistically significant lower rates of major adverse kidney events, including death from any cause, new renal replacement therapy, and persistent renal dysfunction, compared to normal saline in critically ill adults. Clinical judgment should be applied when selecting fluid.
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Re-evaluating Steroid Therapy in Septic Shock
Septic shock carries a significant risk of mortality despite increasing knowledge of its pathophysiology and clinical management. Studies dating back to the 1960s suggested steroid treatment may alter the course of septic shock and led to the concept of critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency. Two recent trials have provided more data regarding steroid therapy for septic shock. Comparing these seminal studies provides context for the decision about whether to treat septic shock with steroid therapy.
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Simple Prediction Tool Facilitates Diagnosis of Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction
In patients with unexplained dyspnea, a score based on six noninvasive criteria can predict the likelihood of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.