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AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
- Antibiotics (2)
- Antimicrobial Stewardship (1)
- Cancer (1)
- (-) Clostridium difficile Infections (8)
- (-) Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) (8)
- Hospitals (2)
- Inpatient Care (1)
- Long-Term Care (1)
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AHRQ Research Studies
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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 8 of 8 Research Studies DisplayedHuang J, Park GW, Jones RM
Efficacy of EPA-registered disinfectants against two human norovirus surrogates and Clostridioides difficile endospores.
This study’s goal was to determine the efficacy of a panel of nine EPA-registered disinfectants against two human norovirus (HuNoV) surrogates (feline calicivirus [FCV] and Tulane virus [TuV]) and Clostridioides difficile endospores. These products, five of which contained H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) as the active ingredient, were tested against infectious FCV, TuV, and C. difficile endospores using two ASTM methods, a suspension and carrier test. Products containing hydrogen peroxide were the most efficacious. Of the five products containing hydrogen peroxide, no strong correlation was observed between disinfection efficacy and hydrogen peroxide concentration. Addition of 0.025% ferrous sulphate to 1% hydrogen peroxide solution improved efficacy against FCV, TuV and C. difficile.
AHRQ-funded; HS025987.
Citation: Huang J, Park GW, Jones RM .
Efficacy of EPA-registered disinfectants against two human norovirus surrogates and Clostridioides difficile endospores.
J Appl Microbiol 2022 Jun;132(6):4289-99. doi: 10.1111/jam.15524..
Keywords: Clostridium difficile Infections, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Prevention, Patient Safety
Cannon JL, Park GW, Anderson B
Hygienic monitoring in long-term care facilities using ATP, crAssphage, and human noroviruses to direct environmental surface cleaning.
Norovirus and C. difficile can be transmitted by contaminated environmental surfaces and are associated with diarrheal illnesses and deaths in long-term care (LTC) facilities. Hygienic monitoring tools such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence and indicators of fecal contamination can help to identify LTC facility surfaces with cleaning deficiencies. The researchers swabbed and tested high-touch surfaces in 11 LTC facilities for contamination by norovirus, a fecal indicator virus, crAssphage, and ATP. The study found that greater than 90% of surfaces tested positive for crAssphage or failed in their ATP scores. Norovirus contamination was not detected. Handrails, equipment controls, and patient beds were 4 times more likely than other surfaces or locations to have high levels of crAssphage. Patient bed handrails and tables and chairs in patient lounges had high levels of both ATP and crAssphage.
AHRQ-funded; HS025987.
Citation: Cannon JL, Park GW, Anderson B .
Hygienic monitoring in long-term care facilities using ATP, crAssphage, and human noroviruses to direct environmental surface cleaning.
Am J Infect Control 2022 Mar; 50(3):289-94. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2021.11.014..
Keywords: Nursing Homes, Long-Term Care, Prevention, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Clostridium difficile Infections
Jump RLP, Gaur S, Katz MJ
Template for an antibiotic stewardship policy for post-acute and long-term care settings.
To support compliance with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services (CMS) requirements and aid facilities in establishing a stewardship program, the Infection Advisory Committee at the American Medical Directors Association -The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine, has developed an antibiotic stewardship policy template tailored to the long-term care setting. This paper describes that policy template.
AHRQ-funded; HS022465; HS023779.
Citation: Jump RLP, Gaur S, Katz MJ .
Template for an antibiotic stewardship policy for post-acute and long-term care settings.
J Am Med Dir Assoc 2017 Nov;18(11):913-20. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2017.07.018..
Keywords: Antibiotics, Clostridium difficile Infections, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Policy, Prevention
Barker AK, Zellmer C, Tischendorf J
On the hands of patients with Clostridium difficile: a study of spore prevalence and the effect of hand hygiene on C difficile removal.
This study assessed the prevalence of Clostridium difficile spores in 48 observations of infected inpatients after randomly assigning them to hand hygiene with either alcohol-based handrub or soap and water.
AHRQ-funded; HS023791.
Citation: Barker AK, Zellmer C, Tischendorf J .
On the hands of patients with Clostridium difficile: a study of spore prevalence and the effect of hand hygiene on C difficile removal.
Am J Infect Control 2017 Oct;45(10):1154-56. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2017.03.005..
Keywords: Clostridium difficile Infections, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Patient Safety, Prevention
Cannon CM, Musuuza JS, Barker AK
Risk of Clostridium difficile infection in hematology-oncology patients colonized with toxigenic C. difficile.
This study determined that the prevalence of colonization with toxigenic Clostridium difficile among patients with hematological malignancies and/or bone marrow transplant at admission to a 566-bed academic medical care center was 9.3 percent. Thirteen percent of colonized patients developed symptomatic disease during hospitalization. This population may benefit from targeted C. difficile infection control interventions.
AHRQ-funded; HS024039; HS023791.
Citation: Cannon CM, Musuuza JS, Barker AK .
Risk of Clostridium difficile infection in hematology-oncology patients colonized with toxigenic C. difficile.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017 Jun;38(6):718-20. doi: 10.1017/ice.2017.48.
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Keywords: Cancer, Clostridium difficile Infections, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Patient Safety, Risk
Seidelman J, Dicks KV, Durkin MJ
Using clinical scenarios to understand preventability of Clostridium difficile infections by inpatient antibiotic stewardship programs.
The authors of this research brief designed a 2-phase study (1) to define the types of clostridium difficile infections (CDI) that clinicians consider unlikely preventable by inpatient antibiotic stewardship programs and (2) to estimate the relative proportion of inpatient CDI cases at a tertiary-care hospital that belongs to this category of “nonpreventable” CDI.
AHRQ-funded; HS023866.
Citation: Seidelman J, Dicks KV, Durkin MJ .
Using clinical scenarios to understand preventability of Clostridium difficile infections by inpatient antibiotic stewardship programs.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017 Jun;38(6):747-49. doi: 10.1017/ice.2017.32..
Keywords: Antibiotics, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Clostridium difficile Infections, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Inpatient Care
Deshpande A, Cadnum JL, Fertelli D
Are hospital floors an underappreciated reservoir for transmission of health care-associated pathogens?
In a survey of 5 hospitals, the researchers found that floors in patient rooms were frequently contaminated with pathogens and high-touch objects such as blood pressure cuffs and call buttons were often in contact with the floor. Contact with objects on floors frequently resulted in transfer of pathogens to hands.
AHRQ-funded; HS020004.
Citation: Deshpande A, Cadnum JL, Fertelli D .
Are hospital floors an underappreciated reservoir for transmission of health care-associated pathogens?
Am J Infect Control 2017 Mar;45(3):336-38. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2016.11.005.
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Keywords: Hospitals, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Clostridium difficile Infections, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Prevention, Patient Safety
Anderson DJ, Chen LF, Weber DJ
Enhanced terminal room disinfection and acquisition and infection caused by multidrug-resistant organisms and Clostridium difficile (the Benefits of Enhanced Terminal Room Disinfection study): a cluster-randomised, multicentre, crossover study.
The researchers determined the effects of three enhanced strategies for terminal room disinfection (disinfection of a room between occupying patients) on acquisition and infection due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, C difficile, and multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter. They found that the incidence of target organisms among exposed patients was significantly lower after adding UV (quaternary ammonium disinfectant and disinfecting ultraviolet [UV-C]) light to standard cleaning strategies.
AHRQ-funded; HS023866.
Citation: Anderson DJ, Chen LF, Weber DJ .
Enhanced terminal room disinfection and acquisition and infection caused by multidrug-resistant organisms and Clostridium difficile (the Benefits of Enhanced Terminal Room Disinfection study): a cluster-randomised, multicentre, crossover study.
Lancet 2017 Feb 25;389(10071):805-14. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(16)31588-4.
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Keywords: Clostridium difficile Infections, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Hospitals, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Prevention, Patient Safety