Zero tolerance to shunt infections: can it be achieved?
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OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the rigid application of a technique of shunt placement aimed at the eradication of postoperative shunt infection in neurosurgical practice. METHOD: All shunt procedures were performed or closely supervised by the senior author (MSC). The essentials were the use of intravenous peri- and postoperative antimicrobials, rigid adherence to classical aseptic technique, liberal use of topical antiseptic (Betadine), and avoidance of haematomas. RESULTS: Of 176 operations, 93 were primary procedures; 33 patients underwent revisions, some multiple. Only one infection occurred, seven months postoperatively, secondary to appendicitis with peritonitis. The infecting Streptococcus faecalis appeared to ascend from the abdominal cavity. CONCLUSION: A rigidly applied protocol and strict adherence to sterile technique can reduce shunt infections to a very low level. (+info)
Comparison of chlorhexidine and tincture of iodine for skin antisepsis in preparation for blood sample collection.
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Rates of contamination of blood cultures obtained when skin was prepared with iodine tincture versus chlorhexidine were compared. For iodine tincture, the contamination rate was 2.7%; for chlorhexidine, it was 3.1%. The 0.41% difference is not statistically significant. Chlorhexidine has comparable effectiveness and is safer, cheaper, and preferred by staff, so it is an alternative to iodine tincture. (+info)
A controlled trial of scheduled replacement of central venous and pulmonary-artery catheters.
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BACKGROUND: The incidence of infection increases with the prolonged use of central vascular catheters, but it is unclear whether changing catheters every three days, as some recommend, will reduce the rate of infection, It is also unclear whether it is safer to change a catheter over a guide wire or insert it at a new site. METHODS: We conducted a controlled trial in adult patients in intensive care units who required central venous or pulmonary-artery catheters for more than three days. Patients were assigned randomly to undergo one of four methods of catheter exchange: replacement every three days either by insertion at a new site (group 1) or by exchange over a guide wire (group 2), or replacement when clinically indicated either by insertion at a new site (group 3) or by exchange over a guide wire (group 4). RESULTS: Of the 160 patients, 5 percent had catheter-related bloodstream infections, 16 percent had catheters that became colonized, and 9 percent had major mechanical complications. The incidence rates (per 1000 days of catheter use) of bloodstream infection were 3 in group 1, 6 in group 2, 2 in group 3, and 3 in group 4; the incidence rates of mechanical complications were 14, 4, 8, and 3, respectively. Patients randomly assigned to guide-wire-assisted exchange were more likely to have bloodstream infection after the first three days of catheterization (6 percent vs. 0, P = 0.06). Insertions at new sites were associated with more mechanical complications (5 percent vs. 1 percent, P = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Routine replacement of central vascular catheters every three days does not prevent infection. Exchanging catheters with the use of a guide wire increases the risk of bloodstream infection, but replacement involving insertion of catheters at new sites increases the risk of mechanical complications. (+info)
Influence of decontamination on induction of arthritis in Lewis rats by cell wall fragments of Eubacterium aerofaciens. Arthropathic properties of indigenous anaerobic bacteria.
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Although the cause (or causes) of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown, many workers have suggested that microorganisms play a part. The intestinal flora in particular has been related to the development of joint inflammation. It has been shown previously that cell wall fragments of several anaerobic Gram positive intestinal bacteria of human origin are arthritogenic after a single intraperitoneal injection in Lewis rats. The part played by indigenous microflora in this model has now been studied by decontaminating Lewis rats before the injection of Eubacterium aerofaciens cell wall fragments. The pattern and severity of arthritis appeared to be comparable in decontaminated and control rats. The second goal of this work was to isolate arthritogenic bacteria from the autochthonous intestinal flora of rats. Only a limited number of bacteria showing a resemblance to arthritogenic strains from human intestinal flora (i.e. E aerofaciens and Bifidobacterium adolescentis) could be isolated. These strains did not induce chronic arthritis after intraperitoneal injection. This may explain why spontaneous arthritis did not develop in Lewis rats. (+info)
Safety and impact of chlorhexidine antisepsis interventions for improving neonatal health in developing countries.
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Affordable, efficacious, and safe interventions to prevent infections and improve neonatal survival in low-resource settings are needed. Chlorhexidine is a broad-spectrum antiseptic that has been used extensively for many decades in hospital and other clinical settings. It has also been given as maternal vaginal lavage, full-body newborn skin cleansing, and/or umbilical cord cleansing to prevent infection in neonates. Recent evidence suggests that these chlorhexidine interventions may have significant public health impact on the burden of neonatal infection and mortality in developing countries. This review examines the available data from randomized and nonrandomized studies of chlorhexidine cleansing, with a primary focus on potential uses in low-resource settings. Safety issues related to chlorhexidine use in newborns are reviewed, and future research priorities for chlorhexidine interventions for neonatal health in developing countries are discussed. We conclude that maternal vaginal cleansing combined with newborn skin cleansing could reduce neonatal infections and mortality in hospitals of sub-Saharan Africa, but the individual impact of these interventions must be determined, particularly in community settings. There is evidence for a protective benefit of newborn skin and umbilical cord cleansing with chlorhexidine in the community in south Asia. Effectiveness trials in that region are required to address the feasibility of community-based delivery methods such as incorporating these interventions into clean birth kits or training programs for minimally skilled delivery assistants or family members. Efficacy trials for all chlorhexidine interventions are needed in low-resource settings in Africa, and the benefit of maternal vaginal cleansing beyond that provided by newborn skin cleansing needs to be determined. (+info)
Impact of newborn skin-cleansing with chlorhexidine on neonatal mortality in southern Nepal: a community-based, cluster-randomized trial.
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OBJECTIVE: Hospital-based data from Africa suggest that newborn skin-cleansing with chlorhexidine may reduce neonatal mortality. Evaluation of this intervention in the communities where most births occur in the home has not been done. Our objective was to assess the efficacy of a 1-time skin-cleansing of newborn infants with 0.25% chlorhexidine on neonatal mortality. METHODS: The design was a community-based, placebo-controlled, cluster-randomized trial in Sarlahi District in southern Nepal. Newborn infants were cleansed with infant wipes that contained 0.25% chlorhexidine or placebo solution as soon as possible after delivery in the home (median: 5.8 hours). The primary outcome was all-cause mortality by 28 days. After the completion of the randomized phase, all newborns in study clusters were converted to chlorhexidine treatment for the subsequent 9 months. RESULTS: A total of 17,530 live births occurred in the enrolled sectors, 8650 and 8880 in the chlorhexidine and placebo groups, respectively. Baseline characteristics were similar in the treatment groups. Intention-to-treat analysis among all live births showed no impact of the intervention on neonatal mortality. Among live-born infants who actually received their assigned treatment (98.7%), there was a nonsignificant 11% lower neonatal mortality rate among those who were treated with chlorhexidine compared with placebo. Low birth weight infants had a statistically significant 28% reduction in neonatal mortality; there was no significant difference among infants who were born weighing > or = 2500 g. After conversion to active treatment in the placebo clusters, there was a 37% reduction in mortality among low birth weight infants in the placebo clusters versus no change in the chlorhexidine clusters. CONCLUSIONS: Newborn skin-wiping with chlorhexidine solution once, soon after birth, reduced neonatal mortality only among low birth weight infants. Evidence from additional trials is needed to determine whether this inexpensive and simple intervention could improve survival significantly among low birth weight infants in settings where home delivery is common and hygiene practices are poor. (+info)
Prevention of infection in peripheral arterial reconstruction: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
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OBJECTIVE: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine the effectiveness of perioperative strategies to prevent infection in patients undergoing peripheral arterial reconstruction. METHODS: All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating measures intended to reduce or prevent infection in arterial surgery were identified through searches of the Cochrane Peripheral Vascular Diseases Group specialized trials register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and reference lists of relevant articles. Two authors independently selected and assessed the quality of included trials. Relative risk (RR) was used as a measure of effect for each dichotomous outcome. RESULTS: The study included 34 RCTs. Of these, 22 were trials of prophylactic systemic antibiotics, 3 of rifampicin-bonded grafts, 3 of preoperative skin antisepsis, 2 of suction wound drainage, 2 of minimally invasive in situ bypass techniques, and individual trials of intraoperative glove change and wound closure techniques. Wound infection or early graft infection outcomes were recorded in all trials. Only two trials, both of rifampicin bonding, followed up graft infection outcomes to 2 years. Prophylactic systemic antibiotics reduced the risk of wound infection (RR, 0.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.17 to 0.38) and early graft infection in a fixed-effect model (RR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.11 to 0.85, P = .02). Antibiotic prophylaxis for >24 hours appeared to be of no added benefit (RR, 1.28; 95% CI, 0.82 to 1.98). There was no evidence that prophylactic rifampicin bonding to Dacron grafts reduced graft infection at 1 month (RR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.27 to 1.49), or 2 years (RR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.46 to 2.40). There was no evidence of a beneficial or detrimental effect on rates of wound infection with suction groin wound drainage (RR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.50 to 1.86) or from preoperative bathing with antiseptic agents compared with unmedicated bathing (RR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.70 to 1.36). CONCLUSIONS: There is clear evidence of the benefit of prophylactic broad-spectrum antibiotics for vascular reconstruction. Many other interventions intended to reduce the risk of infection in arterial reconstruction lack evidence of effectiveness. (+info)
Richard von Volkmann: surgeon and Renaissance man.
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