MyMedR

Prevention of hospital infection

Lam KL

Med J Malaysia, 1978 Dec;33(2):133-6.

PMID: 755163

Matched MeSH terms: Cross Infection/prevention & control*

Reducing nosocomial infection in neonatal intensive care: an intervention study

Rahim RH, Barnett T

Int J Nurs Pract, 2009 Dec;15(6):580-4.

PMID: 19958414 DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-172X.2009.01800.x

Nosocomial infection is a common cause of morbidity and mortality for hospitalized neonates. This report describes measures taken to reduce the prevalence of nosocomial infection within a 34-bed neonatal intensive care unit in Malaysia. Interventions included a one-to-one education programme for nursing staff (n = 30); the education of cleaners and health-care assistants allocated to work in the unit; and the introduction of routine (weekly) screening procedure for all infants with feedback given to staff. The education programme for nurses focused on the application of standard precautions to three common clinical procedures: hand washing, tracheobronchial suctioning and nasogastric tube feeding. These were evaluated using competency checklists. The prevalence of nosocomial blood and respiratory tract infections declined over the 7-month study period. This study highlights the importance of education in contributing to the control of nosocomial infection in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Matched MeSH terms: Cross Infection/prevention & control*

Critical care nurses' knowledge in preventing nosocomial pneumonia

Soh KL, Koziol-Mclain J, Wilson J, Soh KG

Aust J Adv Nurs, 2007 Mar-May;24(3):19-25.

PMID: 17518161

The purpose of this study was to identify knowledge deficits concerning nosocomial pneumonia (NP) prevention among critical care nurses. The study also determined whether NP knowledge was associated with nurse characteristics.

Matched MeSH terms: Cross Infection/prevention & control*

Physical methods of reducing the transmission of nosocomial infections via ultrasound and probe

Abdullah BJ, Mohd Yusof MY, Khoo BH

Clin Radiol, 1998 Mar;53(3):212-4.

PMID: 9528873

Nosocomial infections are posing an increasingly serious problem in the hospital setting. With the increasing use of ultrasound in medical diagnosis, there is the potential for transmission of nosocomial infections via the ultrasound transducer and coupling gel. We evaluated the use of different membranes (three types of commercially available household cling film, condom, surgical glove and Opsite) applied over the ultrasound probe to determine if these were safe, convenient, cost-effective and did not impair the performance parameters of the ultrasound probe. None of the membranes impaired the physical scanning parameters using a Multi-Purpose Tissue/Cyst Phantom. The cling film was ideal for general use in terms of cost and convenience as well as safety. For sterile use the Opsite was better overall compared to the surgical glove, though it costs significantly more. The condom and surgical glove, though safe, were not very convenient to use for scanning.

Matched MeSH terms: Cross Infection/prevention & control*

Prevention of infection in the immunocompromised

Lim VK

Ann Acad Med Singap, 1997 May;26(3):331-5.

PMID: 9285028

Infection is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. The high risk of infection is not only the consequence of the underlying disease but also the result of the diagnostic, monitoring and therapeutic procedures performed on these patients. Infections may be exogenous or endogenous in origin. The prevention of exogenous infections requires a high standard of hygiene. As many infections are acquired in hospitals, an effective control of nosocomial infection programme is crucial in preventing infections in the immunocompromised. Prevention of endogenous infections involves suppression of the aerobic bacterial flora (selective decontamination) and measures to maintain gastrointestinal epithelial integrity to reduce risk of translocation of intestinal flora. Boosting the host immunity through passive and active immunisation should also be considered. Prevention of infection in the immunocompromised is no easy task and requires a multidisciplinary approach.

Matched MeSH terms: Cross Infection/prevention & control*

Fulltext Disinfection and the control of nosocomial infection

Lim VKE

Med J Malaysia, 1995 Dec;50(4):289-90.

PMID: 8668044

Matched MeSH terms: Cross Infection/prevention & control*

Hospital infection control in Malaysia

Lim VK

J Hosp Infect, 2001 Jul;48(3):177-9.

PMID: 11439003

Matched MeSH terms: Cross Infection/prevention & control*

Fulltext The prevention of Cronobacter infections in hospital neonatal intensive care units

Odeyemi OA, Sani NA

J Infect Public Health, 2016 Jan-Feb;9(1):110-2.

PMID: 26235961 DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2015.06.012

Matched MeSH terms: Cross Infection/prevention & control*

Fulltext Antibiotic use in residential aged care facilities

Lim CJ, Stuart RL, Kong DC

Aust Fam Physician, 2015 Apr;44(4):192-6.

PMID: 25901402

BACKGROUND: High infection burden among the residential aged care facility (RACF) population has long been recognised; however, existing infection prevention effort is often limited to infection surveillance activity. There is a scarcity of evidence to guide antimicrobial stewardship in the Australian RACF setting.
OBJECTIVE: This review summarises the current trends in antibiotic use and multi-drug resistant (MDR) organisms, challenges related to antibiotic prescribing and areas of suboptimal antibiotic prescribing for further improvement, particularly in the Australian RACF setting.
DISCUSSION: There is widespread antibiotic prescribing in RACF, which may lead to the emergence of antibiotic resistance. Accordingly, there is an immediate need for judicious antibiotic use in this high-risk population to curb the rapid emergence of MDR organisms and other adverse consequences associated with inappropriate antibiotic use, as well as to reduce healthcare costs.

Matched MeSH terms: Cross Infection/prevention & control*

Fulltext Risk of tuberculosis to healthcare workers

Liam CK

Med J Malaysia, 2001 Mar;56(1):107-11; quiz 112.

PMID: 11503290

Matched MeSH terms: Cross Infection/prevention & control

Fulltext Use of negative pressure individual isolation system for CT scan of patients with suspected COVID-19

Cheah PK, Krisnan T, Abdul Kadir MH, Steven EM

Emerg Med J, 2020 Aug;37(8):467.

PMID: 32546476 DOI: 10.1136/emermed-2020-209851

Matched MeSH terms: Cross Infection/prevention & control

Fulltext An outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a neonatal intensive care unit in Singapore: a 20-month study of clinical characteristics and control

Tan KW, Tay L, Lim SH

Singapore Med J, 1994 Jun;35(3):277-82.

PMID: 7997904

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major infection control problem in many countries. There have been many reports of outbreaks in neonatal nurseries including, in our part of the world, Australia, Hong Kong and Malaysia. A recent outbreak of MRSA in the neonatal intensive care unit in the Kandang Kerbau Hospital, Singapore, presented us with the opportunity to study the clinical characteristics of the outbreak and the effects of infection control measures. Neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit were studied over a 20-month period. They were all screened for nasal colonisation on admission and weekly thereafter. Infections were documented. Over this period there were altogether 2,576 admissions of which 85 infants had nasal colonisation with MRSA (3.3%) and 28 developed infections (1%). Although the majority of infants colonised by MRSA suffered no ill effects, 3 had septicaemia and 2 had septicaemia with osteomyelitis. There were no deaths. Standard infection control measures with barrier nursing and the use of mupirocin nasal ointment were ineffective, and control was achieved only after strict cohorting together with the use of mupirocin was instituted. This was done without additional costs to the department and without additional nurses or doctors.

Matched MeSH terms: Cross Infection/prevention & control

Is reduced susceptibility to disinfectants and antiseptics a risk in healthcare settings? A point/counterpoint review

Harbarth S, Tuan Soh S, Horner C, Wilcox MH

J Hosp Infect, 2014 Aug;87(4):194-202.

PMID: 24996517 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2014.04.012

Given the breadth and depth of antiseptic use, it is surprising how few large-scale studies have been undertaken into the consequences of their use, particularly in clinical practice. Depending on your point of view, this may either reflect an assurance that reduced susceptibility to antiseptics, and notably whether this confers cross-resistance to systemically administered antimicrobial agents, is not an issue of concern, or relative ignorance about the potential threat.

Matched MeSH terms: Cross Infection/prevention & control

International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) report, data summary of 43 countries for 2007-2012. Device-associated module

Rosenthal VD, Maki DG, Mehta Y, Leblebicioglu H, Memish ZA, Al-Mousa HH, et al.

Am J Infect Control, 2014 09;42(9):942-56.

PMID: 25179325 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2014.05.029

We report the results of an International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) surveillance study from January 2007-December 2012 in 503 intensive care units (ICUs) in Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe. During the 6-year study using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) U.S. National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) definitions for device-associated health care-associated infection (DA-HAI), we collected prospective data from 605,310 patients hospitalized in the INICC's ICUs for an aggregate of 3,338,396 days. Although device utilization in the INICC's ICUs was similar to that reported from ICUs in the U.S. in the CDC's NHSN, rates of device-associated nosocomial infection were higher in the ICUs of the INICC hospitals: the pooled rate of central line-associated bloodstream infection in the INICC's ICUs, 4.9 per 1,000 central line days, is nearly 5-fold higher than the 0.9 per 1,000 central line days reported from comparable U.S. ICUs. The overall rate of ventilator-associated pneumonia was also higher (16.8 vs 1.1 per 1,000 ventilator days) as was the rate of catheter-associated urinary tract infection (5.5 vs 1.3 per 1,000 catheter days). Frequencies of resistance of Pseudomonas isolates to amikacin (42.8% vs 10%) and imipenem (42.4% vs 26.1%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates to ceftazidime (71.2% vs 28.8%) and imipenem (19.6% vs 12.8%) were also higher in the INICC's ICUs compared with the ICUs of the CDC's NHSN.

Matched MeSH terms: Cross Infection/prevention & control*

Two outbreaks of Burkholderia cepacia nosocomial infection in a neonatal intensive care unit

Lee JK

J Paediatr Child Health, 2008 Jan;44(1-2):62-6.

PMID: 17640280

An outbreak of Burkholderia cepacia septicaemia occurred in our neonatal unit over a 9-week period in 2001, affecting 23 babies and two died. A second outbreak lasting 8 days occurred a year later, affecting five babies.

Matched MeSH terms: Cross Infection/prevention & control

Cross-infection control in Malaysian dental practice

Razak IA, Lind OP

Singapore Dent J, 1995 Jul;20(1):11-5.

PMID: 9582683

A questionnaire survey on cross-infection control was conducted among 1371 professionally trained dentists whose names appeared in the Malaysian Government Gazette of 1990. A 73.1 percent response rate was obtained. About 13 percent of the dentists routinely did not wear gloves during treatment of patients as opposed to 54 percent who routinely did. About 83 percent and 52 percent of dentists wore a mask and eyewear or glasses respectively when carrying out dental procedures. About 93 percent of dentists would use a new sterile needle for each patient and about 40 percent would wipe working surfaces with disinfectant after each patient. The practice of sterilizing handpieces was found to be uncommon as opposed to the sterilization of hand instruments. Variations were observed in some of the infection control measures by gender, seniority in service and employment status. More than one-third of the respondents had experienced puncture wounds during the last month prior to the survey.

Matched MeSH terms: Cross Infection/prevention & control*

COVID-19 testing strategy in response to infection among healthcare workers in a large non-COVID-designated hospital

Foo DHP, King TL, Lee HC, Santhramogan P, Ganasan V, Fong AYY, et al.

Hosp Pract (1995), 2021 Apr;49(2):110-118.

PMID: 33249880 DOI: 10.1080/21548331.2020.1857999

Sarawak General Hospital, which is the only public access tertiary referral center in Sarawak State for all clinical specialties, was designated a hybrid hospital to treat both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients. During the initial surge of patients admitted with COVID-19, there was also a corresponding increase in health-care workers (HCWs) detected with COVID-19 infection. The latter being isolated, and the large number of staff members that had come into contact with COVID-19 being quarantined from work, placed further strain on the health-care services. The staff mass screening strategy was a policy decision made by the hospital in response to infection among HCWs, and it aimed to reduce in-hospital transmission (particularly among asymptomatic staff), mitigate workforce depletion due to quarantining, and protect the health-care workforce. In this study, we assessed the detection rate of COVID-19 infection from staff mass testing over a five-week period, and described our experience of adopting this surveillance screening strategy alongside ongoing contact tracing and symptomatic screening strategies. Although it was thought that such periodic staff surveillance might be helpful in protecting the health-care workforce within a short period, the long-term implications, especially in settings with limited resources, is significant and therefore explored in this paper. Our findings might provide an evidence-based reference for the future planning of an optimal strategy with the least compromise in care for a larger proportion of non-COVID-19 patients amid efforts against COVID-19 in a large non-COVID-designated hospital with hybrid status.

Matched MeSH terms: Cross Infection/prevention & control

Understanding of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the practice of preventive measures among doctors and nurses in a university teaching hospital- A cross-sectional study

Ng BH, Low HJ, Nik Nuratiqah NA, Faisal AH, Soo CI, Periyasamy P, et al.

Med J Malaysia, 2021 07;76(4):454-460.

PMID: 34305104

INTRODUCTION: Knowledge and adequate practice of preventive measures among health care workers (HCWs) are important to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among doctors and nurses in the medical department in Pusat Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia between November 18, 2020 and December 18, 2020 during the third wave of COVID-19 epidemic in Malaysia. We studied the knowledge and practice of preventive measures of COVID-19 among doctors and nurses in the COVID-19 or sudden acute respiratory infection (SARI) wards and general medical wards. Data was collected using a validated self-designed google form online-questionnaire.

RESULTS: A total of 407 subjects completed the study and 80.8% were females; 55.8% were aged between 30-39 years; 46.4% were medical doctors. The main source of COVID-19 knowledge was the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) website (35.1%). Majority (97%) had sufficient knowledge and 82% practiced proper preventive measures. Doctors had a higher mean knowledge score compared to nurses (p < 0.001). HCWs working in COVID-19 or SARI wards scored higher in knowledge questions compared to those in the general medical wards (p = 0.020). Nurses practiced better preventive measures (p < 0.001). Good knowledge could not be predicted based on professions (OR: 0.222, 95% CI: 0.048 - 1.028, p = 0.054). Majority were unable to recall the proper steps of donning (85.8%) and doffing (98.5%).

CONCLUSIONS: Although majority had good knowledge and practiced proper preventive measures, there was a poor recall in donning and doffing steps regardless of place of practice. The MOH website is a useful platform for tailored continuous medical education and regular updates on COVID-19. Regular training and retraining on donning and doffing of PPE is needed to bridge this gap.

Matched MeSH terms: Cross Infection/prevention & control*

Antibiotic susceptibility and REP-PCR fingerprints of Acinetobacter spp. isolated from a hospital ten years apart

Misbah S, AbuBakar S, Hassan H, Hanifah YA, Yusof MY

J Hosp Infect, 2004 Dec;58(4):254-61.

PMID: 15564001

The antibiotic susceptibility profiles and the repetitive extragenic palindromic sequence-based polymerase chain reaction (REP-PCR)-determined genotypes of 109 Acinetobacter strains collected from the University Malaya Medical Center (UMMC), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1987 (N=21) and 1996-1998 (N=88) were established. Twelve antibiotic susceptibility profiles of antibiotics used at the UMMC were obtained. In descending order of effectiveness, imipenem, amikacin and ciprofloxacin were the most effective against the Acinetobacter strains. Compared with 1987 isolates, the isolates obtained in 1996-1998 had decreased susceptibility to these antibiotics and were tolerant to the antibiotics up to an MIC90 of > or =256 mg/L. REP-PCR DNA fingerprints of all the isolates revealed the presence of four Acinetobacter spp. lineages; 92% of all the isolates belonged to two dominant lineages (genotypes 1 and 4). Genotype 4 isolates predominant in 1987 showed increased resistance and antibiotic tolerance to imipenem, amikacin and ciprofloxacin compared with the 1996-1998 isolates. In contrast, genotype 1 isolates from 1996-1998 were mainly sensitive to these antibiotics. These findings demonstrate the presence of at least two independent Acinetobacter spp. lineages in the same hospital, and suggest the possibility that genotype 4 Acinetobacter spp. acquired the resistance phenotype in situ, whereas most of the genotype 1 isolates were probably introduced to the hospital in recent years.

Matched MeSH terms: Cross Infection/prevention & control

Nosocomial outbreak of Enterobacter gergoviae bacteraemia in a neonatal intensive care unit

Ganeswire R, Thong KL, Puthucheary SD

J Hosp Infect, 2003 Apr;53(4):292-6.

PMID: 12660126

A nosocomial outbreak of bacteraemia, caused by Enterobacter gergoviae infected 11 babies, nine of whom were premature, and was investigated in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of a general hospital in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. The strain that was isolated from the babies was also isolated from the dextrose saline used for the dilution of parenteral antibiotics and from the hands of a healthcare worker on duty in the nursery. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of Xba I-digested chromosomal DNA confirmed a possible cross-contamination of parenteral dextrose saline and the healthcare worker. Prompt and effective control measures were initiated within NICU and the nosocomial infection of E. gergoviae was brought to an abrupt end. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first documented outbreak of E. gergoviae in the NICU in a hospital in the state of Johor, Malaysia.

Matched MeSH terms: Cross Infection/prevention & control

Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 36 in total