Janis Ober

Active surveillance cultures are not required to control MRSA infections in the critical care setting

Although the effectiveness of active surveillance cultures to identify and isolate patients colonized with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) remains debated, hospitals are under increasing pressure to begin active surveillance programs. We analyzed our data on device-associated MRSA infections in the intensive care unit setting over a 4-year period during which multiple evidence-based interventions to reduce hospital-acquired infections were introduced without performing active surveillance cultures for MRSA. We observed reductions in all infections, including those caused by MRSA, and conclude that control of MRSA in the critical care setting does not require active surveillance cultures.

The Impact of Discontinuing Contact Precautions for VRE and MRSA on Device-Associated Infections

The impact of discontinuing contact precautions for patients with MRSA and VRE colonization/infection on device-associated hospital-acquired infection rates at an academic medical center was investigated in this before-and-after study. In the setting of a strong horizontal infection prevention platform, discontinuation of contact precautions had no impact on device-associated hospital-acquired infection rates.

Watching Them Wash: Description of a Hand Hygiene Observation Program

An essential but difficult element of an effective hospital handhygiene program is assessing compliance with hand hygiene.Currently, there is no generally accepted standardized methodto assess compliance with hand hygiene in hospitals, andmultiple approaches have been tried, including direct obser-vation, self-reporting by healthcare workers, and surrogatemeasurements, such as electronic counting devices on soapdispensers or hand hygiene product use.

Perceptions and Barriers to Universal Gloving for Infection Prevention: A Survey of Healthcare Workers and Patients.

Prevention: A Survey of Healthcare Workers and Patients Nadia Masroor, BS; Summer Donovan, DO; Kakotan Sanogo, MS; Leah Couture; Janis Ober RN, MSN; Michael Stevens, MD, MPH; Michael Edmond, MD, MPH, MPA, FIDSA, FSHEA; Gonzalo Bearman, MD, MPH; Epidemiology, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, Richmond, VA; Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA; Infectious Diseases, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA