A Clostridium difficile outbreak in an Italian hospital: The efficacy of the multi-disciplinary and multifaceted approach

Introduction. We described an outbreak of C. difficile that occurred in the Internal Medicine department of an Italian hospital and assessed the efficacy of the measures adopted to manage the outbreak. Methods. The outbreak involved 15 patients and was identified by means of continuous integrated microbiological surveillance, starting with laboratory data (alert organism surveillance). Diarrheal fecal samples from patients with suspected infection by C. difficile underwent rapid membrane immuno-enzymatic testing, which detects both the presence of the glutamate dehydrogenase antigen and the presence of the A and B toxins. Extensive microbiological sampling was carried out both before and after sanitation of the environment, in order to assess the efficacy of the sanitation procedure. Results. The outbreak lasted one and a half month, during which time the Committee for the Prevention of Hospital Infections ordered the implementation of multiple interventions, which enabled the outbreak to be controlled and the occurrence of new cases to be progressively prevented. The strategies adopted mainly involved patient isolation, reinforcement of proper hand hygiene techniques, antimicrobial stewardship and environmental decontamination by means of chlorine-based products. Moreover, the multifaceted management of the outbreak involved numerous sessions of instruction/training for nursing staff and socio-sanitary operatives during the outbreak. Sampling of environmental surfaces enabled two sites contaminated by C. difficile to be identified. Conclusions. Joint planning of multiple infection control practices, together with effective communication and collaboration between the Hospital Infections Committee and the ward involved proved to be successful in controlling the outbreak

Characterization of the iridescence-causing multilayer structure of the Ceroglossus suturalis beetle using bio-inspired optimization strategies

We investigate the iridescence exhibited by Ceroglossus suturalis beetles, which mostly live endemically in the southern end of South America. Two differently colored specimens have been studied. We observed and characterized the samples by different microscopy techniques, which revealed a multilayer structure within their cuticle. Using measured reflectance spectra as input data, we applied heuristic optimization techniques to estimate the refractive index values of the constituent materials, to be introduced within the theoretical model. The color of the samples was calculated for different incidence angles, showing that multilayer interference is the mechanism responsible for the observed iridescence.Centro de Investigaciones Óptica

Excited state absorption in KCl : Eu2+

Non-linear behavior with respect to exciting fluence of both photoacoustic and luminescent signals in KCl : Eu(2+) excited by laser pulses at 355 nm, were analyzed in terms of excited state absorption (ESA). Measured ESA cross-sections for 355 and 420 nm were found to be 1x10-17 cm2 and 2.5x10-18 cm2 respectively

Operating room environment and surgical site infections in arthroplasty procedures

Background. The rate of surgical site infections (SSI) is strongly influenced by operating room quality, which is determined by the structural features of the facility and its systems and by the management and behavior of healthcare workers. The aim of the present study was to assess microbial contamination in the operating room during hip- and knee-replacement procedures, the behavior of operating room staff and the incidence of SSI through postdischarge surveillance. Methods. Microbial contamination was evaluated by active and passive sampling at rest and in operating conditions. Organizational and behavioral characteristics were collected through observational assessment. The incidence of SSI was evaluated in 255 patients, and follow-up examinations were carried out 30 and 365 days after the procedure. Results. The mean values of the airborne and sedimenting microbial loads were 12.90 CFU/m3 and 0.02 CFU/cm2/h, respectively. With regard to outcome, the infection rate proved to be 0.89% and was associated with knee-replacement procedures. The microorganism responsible for this superficial infection was Staphylococcus aureus. Conclusions. Clinical outcomes proved to be satisfactory, owing to the limited microbial load (in both at-rest and operating conditions), the appropriate behavior of the staff, compliance with the guidelines on preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis, and efficient management of the ventilation system

Excited state absorption in KCI:EUlatex2+latex^{2+}

Non-linear behavior with respect to exciting fluence of both photoacoustic and luminescent signals in KCI:Eu(2+) , excited by laser pulses at 355 nm, were analyzed in terms of excited state absorption (ESA). Measured ESA cross-sections for 355 and 420 nm were found to be $latex 1 \times 10^{(-17)} cm^{2}$ and $latex 2 \times 10^{(-18)} cm^{2}$ respectively

Excited state absorption in KCI:EU<SUP>2+</SUP>

Non-linear behavior with respect to exciting fluence of both photoacoustic and luminescent signals in KCI:Eu(2+) , excited by laser pulses at 355 nm, were analyzed in terms of excited state absorption (ESA). Measured ESA cross-sections for 355 and 420 nm were found to be 1×10(−17)cm2 and 2×10(−18)cm2 respectively.Centro de Investigaciones Óptica

Excited state absorption in KCI:EU<SUP>2+</SUP>

Non-linear behavior with respect to exciting fluence of both photoacoustic and luminescent signals in KCI:Eu(2+) , excited by laser pulses at 355 nm, were analyzed in terms of excited state absorption (ESA). Measured ESA cross-sections for 355 and 420 nm were found to be 1×10(−17)cm2 and 2×10(−18)cm2 respectively.Centro de Investigaciones Óptica

Excited state absorption in KCI:EU<SUP>2+</SUP>

Non-linear behavior with respect to exciting fluence of both photoacoustic and luminescent signals in KCI:Eu(2+) , excited by laser pulses at 355 nm, were analyzed in terms of excited state absorption (ESA). Measured ESA cross-sections for 355 and 420 nm were found to be 1×10(−17)cm2 and 2×10(−18)cm2 respectively.Centro de Investigaciones Óptica

Plasmon properties of multilayer albumin/gold hybrid nanoparticles

Photograph used for a story in the Daily Oklahoman newspaper. Caption: "Tornado funnels passed low over Tuttle, Moore and the southern part of the city. At least 30 Oklahoma City residents were injured, mostly by flying glass and debris. Police cordoned wide section of the Capitol Hill area after the storm subsided. At Tuttle 40 homes, two cotton gins, a grade school and part of a grain elevator were damaged. The city's water supply was cut off. only minor injuries were reported.

Evaluation of multidrug-resistant p. Aeruginosa in healthcare facility water systems

According to the WHO, P. aeruginosa is one of the antibiotic-resistant bacteria that represent the biggest threat to public health. The aim of the study was to establish the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant P. aeruginosa in the water systems of various healthcare facilities over the course of nine years. A total of 4500 tap water system samples were taken from seventeen healthcare facilities. The culture method was used to detect P. aeruginosa, and the isolates were then tested for antibiotic resistance using the standardised disc diffusion method. Eleven antibiotics from five different classes were tested. P. aeruginosa was found to have contaminated 2.07% (no. 93) of the water samples. The majority of positive samples came from the dental units (30.11%) and the ward kitchens (23.66%). Considering the total isolates, 56.99% (no. 3) were resistant to at least one of the antibiotics tested. A total of 71.43% of P. aeruginosa isolated from water emerging from dental unit handpieces was antibiotic-resistant, with 45% of it resistant to 653 classes of antibiotics. Out of the total isolates, 19.35% showed resistance to carbapenems. It would be advisable to systematically screen tap water for opportunistic micro-organisms such as P. aeruginosa, as many countries already do, including this in the Water Safety Plan