MRSA, Staph and Fecal Bacteria Rampant in College Dorms

Thousands of bacteria lurk in college dormitories, but students are not following proper hygiene routines to help protect themselves from serious illness, according to a study released today from the Simmons College Center for Hygiene and Health in Home and Community, sponsored by an educational grant from LYSOL® brand products.(1) Despite growing concerns about influenza A (H1N1) on college campuses and recent study results estimating that of the ways influenza infection may be contracted, contact with contaminated surfaces may account for thirty one percent (31%) of the infection risk, only sixty three percent (63%) of students polled had cleaned their dorm room in the past week.(2) Eighty three percent (83%) had never cleaned their light switch and seventy three percent (73%) admitted they had never cleaned their dorm room door handle, one of the most frequently-touched surfaces and a conduit for germ spread.(3)

Such habits expose students to thousands of bacteria, including MRSA, E. coli, fecal organisms, streptococcus and more, just by touching common surfaces in their dorm.(4) Study results show:

– Communal shower floors were the most contaminated surface in the dorm, harboring more than 40 times the number of bacteria found on the toilet seat.(5) Forty three percent (43%) of shower floors were contaminated with bacteria that can indicate fecal contamination and twenty percent (20%) hid streptococci.
– Dorm room refrigerator door handles harbored twice as many bacteria as shared dorm toilet handles. Thirty seven percent (37%) encountered
bacteria that can indicate fecal contamination and thirteen percent (13%) encountered staph.(6)
– Fifty six percent (56%) of students admitted they had never cleaned the interior of their dorm room refrigerator, making it no surprise that thirty percent (30%) of refrigerators harbored fecal indicators.(7)
– While television remote controls and shared bathroom sink handles fare relatively well, both were found to be contaminated with MRSA, the dangerous drug-resistant bacteria, in some dorm rooms studied.(8)

“These findings compound the concerns many parents have about their child’s health when they’re away at college and out of their home,” says Dr. Elizabeth Scott, co-director of the Simmons College Center for Hygiene and Health in Home and Community. “Parents can help students stay healthy at college by encouraging them to take small preventative measures every day to help protect themselves from germs.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, universities and parents should encourage students to follow these healthy hygiene routines:(9)

– Practice good hand hygiene. They should wash their hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.(10)
– Practice respiratory etiquette. The main way flu spreads is from person to person in droplets produced by coughs and sneezes, so it’s important that people cover their mouth and nose with a tissue when they cough or sneeze. If they don’t have a tissue, they should cough or sneeze into their elbow or shoulder, not their hands.(11)
– Stay home if they are sick. Stay home or in their place of residence for at least 24 hours after they no long have a fever.(12)
– Talk to their health care providers about whether they should be vaccinated. More information about priority groups for vaccination is available at www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/acip.htm.(13)

In addition, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, families and students can help protect themselves and prevent the spread of influenza virus by keeping surfaces (especially bedside tables, surfaces in the bathroom, kitchen counters and toys for children) clean by wiping them down with a household disinfectant according to directions on the product label.(14)

Many LYSOL® Disinfectant products are effective against strains of influenza A virus and specifically the H1N1 strain, including LYSOL® Disinfectant Spray, LYSOL® Disinfecting Wipes, LYSOL® All Purpose Cleaner Pourables and LYSOL® All Purpose Cleaner Triggers.

To find more information and resources to help protect families of all ages, visit:

– Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – H1N1 Information http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1FLU/
– Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Ounce of Prevention initiative, created in partnership with LYSOL® www.cdc.gov/ounceofprevention
– Germ Protection Center via the Visiting Nurse Associations of America http://vnaa.org/vnaa/g/?h=html/germ_protection_center_influenza

Resources

(1) Simmons College Center for Hygiene and Health in Home and Community. “Report on Dorm Study.” February 2009. Page 3.

(2) “Relative Contributions of Four Exposure Pathways to Influenza Infection Risk.” Risk Analysis, Vol. 29, No. 9, 2009.

(3) Simmons College Center for Hygiene and Health in Home and Community. “Report on Dorm Study.” February 2009. Page 15.

(4) Reckitt Benckiser, BRT-0008 Research & Development Claim Support Document, February 2009. Page 5.

(5) Simmons College Center for Hygiene and Health in Home and Community. “Report on Dorm Study.” February 2009. Page 9. Statistic found by comparing mean aerobic count of shower bases vs. toilet seats.

(6) Simmons College Center for Hygiene and Health in Home and Community. “Report on Dorm Study.” February 2009. Page 9. Statistic found by comparing mean aerobic count of dorm refrigerator handles vs. shared toilet handles.

(7) Reckitt Benckiser, BRT-0008 Research & Development Claim Support Document, February 2009. Page 5.

(8) Simmons College Center for Hygiene and Health in Home and Community. “Report on Dorm Study.” February 2009. Page 9.

(9) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Preparing for the Flu (Including H1N1): A Communication Toolkit for Institutes of Higher Education http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/institutions/toolkit/pdf/InstitutionsHigherEducatio n_toolkit.pdf.

(10) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Preparing for the Flu (Including H1N1): A Communication Toolkit for Institutes of Higher Education http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/institutions/toolkit/pdf/InstitutionsHigherEducatio n_toolkit.pdf.

(11) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Preparing for the Flu (Including H1N1): A Communication Toolkit for Institutes of Higher Education http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/institutions/toolkit/pdf/InstitutionsHigherEducatio n_toolkit.pdf.

(12) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Preparing for the Flu (Including H1N1): A Communication Toolkit for Institutes of Higher Education http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/institutions/toolkit/pdf/InstitutionsHigherEducatio n_toolkit.pdf.

(13) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Preparing for the Flu (Including H1N1): A Communication Toolkit for Institutes of Higher Education http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/institutions/toolkit/pdf/InstitutionsHigherEducatio n_toolkit.pdf.

(14) www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu.

Source: Reckitt Benckiser, Inc., makers of LYSOL


Patient satisfaction with outpatient services reaches five-year high

  • Author: Health Informer
  • Filed under: Health News
  • Date: Sep 29,2009

Press Ganey Annual Outpatient Pulse Report Shows Average Wait Time of 24 Minutes

Outpatient service facilities play an instrumental role in the nation’s health care system, and a recent report from Press Ganey illustrates how satisfied U.S. patients are with their treatment. Patient satisfaction with outpatient services has reached a five-year high, according to Press Ganey’s 2009 Outpatient Pulse Report: Patient Perspectives on American Health Care. This report analyzes patients’ satisfaction with outpatient facility care, including insight from 2.3 million patients treated at nearly 1,300 outpatient care facilities nationwide last year.

Outpatient care, which includes laboratory tests, therapy, diagnostic testing and other treatments, continued to meet or exceed patient expectations overall, despite the recession in 2008. Satisfaction has increased gradually every quarter since 2004, reaching a high score of 91.29 in October 2008. According to the report, patients were most satisfied with tests, treatment and the overall care in the outpatient setting, but were least satisfied by the facilities and registration processes.

A key element to high patient satisfaction with outpatient facilities is wait time. The average wait time for outpatient services in 2008 was 24 minutes — a 2 percent decrease versus 2007.

“Both hospital-based and freestanding outpatient centers have grown in number over the past few years, as has the level of competition, which further underscores the importance of achieving and maintaining high customer satisfaction levels,” said Dr. Deirdre Mylod, vice president of acute services at Press Ganey. “It is imperative for outpatient centers to capture and act upon patient satisfaction data in order to stay competitive and profitable.”

There are a number of notable findings in this year’s report:
– Patients between the ages of 65 and 79 report the highest levels of satisfaction, while patients between the ages of 18 and 34 are the least satisfied.
– Patients receiving care on Sundays have the lowest levels of satisfaction, as well as the highest average wait time.
– Patients receiving care in the morning report a higher satisfaction level.

Cancer patients receiving radiation treatments were the most satisfied outpatients in 2008, followed closely by cardiac rehabilitation patients. Press Ganey believes this finding is likely traced to the patients’ familiarity with caregivers during ongoing treatment.

Patient satisfaction with ambulatory surgery — generally non-emergent surgery that does not require a hospital stay — has increased overall since 2004.

The annual Outpatient Pulse Report also identified the top priorities for improvement in areas such as respect, sensitivity and teamwork of the outpatient care providers.

These research findings are part of a series of Press Ganey pulse reports and check-up reports which examine the status of health care quality across different care settings. Findings and observations highlight the progress of health care facilities during today’s challenging health care landscape and help guide improvements to the quality of health care in the U.S.

The 2009 Outpatient Pulse Report: Patient Perspectives on American Health Care is available at http://www.pressganey.com/OutpatientPulseReport09.pdf.


Landmark poll shows that 9 in 10 Americans want to know more about the development of emerging technologies

Nanotechnology and synthetic biology continue to develop as two of the most exciting areas of scientific discovery, but research has shown that the public is almost completely unaware of the science and its applications. A groundbreaking poll of 1,001 American adults conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates and the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN) found that 90 percent of Americans think the public should be better informed about the development of cutting-edge technologies.

“Historically, government and industry have done a poor job of informing and engaging the public about scientific developments that could have transformative impacts on society,” said David Rejeski, director of PEN. “The poll showed that better communication is needed and could be beneficial in securing the promise of our investments in science.”

The poll, which was conducted by the same firm that produces the well-known NBC News/Wall Street Journal polls, revealed that the proportion of adults who say they have heard a lot or some about synthetic biology more than doubled in the past year (from 9 percent to 22 percent). Awareness of nanotechnology (30 percent have heard a lot or some) increased slightly since last year, putting it back at the same level measured in 2006. A report which summarizes the findings of the poll can be found at http://www.nanotechproject.org/news/archive/hart4/.

“Public awareness of nanotechnology has barely moved in over four years of our project’s polling, despite billions of dollars of investment in research and a growing number of nano-enabled products in the marketplace,” said Andrew Maynard, chief science advisor for PEN. “Clearly, the message about this new and important technology is not reaching the public.”

The survey showed that the area of application is a decisive factor in shaping public attitudes towards synthetic biology. Over half the respondents supported research in synthetic biology aimed at the development of more efficient biofuels even after being informed of the potential risks and benefits of this application.

However, poll respondents harbored concerns about potential risks associated with the development of synthetic biology. Two-thirds of the participants supported regulation of this emerging technology.

“Regardless of their awareness of synthetic biology, or where they come down on the risk-benefit tradeoff, a strong majority of adults think this research should be regulated by the federal government,” said Geoff Garin, president of Peter D. Hart Research Associates.

Nanotechnology is the ability to measure, see, manipulate and manufacture things usually between 1 and 100 nanometers. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter; a human hair is roughly 100,000 nanometers wide. In 2007, the global market for goods incorporating nanotechnology totaled $147 billion. Lux Research projects that figure will grow to $3.1 trillion by 2015.

Synthetic biology is the use of advanced science and engineering to make or re-design living organisms, such as bacteria, so that they can carry out specific functions. Synthetic biology involves making new genetic code, also known as DNA, that does not already exist in nature.

The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies is an initiative launched by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and The Pew Charitable Trusts in 2005. It is dedicated to helping business, government and the public anticipate and manage possible health and environmental implications of nanotechnology. For more information about the project, log on to http://www.nanotechproject.org/.

Source: The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies


Adverse drug events: A large burden in pediatric care

  • Author: Health Informer
  • Filed under: Health News
  • Date: Sep 28,2009

National data indicate more than half a million ambulatory visits per year for side effects, accidental overdoses

An 11-year national analysis at Children’s Hospital Boston shows that side effects or accidental overdoses of medications are a common complication of outpatient care in children, generating more than half a million additional visits per year, particularly in children age 4 and younger. Findings are reported in the October issue of Pediatrics.

While many studies have documented adverse drug events, or ADEs, in adults, information in children has been limited, despite the fact that drugs are prescribed to children in almost 70 percent of outpatient visits (1). According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, 75 percent of drugs given to children have not undergone pediatric testing (2).

The researchers, led by Florence Bourgeois, MD, MPH, of Children’s Division of Emergency Medicine, analyzed data from the National Center for Health Statistics on outpatient visits throughout the United States. Focusing on children up to age 18, they tallied an average of 585,922 visits per year for ADEs between 1995 and 2005. Most of these visits were to outpatient clinics, but 22 percent were to emergency rooms.

The authors suggest that clinicians need to be aware of potential adverse effects and provide appropriate anticipatory guidance to parents, especially when children are given a medication for the first time. “We found that there are as many as 13 outpatient visits for adverse drug events per 1,000 children, indicating that they are a common complication of pediatric care,” says Bourgeois.

Children 4 years and younger made the most visits (43 percent), followed by children 15 to 18 years old (23 percent). The most frequent side effects were skin-related or gastrointestinal, present in 45 and 16.5 percent of children, respectively. Fifty-Two percent of the children had symptoms suggesting an allergic reaction.

Antimicrobials (such as penicillin) were the most frequently implicated drugs, accounting for 27.5 percent of visits overall, and as many as 40 percent of visits among children 0-4 years old. They were followed by neurologic/psychotropic medications (6.5 percent) and hormones (6 percent). The last two categories accounted for the most ADE visits among older children, likely reflecting the increase in medication therapy for emotional and behavioral disorders during the adolescent years, and prescriptions of contraceptives for teenage girls.

Recent data from the National Center for Health Statistics and the Slone Survey indicate that as many as 56 percent of children have taken at least one medication during the preceding week, with 26 percent using two or more medications and more than 20 percent using a prescription drug.

“One approach to reducing adverse events is to ensure that clinicians have ready access to complete information on the adverse effects and comparative effectiveness of medications,” says Bourgeois. “This information should derive from data on the real-world use of the drugs, not just from the package inserts.”

To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to comprehensively examine ADEs occurring in the outpatient setting. It was funded by an R01 Grant from the National Library of Medicine and a T32 Grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

References:

(1) Cherry DK, Woodwell DA, Rechtsteiner EA. National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2005 summary. Adv Data. Jun 29 2007(387):1-39.

(2) American Academy of Pediatrics, 2007

http://www.aap.org/advocacy/washing/Therapeutics/docs/coalitionbpcaprea.pdf

Source: Children’s Hospital Boston


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