Jason and Jarvis Associates, LLC
Consultants and Advisors in Medicine, Epidemiology, Public Health
Kainer MA, Jarvis WR
N. Engl. J. Med. 2004 Nov;351(21):2232-5; author reply 2232-5
PMID: 15559958… Read more
OBJECTIVE: To assess influenza vaccination rates of healthcare workers (HCWs) in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), pediatric intensive care units (PICUs), and oncology units in Pediatric Prevention Network (PPN) hospitals.
PARTICIPANTS: Infection control practitioners and HCWs in NICUs, PICUs, and oncology units.… Read more
BACKGROUND: Allografts are commonly used in orthopedic reconstructive surgery. In 2001, approximately 875,000 musculoskeletal allografts were distributed by U.S. tissue banks. After the death from Clostridium sordellii sepsis of a 23-year-old man who had received a contaminated allograft from a tissue bank (Tissue Bank A), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initiated an investigation, including enhanced case finding, of the methods used for the recovery, processing, and testing of tissue.… Read more
OBJECTIVE: To determine the magnitude of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) in three counties in the San Francisco Bay area.
DESIGN: Active laboratory-based surveillance for VRE from January 1995 through December 1996 and a laboratory-based and hospital-based questionnaire survey for 1993 to 1994 and 1997 to 1998.… Read more
We reviewed Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD) data from the intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital-wide surveillance components of the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System hospitals during 1987-2001. ICU CDAD rates increased significantly only in hospitals with 500 beds (P… Read more
Nelson DB, Jarvis WR, Rutala WA, Foxx-Orenstein AE, Isenberg G, Dash GP, Alvarado CJ, Ball M, Griffin-Sobel J, Petersen C, Ball KA, Henderson J, Stricof RL,
Dis. Colon Rectum 2004 Apr;47(4):413-20; discussion 420-1
2004-03-04
PMID: 14994116… Read more
OBJECTIVES: To determine the cause of an outbreak of Klebsiella pneumoniae bloodstream infections (BSIs) among neonates in a high-risk nursery and to institute control measures.
DESIGN: During the on-site investigation, a cohort study to identify risk factors for K. pneumoniae BSI, a point-prevalence study to assess K.… Read more
BACKGROUND: In sub-Saharan Africa, bloodstream infections (BSI) are a major cause of pediatric mortality. Because of limited resources and facilities in these developing countries, treatment often must be based solely on clinical observations and patient history and includes the use of broad spectrum antimicrobials, a factor in the emergence of antibiotic resistance.… Read more
Healthcare-associated infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in pediatric patients in the United States and throughout the world. Overall rates of infection range widely depending on the pediatric population, with the highest rates being in patients in neonatal intensive care units, followed by those in pediatric intensive care units, immunocompromised patients, and those undergoing surgical procedures.… Read more
Susceptibility profiles of medically important fungi in less-developed countries remain uncharacterized. We measured the MICs of amphotericin B, 5-flucytosine, fluconazole, itraconazole, and ketoconazole for Cryptococcus neoformans clinical isolates from Thailand, Malawi, and the United States and found no evidence of resistance or MIC profile differences among the countries.… Read more
STUDY OBJECTIVE: Physicians commonly prescribe antibiotics to meet patient expectations, even when antimicrobials are unnecessary. We evaluated factors emergency physicians consider in prescribing antibiotics to patients with diarrhea and examined patient expectations, physician-perceived patient expectations, and patient satisfaction.
METHODS: Adults and children presenting with acute diarrhea to 1 of 10 academic emergency departments (EDs) were enrolled in this prospective observational cohort study.… Read more
Sherertz RJ, Jarvis WR
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2003 Dec;24(12):887-9
PMID: 14700402… Read more
OBJECTIVE: To report the results of our preintervention investigation and subsequent 19-month three-phase intervention study designed to reduce pyrogenic reactions among patients undergoing cardiac catheterization using reprocessed catheters.
DESIGN: A case-control study for the preintervention period and a prospective cohort study for the intervention period.… Read more
Healthcare-associated infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality at hospitals in the United States. Surveillance of these infections identifies secular trends and provides data upon which prevention interventions can be based in order to improve patient safety. National surveillance of healthcare-associated infections was initiated in the United States in 1970.… Read more
LeDell K, Muto CA, Jarvis WR, Farr BM
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2003 Sep;24(9):639-41
PMID: 14510243… Read more
OBJECTIVES: To assess vancomycin utilization at children’s hospitals, to determine risk factors for vancomycin use and length of therapy, and to facilitate adapting recommendations to optimize vancomycin prescribing practices in pediatric patients.
METHODS: Two surveys were conducted at Pediatric Prevention Network hospitals.… Read more
The risk of Mycobacterium bovis bloodstream infection (BSI) in bacille Calmette-GuĂ©rin (BCG)-vaccinated children with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection remains uncharacterized. We studied pediatric inpatients during the 1998 dry season in Malawi. After a detailed clinical evaluation, blood was drawn for culture and HIV testing.… Read more
Flexible gastrointestinal endoscopy is a valuable diagnostic and therapeutic tool for the care of patients with gastrointestinal and pancreaticobiliary disorders. Compliance with accepted guidelines for the reprocessing of gastrointestinal endoscopes between patients is critical to the safety and success of their use.… Read more
Jarvis WR, Ostrowsky B
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2003 Jun;24(6):392-6
PMID: 12828313… Read more
OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization among patients presenting for hospital admission and to identify risk factors for MRSA colonization.
DESIGN: Surveillance cultures were performed at the time of hospital admission to identify patients colonized with S.… Read more
OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization in an outpatient population and to identify risk factors for MRSA colonization.
DESIGN: Surveillance cultures were performed during outpatient visits to identify S. aureus colonization. A case-control study was performed to identify risk factors for MRSA colonization.… Read more
OBJECTIVE: To assess the way healthcare facilities (HCFs) diagnose, survey, and control methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
DESIGN: Questionnaire.
SETTING: Ninety HCFs in 30 countries.
RESULTS: Evaluation of susceptibility testing methods showed that 8 laboratories (9%) used oxacillin disks with antimicrobial content different from the one recommended, 12 (13%) did not determine MRSA susceptibility to vancomycin, and 4 (4.5%) reported instances of isolation of vancomycin-resistant S.… Read more
BACKGROUND: Infection control programs were created three decades ago to control antibiotic-resistant healthcare-associated infections, but there has been little evidence of control in most facilities. After long, steady increases of MRSA and VRE infections in NNIS System hospitals, the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) Board of Directors made reducing antibiotic-resistant infections a strategic SHEA goal in January 2000.… Read more
Children in Malawi receive bacille Calmette-GuĂ©rin (BCG) vaccination within the first 3 days of life. Thus, we hypothesized that Malawian children infected with the human immunodeficiency type 1 virus (HIV-1) might be particularly vulnerable to dissemination of the BCG Mycobacterium bovis strain with which they were vaccinated.… Read more
Infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus with reduced vancomycin susceptibility (SA-RVS; minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC], or=4 microg/mL), including vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (VISA; MIC, 8 microg/mL), are a new clinical and public health dilemma. Prospective surveillance and a nested case-control study of patients in the United States infected with SA-RVS was conduced from March 1999 through December 2000.… Read more
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is the primary cause of morbidity and mortality in Malawi, Africa, because of its many effects on the immune system. Immune cells communicate through cytokines; therefore, we examined the relationships between HIV serostatus and cell-specific cytokine production for 40 asymptomatic, employed adults and 312 acutely ill, hospitalized patients in Malawi.… Read more
BACKGROUND: In the USA, human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) is associated with Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) and HIV infection. We examined HHV-8 seroprevalence in a Malawian cohort, and assessed its relationship with HIV, KS, demographic characteristics, and immune findings.
METHODS: In 1997 and 1998, blood samples were obtained from 272 hospitalized Malawian patients, for whom demographic information was obtained, and 24 healthy volunteers without demographic data.… Read more
The World Health Organization recommends Mycobacterium bovis BCG vaccination in areas of high tuberculosis prevalence. BCG’s clinical and immune effects, not necessarily Mycobacterium tuberculosis specific, are unclear. BCG vaccine scarring often is used as a surrogate marker of vaccination or of effective vaccination.… Read more
OBJECTIVES: To determine risk factors for acquiring Burkholderia cepacia complex among patients with cystic fibrosis (CF).
STUDY DESIGN: A case-control study was conducted with active surveillance for B cepacia complex colonization/infection among patients at 21 CF centers from April 1986 to March 1989 (study period).… Read more
OBJECTIVE: To ascertain current diagnostic and treatment practices for suspected late-onset sepsis in infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and identify areas that may benefit from clinical practice guidelines.
METHODS: During June 2000, we conducted a multicenter survey of neonatologists and infection control professionals regarding practices related to late-onset sepsis in NICUs at children’s hospitals participating in the Pediatric Prevention Network.… Read more
OBJECTIVE: To describe the investigation and control of an outbreak of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producing Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serotype Infantis in a neonatal unit in Brazil.
METHODS: A case-control study for risk factors for Salmonella Infantis systemic infection, environmental cultures, and evaluation of staffing and overcrowding and an assessment of infection control practices were performed.… Read more
Cytokines regulate cellular immune activity and are produced by a variety of cells, especially lymphocytes, monocytes, and macrophages. Multiparameter flow cytometry is often used to examine cell-specific cytokine production after in vitro phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and ionomycin induction, with brefeldin A or other agents added to inhibit protein secretion.… Read more
Reller LB, Archibald LK, Jarvis WR, Grohskopf LA
JAMA 2002 Jul;288(2):157, discussion 157-8
PMID: 12113261… Read more
BACKGROUND: Few studies have been conducted in Vietnam on the epidemiology of healthcare-associated infections or antimicrobial use. Thus, we sought to determine the prevalence of and risk factors for surgical-site infections (SSIs) and to document antimicrobial use in surgical patients in a large healthcare facility in Vietnam.… Read more
A nursery outbreak of fever and clinical sepsis resulted in the deaths of 36 neonates in Roraima, Brazil. To determine the cause, epidemiologic studies were performed, along with culture and endotoxin analysis of intravenous (iv) fluids. Affected neonates were more likely to have lower birth weight (2.1 vs.… Read more
BACKGROUND: From June 30, 1998, through March 21, 1999, several patients in the surgical intensive care unit of a hospital acquired Serratia marcescens bacteremia. We investigated this outbreak.
METHODS: A case was defined as the occurrence of S. marcescens bacteremia in any patient in the surgical intensive care unit during the period of the epidemic.… Read more
In animal studies, vitamin A deficiency induces a shift from type 2 (humoral, Th2) to type 1 (cellular, Th1) cytokines; there are no similar data for humans. Control of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections requires type 1 cytokine (cellular) immunity.… Read more
OBJECTIVE: To investigate a perceived increase in central venous catheter (CVC)-associated bloodstream infections (BSIs) among pediatric hematology-oncology outpatients.
DESIGN: A case-control study.
SETTING: A pediatric hematology-oncology outpatient clinic at Fresno Children’s Hospital.
PATIENTS: Pediatric hematology-oncology clinic outpatients with CVCs at Fresno Children’s Hospital between November 1994 and October 1997.… Read more
OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of intensive care unit-acquired infections, a major cause of morbidity in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) patients.
METHODS: Pediatric Prevention Network hospitals (n = 31) participated in a point-prevalence survey on August 4, 1999. Data collected for all PICU inpatients included demographics, infections, therapeutic interventions, and outcomes.… Read more
Age-related changes in human cell-specific cytokine responses to acute illness have not been well examined. We therefore evaluated age-related differences in T, B and natural killer (NK) peripheral blood lymphocyte cytokine responses of 309 acutely ill hospitalized people in Malawi, Africa, < 1 month-61 years of age.… Read more
Robles GarcĂa MB, Orejas RodrĂguez Arango G, Rey Galán C, Jarvis WR
An. Esp. Pediatr. 2002 Apr;56(4):364-6
PMID: 11927086… Read more
This article examines the rationale and strategies for surveillance of health-care-associated infections in home-care settings, the challenges of nonhospital-based surveillance, and the feasibility of developing a national surveillance system.
Manangan LP, Pearson ML, Tokars JI, Miller E, Jarvis WR
Emerging Infect.… Read more
Farr BM, Jarvis WR
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2002 Feb;23(2):65-8
PMID: 11893150… Read more
Worldwide, over 40% of children have iron deficiency anaemia, frequently associated with infections. Certain cytokines are involved in both immune activation/response to infection and iron transport/metabolism. We therefore assessed the relations among iron deficiency, cytokine production and lymphocyte activation markers in 142 hospitalized Malawian children.… Read more
OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of parental education and use of parents as nursing assistants on reducing nosocomial infections.
DESIGN: Prospective study.
METHODS: Active surveillance for nosocomial infections was performed on two wards. On ward A, parents were educated about infection control practices and assisted nursing staff with routine tasks, so that nursing personnel could focus their efforts on procedures with higher risk of infection.… Read more
BACKGROUND: Bacterial contamination of blood components can result in transfusion-transmitted infection, but the risk is not established.
STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Suspected cases of transfusion-transmitted bacteremia were reported to the CDC by participating blood collection facilities and transfusion services affiliated with the American Red Cross, AABB, or Department of Defense blood programs from 1998 through 2000.… Read more
BACKGROUND: The transfusion of blood components contaminated with bacteria may have serious clinical consequences, but few data are available on the incidence of these events. A national effort to assess the frequency of blood component bacterial contamination associated with transfusion reaction (the BaCon Study) was initiated to better estimate their occurrence.… Read more
OBJECTIVES: Patients admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) are at high risk of nosocomial infection. We conducted a national multicenter assessment of nosocomial infections in NICUs to determine the prevalence of infections, describe associated risk factors, and help focus prevention efforts.… Read more