Hygiene News and Research

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Canadian-invented bioactive paper wards off E-coli, salmonella and SARS

Next time there is a global pandemic, contaminated water caused by flooding, or questionable-looking meat in a supermarket, we may be reaching for a piece of paper.

24 May 2007

Oral hygiene recommendations

For more than 75 years, the American Dental Association (ADA) Seal of Acceptance program has helped consumers make informed decisions about safe and effective oral care products.

24 May 2007

New pandemic flu guidance for healthcare workers

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has unveiled new safety and health guidance that will help healthcare workers and their employers prepare for a possible influenza pandemic.

23 May 2007

Cause of drug-resistant wound infections among soldiers in Iraq down to hospitals not battlefield

An outbreak of drug-resistant wound infections among soldiers in Iraq likely came from the hospitals where they were treated, not the battlefield, according to a new study in the June 15 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, currently available online.

22 May 2007

Pioneering skin researchers at the University of Leeds achieve international quality standard

The Skin Research Centre at the University of Leeds, which has led the way in the treatment of acne, eczema and other skin conditions, is the only University skin microbiology laboratory in the UK to receive the international quality standard ISO 17025.

22 May 2007

Drugs users increasingly more cautious about using needles

Even though HIV can be well treated these days, drug users are still more cautious about using needles than they used to be.

15 May 2007

Dealing with a flu pandemic in the UK

Giving local authorities responsibility for implementing pandemic flu plans may not be the best policy, says a senior public health doctor in this week's BMJ.

11 May 2007

Human papillomavirus linked to throat cancers

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center have conclusive evidence that human papillomavirus (HPV) causes some throat cancers in both men and women.

10 May 2007

Botox decreases pain and intensity of spasticity following a stroke

Final results from a multi-center study shows that repeated treatments of botulinum toxin type A (BoNTA or Botox?) over one year is well tolerated and results in a significant decrease in spasticity, pain frequency and average pain intensity in upper limbs following stroke, according to research from a neurologist at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

4 May 2007

Alcohol-based handrubs can improve hygiene in hospitals

Giving health care workers easy access to alcohol-based handrubs can improve hygiene in hospitals, a study published in the Online Open Access journal Critical Care suggests.

4 May 2007

WHO 9 point plan will protect patients from medical errors

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) health care errors affect one in every 10 patients around the world.

3 May 2007

St. Lawrence University in pilot project to improve depression screening

Fifteen percent of college students suffered from depression last year, up from 10 percent in 2000, according to The American College Health Association. Mental health professionals on college campuses expect the percentage to rise again this year.

1 May 2007

Mechanisms of glucose homeostasis and early diabetes

Glucose homeostasis, the appropriate balancing of blood sugar levels, is impaired early in patients who become diabetic, causing life-threatening complications such as kidney failure and heart attacks.

1 May 2007

Better risk management could cut MRSA infection rates

The larger and busier, an NHS hospital is, the higher the MRSA infection rate, research from the Nottingham University Business School has revealed.

27 Apr 2007

Financial incentives help control MRSA infections in NHS hospitals

Improved levels of risk management standards in NHS hospitals would reduce MRSA infections by between 11% and 20%, according to new research by Professor Neil Rickman of the University of Surrey and colleagues.

25 Apr 2007

Chitin compound causes allergic inflammation

The beetle's back and the crab's shell owe their toughness to a common compound called chitin that now appears to trigger airway inflammation and possibly asthma, UCSF scientists have found.

24 Apr 2007

Study links Helicobacter pylori to asthma prevention

The stomach bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which causes stomach cancer and peptic ulcers, may not be all bad.

24 Apr 2007

Antibiotics before dental procedures may do more harm than good

Taking a precautionary antibiotic before a trip to the dentist isn't necessary for most people, and in fact, might create more harm than good, according to updated recommendations from the American Heart Association.

20 Apr 2007

Fewer heart patients need antibiotics before dental procedures to prevent infective endocarditis

Based on a review of new and existing scientific evidence, most dental patients with heart disease do not need antibiotics before dental procedures to prevent infective endocarditis (IE), a rare, but life-threatening heart infection.

20 Apr 2007

Should researchers wash their hands of hand washing?

Despite the high profile given to hand washing in hospitals, there is still little robust evidence to show which are the best ways to improve hand hygiene.

19 Apr 2007