Although standardizing central-line care elements led to a significant statewide decline in NICU CLABSIs, site of care remains an independent risk factor. Using maintenance checklists reduced CLABSIs.

Context Diarrhea-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is the most common cause of acute renal failure in children. Most cases are caused by an intestinal infection with Shiga toxin-producing strains of Escherichia coli.Objective To determine if administration of an oral agent that binds Shiga toxin could diminish the severity of diarrhea-associated HUS in pediatric patients. Design, Setting, and Patients Multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebocontrolled clinical trial of 145 children (96 experimental and 49 placebo) aged 6 months to 18 years with diarrhea-associated HUS conducted between July 27, 1997, and April 14, 2001, at 26 tertiary care pediatric nephrology centers in the United States and Canada. Trial included 2 phases, the hospital course for treatment of the acute illness and a 60-day outpatient follow-up period after discharge from the hospital.Intervention Patients were assigned to receive the binding agent, 500 mg/kg daily, or cornmeal placebo orally for 7 days in a 2:1 randomization scheme. Main Outcome MeasuresCombined frequency of death or serious extrarenal events and need for dialysis in the experimental vs placebo group.Results A total of 62 patients (43%) were male and 123 (85%) were white. The median age of the patients was 4.2 years. Most patients (59%) were transferred from other hospitals to participating sites. The severity of disease at the time of randomization was comparable in the 2 groups. The prevalence of death or serious extrarenal events was 18% and 20% in the experimental and placebo groups, respectively (P=.82). Dialysis was required in 42% of experimental and 39% of placebo groups (P=.86).Conclusions Oral therapy with a Shiga toxin-binding agent failed to diminish the severity of disease in pediatric patients with diarrhea-associated HUS.

Necrotizing enterocolitis is the most common gastrointestinal emergency of the neonate, affecting 5-10% of infants, yet the pathogenesis remains unclear. Widely accepted risk factors include prematurity, enteral feeds, bacterial colonization and mucosal injury. How these or other yet identified factors come together to create the classic clinical and pathologic features is the subject of much research. The activation of the cytokine cascade, in part by bacterial ligands, appears to play a key role in mucosal injury. Two mediators that may also contribute are platelet activating factor and intestinal toll-like receptors. Short chain fatty acids, the products of bacterial fermentation of carbohydrates, have been thought to cause mucosal injury. Overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria in the face of a decreased commensal population may play a key role. A current focus of clinical research involves probiotics, enterally fed forms of commsenal bacteria. This may set the stage for a healthier intestinal ecosystem and possibly, decreased risk of NEC.

Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of Staphylococcus aureus is increasingly used as part of infection prevention practices. In this study, we established a long-read technology-based WGS screening program of all first-episode methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) blood infections at a major urban hospital.