Here are 10 articles on medical research study findings from the week of Nov. 30.
1. Pathogens like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii live on most keyboards in medical facilities, including hospitals. Read more.
2. Patients at safety-net hospital clinics were less likely to rate their care as excellent when their clinicians used their computers a lot during their encounter, according to an article published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Read more.
3. The results of a three-year initiative funded by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation suggest that collaborative care models improve outcomes for patients with uncontrolled depression, diabetes and heart disease. Read more.
4. For acutely ill children, heading home after a hospital stay is a happy event, but the stress of making that transition may result in negative consequences for their long-term overall health and overwhelm their caregivers, according to a new study in the journal Pediatrics. Read more.
5. A pilot study published in the December issue of the American Journal of Infection Control shows clinical workstations within hospital intensive care units may serve as a haven for bacteria due to improper cleaning. Read more.
6. S. aureus, bacteria which commonly cause drug-resistant infections to take hold after prosthetic surgery, shield themselves inside of naturally occurring molecules to survive, according to recent research. Read more.
7. A small percentage of nursing home patients are carrying multidrug-resistant bacteria into hospitals without showing symptoms, according to new research. Read more.
8. When compared to rigid containers in a study, wrapped instrument trays were better at preventing bacterial ingress into a sterilized tray. Read more.
9. Although hospital readmission rates have dropped across the country for certain conditions, an analysis of Medicare claims found patients reenter the hospital nearly as frequently, but under a different label: observation stays. Read more.
10. Engineers at the Pennsylvania State University Materials Research Institute in University Park developed a reusable device to make biomedical diagnosis of diseases cheaper and more convenient. Read more.