Here are eight articles on medical research study findings from the week of May 25.
1. New research found post-operative invasive Staphylococcus aureus infections were rare in patients who have undergone knee or hip prostheses, but difficult-to-treat methicillin-resistant infections were relatively common.
2. Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., and Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass., linked higher spending on post-acute care in skilled nursing facilities to lower patient survival rates in a recent study.
3. Infusion rate or line mix-ups, IV lines not attaching to patients and errors associated with piggyback infusions are the most common errors associated with multiple IV infusions, according to new research presented at a recent meeting for the National Coalition for Infusion Therapy Safety.
4. An international team of scientists identified the molecular "Achilles' heel" of the deadly Ebola virus in the form of a protein called Niemann-Pick C1.
5. Researchers discovered common surgical site infections increase in frequency during the summer months.
6. Chattanooga-based University of Tennessee College of Medicine researchers identified five variables that may help clinicians develop a clinical prediction tool for guiding treatment decisions in severe cases of Clostridium difficile infection.
7. One study revealed many physician assistant students learn about quality improvement projects during clinical rotations, but few actually participate.
8. Researchers found the gloves and gowns of healthcare workers are frequently contaminated with MRSA when caring for nursing home residents.