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Health care-associated infections represent substantial burden on health care systems in highly developed countries, including Canada. (1-3) In 2002, health care-associated infection developed in an estimated 5% of patients admitted [...], BACKGROUND: Health care-associated infections are a common cause of patient morbidity and mortality. We sought to describe the trends in these infections in acute care hospitals, using data from 3 national point-prevalence surveys. METHODS: The Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program (CNISP) conducted descriptive point-prevalence surveys to assess the burden of health care-associated infections on a single day in February of 2002, 2009 and 2017. Surveyed infections included urinary tract infection, pneumonia, Clostridioides difficile infection, infection at surgical sites and bloodstream infections. We compared the prevalence of infection across the survey years and considered the contribution of antimicrobial-resistant organisms as a cause of these infections. RESULTS: We surveyed 28 of 33 (response rate 84.8%) CNISP hospitals (6747 patients) in 2002, 39 of 55 (response rate 71.0%) hospitals (8902 patients) in 2009 and 47 of 66 (response rate 71.2%) hospitals (9929 patients) in 2017. The prevalence of patients with at least 1 health care-associated infection increased from 9.9% in 2002 (95% confidence interval [CI] 8.4%-11.5%) to 11.3% in 2009 (95% CI 9.4%-13.5%), and then declined to 7.9% in 2017 (95% CI 6.8% 9.0%). In 2017, device-associated infections accounted for 35.6% of all health care-associated infections. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) accounted for 3.9% of all organisms identified from 2002 to 2017; other antibiotic-resistant organisms were uncommon causes of infection for all survey years. INTERPRETATION: In CNISP hospitals, there was a decline in the prevalence of health care-associated infection in 2017 compared with previous surveys. However, strategies to prevent infections associated with medical devices should be developed. Apart from MRSA, few infections were caused by antibiotic-resistant organisms.

The efforts done by Alton Memorial Hospital, a part of BJC HealthCare, in reducing medication errors, using define, measure, analyze, improve and control method and quality function deployment, are analyzed.

This article discusses the rising need to make documents at U.S. bankruptcy court dockets more accessible. It explains that electronic filing can help make these documents accessible, easy to locate and cost effective. Electronic filing will also help bankruptcy judges more effectively oversee companies reorganizing under Chapter 11.

A letter to the editor and the editor's reply is presented on the topic of the publication's lack of content and why it is losing subscribers.

Presents information on the different types of push technology, while highlighting PointCast, a content aggregator. How paralegals can use push technology for some research-related situations; Description of the different types of push technology; Information on the functions of PointCast; Benefits of its use,

Presents several letters to the editor in response to articles in previous issues. Response to letters regarding the advantages of short wavelength light sources in the February and April 2006 issues; Efficacy and efficiency of lamp and ballast combination in the May 2006 issue; "Slides Are Dead.. Long Live Pixels?," by Emlyn Altman in the May 2006 issue.