National Briefs

Jan 30, 05:34 PM

OMAHA, Neb. - Doctors and nurses on the go often skip soap and water in favor of an alcohol-based hand gel, thinking the quick- acting goo will kill bacteria on their hands and curb the spread of infection. It turns out that's not enough.

In a Nebraska hospital, medical workers nearly doubled their use of the alcohol-based gel, but their generally cleaner hands had no bearing on the rate of infections among patients.

The doctor who studied the problem pointed to many villains: Rings and fingernails that are too long and hard to clean, poor handling of catheters and treatment areas that aren't sanitized.

"Hand hygiene is still important, but it's not a panacea," said Dr. Mark Rupp, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He led the study at the adjoining Nebraska Medical Center.

The results of his study appear to contradict hospital guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that say better hand hygiene - through frequent washing or use of hand gels - has been shown to cut the spread of hospital infections.

The spread of infection-causing germs in U.S. hospitals is a huge health problem, accounting for an estimated 1.7 million infections and 99,000 deaths each year, according to the CDC. These include drug-resistant staph, urinary tract infections and ventilator- associated pneumonia, among others.

"There are many factors that influence the development of hospital-acquired infections. It would be naive to think that a single, simple intervention would fix this problem," Rupp said.

His study appears in the January issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.

Microsoft oversight extended to 2009

WASHINGTON - Federal oversight of Microsoft Corp.'s market power, which began in 2002 after a landmark antitrust settlement, has been extended by 18 months.

The court's ruling "should not be viewed as a sanction against Microsoft," U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly said late Tuesday. She said her decision was based on delays by Microsoft in filing technical documents related to the licensing of its software.

Ten states, led by New York and California, urged the court last year to extend its oversight until 2012. The Bush administration did not join the states' request. The Justice Department said Microsoft had complied with the settlement and it should be allowed to expire.

Microsoft's shares fell 8 cents to $32.52 in after-hours trading, after dropping 12 cents to close at $32.60.

Senators press war contract panel

WASHINGTON - Lawmakers say they will push ahead with a presidential commission designed to root out waste and fraud in military contracts despite President Bush's concerns that it could usurp his authority.

Bush signed into law on Monday a wide-ranging defense bill that includes instructions to create a commission to investigate defense contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is modeled after a similar commission that was headed by Harry Truman in the 1940s to uncover abuse in military contracts during World War II.

Along with his signature, Bush singled out the commission and three other provisions that could "purport to impose requirements that could inhibit the president's ability to carry out his constitutional obligations."

Such "signing statements" are controversial tools in which the president signs a bill into law but notes portions he may ignore.

Virginia Sen. Jim Webb, who sponsored the provision with fellow Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri, said Congress intends to move forward with setting up the eight-member commission.

Hostage standoff ends in Venezuela

ALTAGRACIA DE ORITUCO, Venezuela - Gunmen who held more than 30 hostages inside a Venezuelan bank for over 24 hours fled in an ambulance and were caught Tuesday along a roadside, where they surrendered and freed their last five captives.

The gunmen first let three hostages go and then negotiated with police while holding on to the last two, Guarico state Gov. Eduardo Manuitt said.

"This nightmare is over," Manuitt told state television.

They eventually turned over their guns and a grenade, and then were ordered to the ground as police arrested them, Manuitt said. The pursuit ended less than two hours after the gunmen fled the bank in the ambulance under a deal negotiated with police.

The standoff in this town southeast of Caracas began Monday morning with a botched robbery. In the final hours, some hostages inside the bank waved signs in the windows with desperate pleas for help and used cell phones to call their relatives.

Under the deal with police, the gunmen were permitted to leave with five hostages who agreed to accompany them, freeing the rest of the captives at the bank.

Compiled from wire reports

(c) 2008 Charleston Gazette, The. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved. National Briefs
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