Fly rounds: Validation and pilot of a novel epidemiologic tool to guide infection control response to an infestation of Sarcophagidae flies in a community hospital's perioperative department.

During an outbreak of Sarcophagidae, or flesh flies, in a community hospital's perioperative department, the infection prevention and control (IPC) department developed, validated, and piloted a novel epidemiologic tool to track hourly fly prevalence by room. Interrater reliability of the tool was measured as 0.88 and hourly point prevalence counts were superimposed on floor plans to create heat maps. Such surveillance tools allowed more timely decision making in conjunction with the operations of the hospital incident command system.

Community and justice: the challenges of bicultural partnership to policy on assisted reproductive technology.

Listening to other cultures offers challenges to our fundamental assumptions and worldviews. In New Zealand public policy on Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) is being worked out in a society committed to the development of bicultural partnership honouring the Treaty of Waitangi, a treaty with the indigenous people. Strong claims to the cultural significance of genetic heritage by Maori have made apparent to non-Maori (Pakeha) their own assumptions. These claims also resist reductive understandings of genetics. In this paper I review, as a Pakeha ethicist, initiatives taken in New Zealand, and the impact of bicultural development on public policy on ART. I also discuss some of the issues this raises for western bioethics as it relates to non-western approaches and include reference to the significance of genetic heritage as it is affecting guidelines for donor insemination and surrogacy.