scholarly journals Environmental contamination in a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) intensive care unit—What is the risk?

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Sean Wei Xiang Ong ◽  
Pei Hua Lee ◽  
Yian Kim Tan ◽  
Li Min Ling ◽  
Benjamin Choon Heng Ho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Cell Culture ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Infection Control ◽  
Environmental Contamination ◽  
Transmission Risk ◽  
Common Area ◽  
The Common ◽  
General Wards ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background: The risk of environmental contamination by severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the intensive care unit (ICU) is unclear. We evaluated the extent of environmental contamination in the ICU and correlated this with patient and disease factors, including the impact of different ventilatory modalities. Methods: In this observational study, surface environmental samples collected from ICU patient rooms and common areas were tested for SARS-CoV-2 by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Select samples from the common area were tested by cell culture. Clinical data were collected and correlated to the presence of environmental contamination. Results were compared to historical data from a previous study in general wards. Results: In total, 200 samples from 20 patient rooms and 75 samples from common areas and the staff pantry were tested. The results showed that 14 rooms had at least 1 site contaminated, with an overall contamination rate of 14% (28 of 200 samples). Environmental contamination was not associated with day of illness, ventilatory mode, aerosol-generating procedures, or viral load. The frequency of environmental contamination was lower in the ICU than in general ward rooms. Eight samples from the common area were positive, though all were negative on cell culture. Conclusion: Environmental contamination in the ICU was lower than in the general wards. The use of mechanical ventilation or high-flow nasal oxygen was not associated with greater surface contamination, supporting their use and safety from an infection control perspective. Transmission risk via environmental surfaces in the ICUs is likely to be low. Nonetheless, infection control practices should be strictly reinforced, and transmission risk via droplet or airborne spread remains.

Control of Simultaneous Outbreaks of Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae and Extensively Drug-ResistantAcinetobacter baumanniiInfection in an Intensive Care Unit Using Interventions Promoted in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2012 Carbapenemase-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae Toolkit

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (7) ◽  
pp. 810-817 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle B. Enfield ◽  
Nujhat N. Huq ◽  
Megan F. Gosseling ◽  
Darla J. Low ◽  
Kevin C. Hazen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Infection Control ◽  
Disease Control ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Surgical Trauma ◽  
Infection Control Measures ◽  
Resistance Plasmids ◽  
Centers For Disease Control ◽  
The Impact

ObjectiveWe describe the efficacy of enhanced infection control measures, including those recommended in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2012 carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) toolkit, to control concurrent outbreaks of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) and extensively drug-resistantAcinetobacter baumannii(XDR-AB).DesignBefore-after intervention study.SettingFifteen-bed surgical trauma intensive care unit (ICU).MethodsWe investigated the impact of enhanced infection control measures in response to clusters of CPE and XDR-AB infections in an ICU from April 2009 to March 2010. Polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the presence ofblaKPCand resistance plasmids in CRE. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was performed to assess XDR-AB clonality. Enhanced infection-control measures were implemented in response to ongoing transmission of CPE and a new outbreak of XDR-AB. Efficacy was evaluated by comparing the incidence rate (IR) of CPE and XDR-AB before and after the implementation of these measures.ResultsThe IR of CPE for the 12 months before the implementation of enhanced measures was 7.77 cases per 1,000 patient-days, whereas the IR of XDR-AB for the 3 months before implementation was 6.79 cases per 1,000 patient-days. All examined CPE shared endemicblaKPCresistance plasmids, and 6 of the 7 XDR-AB isolates were clonal. Following institution of enhanced infection control measures, the CPE IR decreased to 1.22 cases per 1,000 patient-days (P= .001), and no more cases of XDR-AB were identified.ConclusionsUse of infection control measures described in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2012 CRE toolkit was associated with a reduction in the IR of CPE and an interruption in XDR-AB transmission.

scholarly journals Comparison of surveillance and clinical cultures to measure the impact of infection control interventions on the incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus in the hospital

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Surbhi Leekha ◽  
Lyndsay M. O’Hara ◽  
Alyssa Sbarra ◽  
Shanshan Li ◽  
Anthony D. Harris
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Infection Control ◽  
The United States ◽  
Incidence Density ◽  
Surgical Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Surveillance Cultures ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Objective: To evaluate whether clinical cultures are an appropriate surrogate for surveillance cultures to measure the effect of interventions on the incidence of MRSA and VRE in the hospital. Design: Cross-sectional and quasi-experimental, retrospective analysis Setting and population: Convenience sample of patients admitted between January 1, 2002, and June 31, 2011, to the medical intensive care unit (MICU) and surgical intensive care unit (SICU) of an acute-care hospital in the United States. Interventions: Asynchronously in the MICU and SICU, we introduced (1) universal glove and gown use, (2) bundled intervention to prevent central-line–associated bloodstream infection, and (3) daily chlorhexidine gluconate bathing. Results: We observed a statistically significant correlation between surveillance and clinical culture-based incidence rates of MRSA in the MICU (0.32; P < .001) and the SICU (0.37; P < .001) but not for VRE in either the MICU (0.16, P = .11) or the SICU (0.15; P = .12). For VRE, but not for MRSA, incidence density rates based on surveillance cultures were 2- to 4-fold higher than for clinical cultures. When evaluating the impacts of the interventions, different effect estimates were noted for universal glove and gown use on MRSA acquisition in MICU, and for VRE acquisition in both the MICU and the SICU based on surveillance versus clinical cultures. Conclusions: For multidrug-resistant organism acquisition, surveillance cultures should be used when feasible because clinical cultures may not be an appropriate surrogate. Clinical or surveillance-based end points for infection control interventions should reflect the conceptual model from colonization to infection and where an intervention might have an effect, rather than considering them interchangeable.

Differential impact of on-site or telepharmacy in the intensive care unit: a controlled before–after study

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joao Gabriel Rosa Ramos ◽  
Sandra Cristina Hernandes ◽  
Talita Teles Teixeira Pereira ◽  
Shana Oliveira ◽  
Denis de Melo Soares ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Phase 2 ◽  
Differential Impact ◽  
Scarce Resources ◽  
Clinical Pharmacists ◽  
Versus Phase ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Clinical pharmacists have an important role in the intensive care unit (ICU) team but are scarce resources. Our aim was to evaluate the impact of on-site pharmacists on medical prescriptions in the ICU. Methods This is a retrospective, quasi-experimental, controlled before-after study in two ICUs. Interventions by pharmacists were evaluated in phase 1 (February to November 2016) and phase 2 (February to May 2017) in ICU A (intervention) and ICU B (control). In phase 1, both ICUs had a telepharmacy service in which medical prescriptions were evaluated and interventions were made remotely. In phase 2, an on-site pharmacist was implemented in ICU A, but not in ICU B. We compared the number of interventions that were accepted in phase 1 versus phase 2. Results During the study period, 8797/9603 (91.6%) prescriptions were evaluated, and 935 (10.6%) needed intervention. In phase 2, there was an increase in the proportion of interventions that were accepted by the physician in comparison to phase 1 (93.9% versus 76.8%, P &lt; 0.001) in ICU A, but there was no change in ICU B (75.2% versus 73.9%, P = 0.845). Conclusion An on-site pharmacist in the ICU was associated with an increase in the proportion of interventions that were accepted by physicians.

The presence of liver cirrhosis is a strong negative predictor of survival for patients admitted to the intensive care unit – Cirrhosis in intensive care patients

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jörg Bojunga ◽  
Mireen Friedrich-Rust ◽  
Alica Kubesch ◽  
Kai Henrik Peiffer ◽  
Hannes Abramowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Liver Cirrhosis ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Hospital Mortality ◽  
Intensive Care Treatment ◽  
Matched Cohort ◽  
Care Treatment ◽  
Cirrhotic Patients ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Cirrhotic Group

Abstract Background and Aims Liver cirrhosis is a systemic disease that substantially impacts the body’s physiology, especially in advanced stages. Accordingly, the outcome of patients with cirrhosis requiring intensive care treatment is poor. We aimed to analyze the impact of cirrhosis on mortality of intensive care unit (ICU) patients compared to other frequent chronic diseases and conditions. Methods In this retrospective study, patients admitted over three years to the ICU of the Department of Medicine of the University Hospital Frankfurt were included. Patients were matched for age, gender, pre-existing conditions, simplified acute physiology score (SAPS II), and therapeutic intervention scoring system (TISS). Results A total of 567 patients admitted to the ICU were included in the study; 99 (17.5 %) patients had liver cirrhosis. A total of 129 patients were included in the matched cohort for the sensitivity analysis. In-hospital mortality was higher in cirrhotic patients than non-cirrhotic patients (p < 0.0001) in the entire and matched cohort. Liver cirrhosis remained one of the strongest independent predictors of in-hospital mortality (entire cohort p = 0.001; matched cohort p = 0.03) along with dialysis and need for transfusion in the multivariate logistic regression analysis. Furthermore, in the cirrhotic group, the need for kidney replacement therapy (p < 0.001) and blood transfusion (p < 0.001) was significantly higher than in the non-cirrhotic group.  Conclusions In the presented study, liver cirrhosis was one of the strongest predictors of in-hospital mortality in patients needing intensive care treatment along with dialysis and the need for ventilation. Therefore, concerted efforts are needed to improve cirrhotic patients’ outcomes, prevent disease progression, and avoid complications with the need for ICU treatment in the early stages of the disease.

scholarly journals 375. COVID 19 infection in a Massachusetts community hospital

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S257-S258
Author(s):  
Raul Davaro ◽  
alwyn rapose
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Mechanical Ventilation ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Essential Hypertension ◽  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
High Mortality ◽  
Case Series ◽  
World Health ◽  
Minimal Risk ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background The ongoing pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections has led to 105690 cases and 7647 deaths in Massachusetts as of June 16. Methods The study was conducted at Saint Vincent Hospital, an academic health medical center in Worcester, Massachusetts. The institutional review board approved this case series as minimal-risk research using data collected for routine clinical practice and waived the requirement for informed consent. All consecutive patients who were sufficiently medically ill to require hospital admission with confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection by positive result on polymerase chain reaction testing of a nasopharyngeal sample were included. Results A total of 109 consecutive patients with COVID 19 were admitted between March 15 and May 31. Sixty one percent were men, the mean age of the cohort was 67. Forty one patients (37%) were transferred from nursing homes. Twenty seven patients died (24%) and the majority of the dead patients were men (62%). Fifty one patients (46%) required admission to the medical intensive care unit and 34 necessitated mechanical ventilation, twenty two patients on mechanical ventilation died (63%). The most common co-morbidities were essential hypertension (65%), obesity (60%), diabetes (33%), chronic kidney disease (22%), morbid obesity (11%), congestive heart failure (16%) and COPD (14%). Five patients required hemodialysis. Fifty five patients received hydroxychloroquine, 24 received tocilizumab, 20 received convalescent plasma and 16 received remdesivir. COVID 19 appeared in China in late 2019 and was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020. Our study showed a high mortality in patients requiring mechanical ventilation (43%) as opposed to those who did not (5.7%). Hypertension, diabetes and obesity were highly prevalent in this aging population. Our cohort was too small to explore the impact of treatment with remdesivir, tocilizumab or convalescent plasma. Conclusion In this cohort obesity, diabetes and essential hypertension are risk factors associated with high mortality. Patients admitted to the intensive care unit who need mechanical ventilation have a mortality approaching 50 %. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

scholarly journals Blind Spots in Methods Based on Cultivation and Metagenomic Sequencing for Surface Microbiomes in a Medical Intensive Care Unit

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. s141-s142
Author(s):  
Jiaxian Shen ◽  
Alexander McFarland ◽  
Ryan Blaustein ◽  
Mary Hayden ◽  
Vincent Young ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Sensitivity And Specificity ◽  
Medical Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Metagenomic Sequencing ◽  
Whole Cell ◽  
Medical Intensive Care ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Blind Spots

Background: Cultivation of targeted pathogens has been long recognized as a gold standard for healthcare surveillance. However, there is an emergent need to characterize all viable microorganisms in healthcare facilities to understand the role that both clinical and nonclinical microorganisms play in healthcare-associated infections. Metagenomic sequencing allows detection of entire microbial communities, in contrast to targeted identification by cultivation. Widespread application of metagenomic sequencing has been impeded in part because the sensitivity and specificity are unknown, which inhibits our ability to interpret results for risk assessment. To assess the impact of sample preparation methods on sensitivity and specificity, we compared several pretreatment steps followed by metagenomic sequencing, and we performed culture-based analyses. Methods: We collected 120 surface swabs from the medical intensive care unit at Rush University Medical Center, which we aggregated to create a representative microbiome sample. We then subjected aliquots to different processing methods (DNA extraction methods, internal standard addition, propidium monoazide (PMA) treatment, and whole-cell serial filtration). We evaluated the effects of these methods based on DNA yields and metagenomic sequencing outcomes. We also compared the metagenomic results to the microbial identifications obtained by cultivation using environmental microbiology methods and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Results: Our results demonstrate that bead-beating and heat lysis followed by liquid-liquid extraction is the optimal method for the identification of low-biomass surface-associated microbes, as opposed to widely used column-based and magnetic bead-based methods. For low-biomass surface-associated samples, ~590,000 reads per sample are sufficient for ≍90% coverage in metagenomic sequencing (Fig. 1). The ZymoBIOMICS microbial community standard is not appropriate for methods assessing membrane integrity. For the identification of putatively viable microorganisms, PMA treatment is promising, although elimination of signals from nonviable organisms will reduce the overall detectable signal. Combining PMA-treated metagenomic sequencing with cultivation yields the most comprehensive results, particularly for low-abundance taxa, despite high sequencing coverage (Fig. 2). To distribute more detection resources to bacteria, our target domain, we tried whole-cell filtration prior to extraction, attempting to isolate bacterial cells from eukaryotic cells and other particles. For low-biomass surface-associated samples, the sample loss and the difficulties in performing filtration outweigh the slight increase of bacterial signal. Conclusions: Despite optimization, we observed certain blind spots in both cultivation and metagenomic sequencing. This information is essential for informed risk assessment. Further research is needed to identify additional limitations to ensure that results from metagenomic sequencing can be interpreted in the context of healthcare-acquired infection prevention.Funding: This work was supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (BAA FY2018-OADS-01 Contract 02915).Disclosures: None

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