scholarly journals Molecular Epidemiology of Large COVID-19 Clusters before and after the Implementation of Routine Serial Testing at an Academic Medical Center — Iowa, 2020

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Miguel E. Ortiz ◽  
Takaaki Kobayashi ◽  
Katherine Imborek ◽  
Mohammed Alsuhaibani ◽  
Stephanie Holley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Epidemiology ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Serial Testing ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
Before And After

scholarly journals Molecular Epidemiology of Large COVID-19 Clusters at an Academic Medical Center, March–October 2020

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (S1) ◽  
pp. s10-s11
Author(s):  
Takaaki Kobayashi ◽  
Miguel Ortiz ◽  
Stephanie Holley ◽  
William Etienne ◽  
Kyle Jenn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Epidemiology ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Outbreak Detection ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Serial Testing ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
Community Exposure ◽  
Large Clusters ◽  
Cluster 2

Background: COVID-19 in hospitalized patients may be the result of community acquisition or in-hospital transmission. Molecular epidemiology can help confirm hospital COVID-19 transmission and outbreaks. We describe large COVID-19 clusters identified in our hospital and apply molecular epidemiology to confirm outbreaks. Methods: The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is an 811-bed academic medical center. We identified large clusters involving patients with hospital onset COVID-19 detected during March–October 2020. Large clusters included ≥10 individuals (patients, visitors, or HCWs) with a laboratory confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis (RT-PCR) and an epidemiologic link. Epidemiologic links were defined as hospitalization, work, or visiting in the same unit during the incubation or infectious period for the index case. Hospital onset was defined as a COVID-19 diagnosis ≥14 days from admission date. Admission screening has been conducted since May 2020 and serial testing (every 5 days) since July 2020. Nasopharyngeal swab specimens were retrieved for viral whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Cluster patients with a pairwise difference in ≤5 mutations were considered part of an outbreak. WGS was performed using Oxford Nanopore Technology and protocols from the ARTIC network. Results: We identified 2 large clusters involving patients with hospital-onset COVID-19. Cluster 1: 2 hospital-onset cases were identified in a medical-surgical unit in June 2020. Source and contact tracing revealed 4 additional patients, 1 visitor, and 13 employees with COVID-19. Median age for patients was 62 (range, 38–79), and all were male. In total, 17 samples (6 patients, 1 visitor, and 10 HCWs) were available for WGS. Cluster 2: A hospital-onset case was identified via serial testing in a non–COVID-19 intensive care unit in September 2020. Source investigation, contact tracing, and serial testing revealed 3 additional patients, and 8 HCWs. One HCW also had a community exposure. Patient median age was 60 years (range, 48–68) and all were male. In total, 11 samples (4 patients and 7 HCWs) were sequenced. Using WGS, cluster 1 was confirmed to be an outbreak: WGS showed 0–5 mutations in between samples. Cluster 2 was also an outbreak: WGS showed less diversity (0–3 mutations) and ruled out the HCW with a community exposure (20 mutations of difference). Conclusion: Whole-genome sequencing confirmed the outbreaks identified using classic epidemiologic methods. Serial testing allowed for early outbreak detection. Early outbreak detection and implementation of control measures may decrease outbreak size and genetic diversity.Funding: NoDisclosures: None

The Impact of Discontinuing Contact Precautions for VRE and MRSA on Device-Associated Infections

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (8) ◽  
pp. 978-980 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael B. Edmond ◽  
Nadia Masroor ◽  
Michael P. Stevens ◽  
Janis Ober ◽  
Gonzalo Bearman
Keyword(s):  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Infection Rates ◽  
Hospital Acquired Infection ◽  
Contact Precautions ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Hospital Acquired ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Before And After Study

The impact of discontinuing contact precautions for patients with MRSA and VRE colonization/infection on device-associated hospital-acquired infection rates at an academic medical center was investigated in this before-and-after study. In the setting of a strong horizontal infection prevention platform, discontinuation of contact precautions had no impact on device-associated hospital-acquired infection rates.Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol. 2015;36(8):978–980

scholarly journals Optimizing Inpatient Urine Culture Ordering Practices Using the Electronic Medical Record: A Pilot Study

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 486-488 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Shirley ◽  
Harry Scholtz ◽  
Kurt Osterby ◽  
Jackson Musuuza ◽  
Barry Fox ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Medical Record ◽  
Electronic Medical Record ◽  
Urine Culture ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Before And After Study

A prospective quasi-experimental before-and-after study of an electronic medical record–anchored intervention of embedded education on appropriate urine culture indications and indication selection reduced the number of urine cultures ordered for catheterized patients at an academic medical center. This intervention could be a component of CAUTI-reduction bundles.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017;38:486–488

Implementation and Evaluation of a Smartphone Application for the Perioperative Care of Neurosurgery Patients at an Academic Medical Center: Implications for Patient Satisfaction, Surgery Cancelations, and Readmissions

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 303-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel R Felbaum ◽  
Jeffrey J Stewart ◽  
Amjad N Anaizi ◽  
Faheem A Sandhu ◽  
Mani N Nair ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Postoperative Complications ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Smartphone Application ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Pain Scores ◽  
Phone Calls ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Before And After

Abstract BACKGROUND Smartphone applications (apps) in the health care arena are being increasingly developed with the aim of benefiting both patients and their physicians. The delivery of adequate instructions both before and after a procedure or surgery is of paramount importance in ensuring the best possible outcome for patients. OBJECTIVE To demonstrate that app-based instructions with built-in reminders may improve patient understanding and compliance and contribute to reducing the number of surgery cancellations and postoperative complications and readmissions. METHODS We prospectively accrued 56 patients undergoing routine neurosurgery procedures who subsequently downloaded the app. The median age was 54 (range 27-79). Patients were followed for successful registration and use of the app, compliance with reading instructions before and after surgery, and sending pain scores and/or wound images. The number of surgeries cancelled, postoperative complications, 30-d readmissions, and phone calls for surgery-related questions were examined. RESULTS Fifty-four of the 56 patients successfully registered, downloaded, and used the app and read and complied with instructions both before and after surgery. There were no cancelled surgeries. There was 1 postoperative complication. There were no readmissions. Eight of the 54 patients (14.8%) called the office on a single occasion for a surgery related question. CONCLUSION We demonstrate the utility of a smartphone application in the perioperative neurosurgical care setting with regard to patient compliance and satisfaction as well as surgery cancellations and readmissions. Further study of a larger number of patients with a control group is warranted.

Privileging pharmacists improves time to patient notification in the microbiological test review process for patients discharged from the emergency department

2020 ◽  
Vol 77 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S19-S24
Author(s):  
Steven M Loborec ◽  
Jose A Bazan ◽  
Nicole V Brown ◽  
Mary Beth Shirk ◽  
Trisha A Jordan
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Infectious Disease Physician ◽  
Microbiological Test ◽  
Test Review ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Purpose Results of a study evaluating the impact of privileging pharmacists to manage microbiologic test results for patients discharged from the emergency department (ED) are reported. Methods This was a single-center, retrospective pre-post study that was conducted at an urban academic medical center. Patients discharged from the ED with a subsequent positive microbiologic test result before and after privileging of an ED specialty practice pharmacist (ED-SPP) to manage the results independently were screened for inclusion. Time to patient notification of a required change in antimicrobial therapy was compared between groups. Numbers of erroneous interventions before and after pharmacist privileging were compared to assess the safety of implementation. Results One hundred seventy-eight positive microbiologic test results (n = 92 pre- and n = 86 postimplementation) were included. The median time to patient notification in the pre-implementation group was 23.6 hours (range, 12.4-93 hours) and in the postimplementation group was 14.9 hours (range, 2.5-27.9 hours; P = 0.0023). As determined by the board-certified infectious disease physician, 1.1% of reviewed microbiologic test results (1 of 92) was erroneous prior to implementation of pharmacist privileging compared with 2.3% (2 of 86) after implementation (P = 0.6105). Conclusion Privileging ED-SPPs to assess microbiologic test results improved the time to patient notification with no statistical difference in the number of erroneous interventions between groups. These findings demonstrate the benefit of clinical privileging and provide support for expansion of this role to other ED-SPPs.

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