scholarly journals Factors influencing environmental sampling recovery of healthcare pathogens from non-porous surfaces with cellulose sponges

PLoS ONE ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. e0261588
Author(s):  
Laura J. Rose ◽  
Hollis Houston ◽  
Marla Martinez-Smith ◽  
Amanda K. Lyons ◽  
Carrie Whitworth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pathogen Detection ◽  
Intervention Studies ◽  
Surface Type ◽  
Drying Time ◽  
Clostridioides Difficile ◽  
Cellulose Sponge ◽  
Test Soil ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant ◽  
Contamination Levels ◽  
Healthcare Associated

Results from sampling healthcare surfaces for pathogens are difficult to interpret without understanding the factors that influence pathogen detection. We investigated the recovery of four healthcare-associated pathogens from three common surface materials, and how a body fluid simulant (artificial test soil, ATS), deposition method, and contamination levels influence the percent of organisms recovered (%R). Known quantities of carbapenemase-producing KPC+ Klebsiella pneumoniae (KPC), Acinetobacter baumannii, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis, and Clostridioides difficile spores (CD) were suspended in Butterfield’s buffer or ATS, deposited on 323cm2 steel, plastic, and laminate surfaces, allowed to dry 1h, then sampled with a cellulose sponge wipe. Bacteria were eluted, cultured, CFU counted and %R determined relative to the inoculum. The %R varied by organism, from <1% (KPC) to almost 60% (CD) and was more dependent upon the organism’s characteristics and presence of ATS than on surface type. KPC persistence as determined by culture also declined by >1 log10 within the 60 min drying time. For all organisms, the %R was significantly greater if suspended in ATS than if suspended in Butterfield’s buffer (p<0.05), and for most organisms the %R was not significantly different when sampled from any of the three surfaces. Organisms deposited in multiple droplets were recovered at equal or higher %R than if spread evenly on the surface. This work assists in interpreting data collected while investigating a healthcare infection outbreak or while conducting infection intervention studies.

Timing and route of contamination of hospitalized patient rooms with healthcare-associated pathogens

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Sarah N. Redmond ◽  
Basya S. Pearlmutter ◽  
Yilen K. Ng-Wong ◽  
Heba Alhmidi ◽  
Jennifer L. Cadnum ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pathogen Detection ◽  
Veterans Affairs ◽  
Portable Equipment ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Clostridioides Difficile ◽  
Bacteriophage Ms2 ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci ◽  
Observational Cohort ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant ◽  
Healthcare Associated

Abstract Objective: To investigate the timing and routes of contamination of the rooms of patients newly admitted to the hospital. Design: Observational cohort study and simulations of pathogen transfer. Setting: A Veterans’ Affairs hospital. Participants: Patients newly admitted to the hospital with no known carriage of healthcare-associated pathogens. Methods: Interactions between the participants and personnel or portable equipment were observed, and cultures of high-touch surfaces, floors, bedding, and patients’ socks and skin were collected for up to 4 days. Cultures were processed for Clostridioides difficile, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). Simulations were conducted with bacteriophage MS2 to assess plausibility of transfer from contaminated floors to high-touch surfaces and to assess the effectiveness of wearing slippers in reducing transfer. Results: Environmental cultures became positive for at least 1 pathogen in 10 (59%) of the 17 rooms, with cultures positive for MRSA, C. difficile, and VRE in the rooms of 10 (59%), 2 (12%), and 2 (12%) participants, respectively. For all 14 instances of pathogen detection, the initial site of recovery was the floor followed in a subset of patients by detection on sock bottoms, bedding, and high-touch surfaces. In simulations, wearing slippers over hospital socks dramatically reduced transfer of bacteriophage MS2 from the floor to hands and to high-touch surfaces. Conclusions: Floors may be an underappreciated source of pathogen dissemination in healthcare facilities. Simple interventions such as having patients wear slippers could potentially reduce the risk for transfer of pathogens from floors to hands and high-touch surfaces.

Microbial bioburden of inpatient and outpatient areas beyond patient hospital rooms

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Jennifer L. Cadnum ◽  
Basya S. Pearlmutter ◽  
Annette L. Jencson ◽  
Hanan Haydar ◽  
Michelle T. Hecker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Pathogens ◽  
Outpatient Clinics ◽  
Acinetobacter Baumanii ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Fluorescent Markers ◽  
Clostridioides Difficile ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant ◽  
Healthcare Associated ◽  
Cleaning And Disinfection ◽  
Surgery Center

Abstract Objective: To investigate the frequency of environmental contamination in hospital areas outside patient rooms and in outpatient healthcare facilities. Design: Culture survey. Setting: This study was conducted across 4 hospitals, 4 outpatient clinics, and 1 surgery center. Methods: We conducted 3 point-prevalence culture surveys for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, Clostridioides difficile, Candida spp, and gram-negative bacilli including Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumanii, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia in each facility. In hospitals, high-touch surfaces were sampled from radiology, physical therapy, and mobile equipment and in emergency departments, waiting rooms, clinics, and endoscopy facilities. In outpatient facilities, surfaces were sampled in exam rooms including patient and provider areas, patient bathrooms, and waiting rooms and from portable equipment. Fluorescent markers were placed on high-touch surfaces and removal was assessed 1 day later. Results: In the hospitals, 110 (9.4%) of 1,195 sites were positive for 1 or more bacterial pathogens (range, 5.3%–13.7% for the 4 hospitals) and 70 (5.9%) were positive for Candida spp (range, 3.7%–5.9%). In outpatient facilities, 31 of 485 (6.4%) sites were positive for 1 or more bacterial pathogens (range, 2% to 14.4% for the 5 outpatient facilities) and 50 (10.3%) were positive for Candida spp (range, 3.9%–23.3%). Fluorescent markers had been removed from 33% of sites in hospitals (range, 28.4%–39.7%) and 46.3% of sites in outpatient clinics (range, 7.4%–82.8%). Conclusions: Surfaces in hospitals outside patient rooms and in outpatient facilities are frequently contaminated with healthcare-associated pathogens. Improvements in cleaning and disinfection practices are needed to reduce contamination.

scholarly journals Phylogenomic analysis of Clostridioides difficile ribotype 106 strains reveals novel genetic islands and emergent phenotypes

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryan Angelo P. Roxas ◽  
Jennifer Lising Roxas ◽  
Rachel Claus-Walker ◽  
Anusha Harishankar ◽  
Asad Mansoor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biofilm Formation ◽  
Diarrheal Disease ◽  
The United States ◽  
Genomic Islands ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
Phylogenomic Analysis ◽  
Community Settings ◽  
Hamster Model ◽  
Clostridioides Difficile ◽  
Healthcare Associated

AbstractClostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is a major healthcare-associated diarrheal disease. Consistent with trends across the United States, C. difficile RT106 was the second-most prevalent molecular type in our surveillance in Arizona from 2015 to 2018. A representative RT106 strain displayed robust virulence and 100% lethality in the hamster model of acute CDI. We identified a unique 46 KB genomic island (GI1) in all RT106 strains sequenced to date, including those in public databases. GI1 was not found in its entirety in any other C. difficile clade, or indeed, in any other microbial genome; however, smaller segments were detected in Enterococcus faecium strains. Molecular clock analyses suggested that GI1 was horizontally acquired and sequentially assembled over time. GI1 encodes homologs of VanZ and a SrtB-anchored collagen-binding adhesin, and correspondingly, all tested RT106 strains had increased teicoplanin resistance, and a majority displayed collagen-dependent biofilm formation. Two additional genomic islands (GI2 and GI3) were also present in a subset of RT106 strains. All three islands are predicted to encode mobile genetic elements as well as virulence factors. Emergent phenotypes associated with these genetic islands may have contributed to the relatively rapid expansion of RT106 in US healthcare and community settings.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of Ultraviolet-C Room Disinfection on Preventing Healthcare-Associated Clostridioides difficile Infection

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. s33-s33
Author(s):  
Michihiko Goto ◽  
Erin Balkenende ◽  
Gosia Clore ◽  
Rajeshwari Nair ◽  
Loretta Simbartl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acute Care ◽  
Acute Care Hospitals ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Positive Test ◽  
Negative Binomial Regression Model ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Clostridioides Difficile ◽  
Ultraviolet C ◽  
Healthcare Associated ◽  
Uv C

Background: Enhanced terminal room cleaning with ultraviolet C (UVC) disinfection has become more commonly used as a strategy to reduce the transmission of important nosocomial pathogens, including Clostridioides difficile, but the real-world effectiveness remains unclear. Objectives: We aimed to assess the association of UVC disinfection during terminal cleaning with the incidence of healthcare-associated C. difficile infection and positive test results for C. difficile within the nationwide Veterans Health Administration (VHA) System. Methods: Using a nationwide survey of VHA system acute-care hospitals, information on UV-C system utilization and date of implementation was obtained. Hospital-level incidence rates of clinically confirmed hospital-onset C. difficile infection (HO-CDI) and positive test results with recent healthcare exposures (both hospital-onset [HO-LabID] and community-onset healthcare-associated [CO-HA-LabID]) at acute-care units between January 2010 and December 2018 were obtained through routine surveillance with bed days of care (BDOC) as the denominator. We analyzed the association of UVC disinfection with incidence rates of HO-CDI, HO-Lab-ID, and CO-HA-LabID using a nonrandomized, stepped-wedge design, using negative binomial regression model with hospital-specific random intercept, the presence or absence of UVC disinfection use for each month, with baseline trend and seasonality as explanatory variables. Results: Among 143 VHA acute-care hospitals, 129 hospitals (90.2%) responded to the survey and were included in the analysis. UVC use was reported from 42 hospitals with various implementation start dates (range, June 2010 through June 2017). We identified 23,021 positive C. difficile test results (HO-Lab ID: 5,014) with 16,213 HO-CDI and 24,083,252 BDOC from the 129 hospitals during the study period. There were declining baseline trends nationwide (mean, −0.6% per month) for HO-CDI. The use of UV-C had no statistically significant association with incidence rates of HO-CDI (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.032; 95% CI, 0.963–1.106; P = .65) or incidence rates of healthcare-associated positive C. difficile test results (HO-Lab). Conclusions: In this large quasi-experimental analysis within the VHA System, the enhanced terminal room cleaning with UVC disinfection was not associated with the change in incidence rates of clinically confirmed hospital-onset CDI or positive test results with recent healthcare exposure. Further research is needed to understand reasons for lack of effectiveness, such as understanding barriers to utilization.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None

scholarly journals A Continuously Active Antimicrobial Surface Coating Reduces Bioburden in a Healthcare Setting

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. s439-s439
Author(s):  
Valerie Beck
Keyword(s):  
Surface Coating ◽  
Geometric Mean ◽  
Healthcare Setting ◽  
Aerobic Bacteria ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
Additional Layer ◽  
Clostridioides Difficile ◽  
Sustained Reduction ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Healthcare Associated

Background: It is well known that contaminated surfaces contribute to the transmission of pathogens in healthcare settings, necessitating the need for antimicrobial strategies beyond routine cleaning with momentary disinfectants. A recent publication demonstrated that application of a novel, continuously active antimicrobial surface coating in ICUs resulted in the reduction of healthcare-associated infections. Objective: We determined the general microbial bioburden and incidence of relevant pathogens present in patient rooms at 2 metropolitan hospitals before and after application of a continuously active antimicrobial surface coating. Methods: A continuously active antimicrobial surface coating was applied to patient rooms in intensive care units (ICUs) twice over an 18-month period and in non-ICUs twice over a 6-month study period. The environmental bioburden was assessed 8–16 weeks after each treatment. A 100-cm2 area was swabbed from frequently touched areas in patient rooms: patient chair arm rest, bed rail, TV remote, and backsplash behind the sink. The total aerobic bacteria count was determined for each location by enumeration on tryptic soy agar (TSA); the geometric mean was used to compare bioburden before and after treatment. Each sample was also plated on selective agar for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and Clostridioides difficile to determine whether pathogens were present. Pathogen incidence was calculated as the percentage of total sites positive for at least 1 of the 4 target organisms. Results: Before application of the antimicrobial coating, total aerobic bacteria counts in ICUs were >1,500 CFU/100 cm2, and at least 30% of the sites were positive for a target pathogen (ie, CRE, VRE, MRSA or C. difficile). In non-ICUs, the bioburden before treatment was at least 500 CFU/100 cm2, with >50% of sites being contaminated with a pathogen. After successive applications of the surface coating, total aerobic bacteria were reduced by >80% in the ICUs and >40% in the non-ICUs. Similarly, the incidence of pathogen-positive sites was reduced by at least 50% in both ICUs and non-ICUs. Conclusions: The use of a continuously active antimicrobial surface coating provides a significant (P < .01) and sustained reduction in aerobic bacteria while also reducing the occurrence of epidemiologically important pathogens on frequently touched surfaces in patient rooms. These findings support the use of novel antimicrobial technologies as an additional layer of protection against the transmission of potentially harmful bacteria from contaminated surfaces to patients.Funding: Allied BioScience provided Funding: for this study.Disclosures: Valerie Beck reports salary from Allied BioScience.

#37: Clinical Characterization of the Cases Relating to the Outbreak of Clostridioides difficile, in a Third-level Hospital in Mexico City: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Relay

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S16-S16
Author(s):  
Ortiz Samuel ◽  
Martínez María Elena ◽  
Morayta Ramírez A
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Clinical Findings ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Clostridioides Difficile ◽  
Young Infants ◽  
Plastic Bags ◽  
History Of ◽  
Initial Episode ◽  
Group Sex ◽  
Healthcare Associated

Abstract Background Clostridioides difficile is an important cause of healthcare-associated infections. The epidemiology of C. difficile infection (CDI) in children has changed over the past few decades. There is now a higher incidence in hospitalized children, and there has been an emergence of community-onset infection. Neonates and young infants have high rates of colonization but rarely have symptoms. The well-known risk factor for CDI in children age 2 years or older is antibiotic use. Inflammatory bowel disease and cancer are associated with increased incidence and severity of CDI. Vancomycin or fidaxomicin is recommended for an initial episode of CDI. In environments where access to Vancomycin or Fidaxomycin is limited, it is suggested to use metronidazole for an initial episode of nonsevere CDI only. Methods A series of cases were carried out, in a study period from March to May 2018, total cases 8; the age group, sex, basic diagnosis, clinical findings, diagnostic method, and outcome in hospitalized patients in the Pediatric division of the “CMN 20 de Noviembre, ISSSTE” were described, where there is a total of 377 Sensitive beds, and 53 beds in the pediatric area of which 30 are not sensitive. Results We analyzed 8 cases of diarrhea with identification of C. difficile, in a period of 3 months, where there was a total of 148 admissions to the division of Pediatrics (100%) and presented a prevalence of 0.05% of the total income. Of those 8 cases reported, 37.5% were women and 62.5% men; The age fluctuated between 6 months and 18 years. All children had associated comorbidities. The frequency and type of comorbidities were Cancer 87.5% (Leukemias and Solid Tumors) and Neurological 12.5% ​​(Arterial Malformation and Neurological Sequelae). The main symptom that occurred was mucous diarrhea in 100% of patients, abdominal pain in 25% and evacuation with blood in 12.5% ​​of cases. All had a history of prior treatment with 100% broad-spectrum antibiotics, in a period of less than one month. All were treated with metronidazole (100%) and all presented clinical improvement, without complications; Similarly, all were diagnosed by PCR for toxin B (100%). The attributable risk of presenting Clostridioides disease in patients with Leukemia is 0.11. Conclusions Patients with Leukemia were the most affected during the C. difficile outbreak, of which 11 out of 100 of these patients are at risk of presenting C. difficile disease. The most important thing in these cases is prevention. Therefore, specific prevention measures were implemented to reduce the possibility of future outbreaks, such as handwashing with chlorexidine, contact isolation, handwashing every time there is contact with the patient, use of gloves when performing procedures, insulation of bedding in plastic bags and training of health personnel.

scholarly journals Discontinuation of Reflex Testing of Stool Samples for Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci Resulted in Increased Prevalence

2013 ◽  
Vol 34 (8) ◽  
pp. 838-840 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mandy Bodily ◽  
Kathleen M. McMullen ◽  
Anthony J. Russo ◽  
Nupur D. Kittur ◽  
Joan Hoppe-Bauer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Hospital Costs ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Benefit Analysis ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Reflex Testing ◽  
Stool Samples ◽  
Vancomycin Resistant ◽  
Healthcare Associated

Discontinuation of reflex testing of stool submitted forClostridium difficiletesting for vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) led to an increase in the number of patients with healthcare-associated VRE bacteremia and bacteriuria (0.21 vs 0.36 cases per 1,000 patient-days;P< .01). Cost-benefit analysis showed reflex screening and isolation of VRE reduced hospital costs.

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