scholarly journals Quality Outcomes in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit after Electronic Health Record Implementation

2015 ◽  
Vol 06 (04) ◽  
pp. 611-618 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. H. Flatow ◽  
N. Ibragimova ◽  
C. M. Divino ◽  
D. S. A. Eshak ◽  
B. C. Twohig ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Blood Stream Infection ◽  
Blood Stream ◽  
Central Line ◽  
Surgical Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Readmission Rates ◽  
Surgical Intensive Care ◽  
The Impact

Summary Background: The electronic health record (EHR) is increasingly viewed as a means to provide more coordinated, patient-centered care. Few studies consider the impact of EHRs on quality of care in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting. Objectives: To evaluate key quality measures of a surgical intensive care unit (SICU) following implementation of the Epic EHR system in a tertiary hospital. Methods: A retrospective chart review was undertaken to record quality indicators for all patients admitted to the SICU two years before and two years after EHR implementation. Data from the twelve-month period of transition to EHR was excluded. We collected length of stay, mortality, central line associated blood stream infection (CLABSI) rates, Clostridium difficile (C. diff.) colitis rates, readmission rates, and number of coded diagnoses. To control for variation in the patient population over time, the case mix indexes (CMIs) and APACHE II scores were also analyzed. Results: There was no significant difference in length of stay, C. diff. colitis, readmission rates, or case mix index before and after EHR. After EHR implementation, the rate of central line blood stream infection (CLABSI) per 1 000 catheter days was 85% lower (2.16 vs 0.39; RR, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.05 to 0.61, p < .005), and SICU mortality was 28% lower (12.2 vs 8.8; RR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.71, p < .01). Moreover, after EHR there was a significant increase in the average number of coded diagnoses from 17.8 to 20.8 (p < .000). Conclusions: EHR implementation was statistically associated with reductions in CLABSI rates and SICU mortality. The EHR had an integral role in ongoing quality improvement endeavors which may explain the changes in CLABSI and mortality, and this invites further study of the impact of EHRs on quality of care in the ICU.

Use of dry dressings for central venous access devices (CVADs) to decrease central line-associated blood stream infections (CLABSI) in a trauma intensive care unit (ICU)

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (8) ◽  
pp. S37-S42
Author(s):  
France Paquet ◽  
Janette Morlese ◽  
Charles Frenette
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Central Venous Access ◽  
Venous Access ◽  
Blood Stream ◽  
Central Line ◽  
Surgical Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Central Venous ◽  
Surgical Intensive Care ◽  
Venous Access Devices

This article reports the results of a pre-post study conducted in a trauma-medical-surgical intensive care unit (ICU) regarding dressings of central venous access devices (CVADs) for the reduction of central line-associated blood stream infection (CLABSI) and improvement of adherence and integrity of the dressing. Available evidence indicates that dry dressings changed every 48 hours are equivalent to transparent dressings, changed when soiled or loose, or routinely every seven days. In our intensive care unit, where the majority of CVADs are inserted in the internal jugular vein and where there is an important usage of cervical collars, we questioned if dry dressings would be more appropriate than transparent dressings. Results: In the 12 months following the change in practice, we noted a CLABSI reduction from 2.36/1,000 catheter days to zero, improvement in dressing audits from 19.61% to 85.34% of clean dressings (P=0.00001) and 62.75% to 90.58% of adherent dressings. Conclusion: In this pre-post study, a simple change in dressing type was implemented, resulting in a significant reduction in the CLABSI rate.

scholarly journals Nosocomial infections in a pediatric surgical intensive care unit: An unicentric cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
Vol 74 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 112-116
Author(s):  
Marina Pandurov ◽  
Izabella Fabri-Galambos ◽  
Andjela Opancina ◽  
Anna Uram-Benka ◽  
Goran Rakic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Nosocomial Infections ◽  
Hospital Length Of Stay ◽  
Surgical Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Surgical Intensive Care ◽  
Acinetobacter Baumanii ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Impact

Introduction. Nosocomial infections are a common complication in patients hospitalized in intensive care units. The aims of this research were to examine the incidence of nosocomial infections in patients admitted to the pediatric surgical intensive care unit, the impact of hospital length of stay and type of surgical disease on the incidence of nosocomial infections, the frequency of microorganisms causing nosocomial infections and their antibiotic susceptibility profile. Material and Methods. Data on 50 subjects were extracted from the database. The following data were taken from the medical histories of the examinees: age, sex, diagnosis, number of days at the hospital before admission to the intensive care unit, number of days in the intensive care unit, levels of C-reactive protein, applied antimicrobial drugs, isolated microorganisms and their susceptibility to antibiotics. Results. The incidence of nosocomial infections in the study period was 52%. Patients who developed nosocomial infection remained longer in the intensive care unit than those who did not develop it (p = 0.003). Patients with the diagnosis of acute abdomen had a statistically significantly higher incidence of nosocomial infections compared to other patients (p = 0.001). Gram-negative bacteria were the most commonly isolated pathogens (46.8%). Acinetobacter baumanii proved to be the most resistant species in this study, since 80% of the strains did not show sensitivity to any of the tested antibiotics. Conclusion. Nosocomial infections are present in slightly more than half of the patients treated at the pediatric surgical intensive care unit. Patients who developed nosocomial infections stayed longer in the pediatric surgical intensive care unit, which had negative consequences for their health and treatment costs.

scholarly journals Chlorhexidine Gluconate Bathing Program to Reduce Health Care–Associated Infections in Both Critically Ill and Non–Critically Ill Patients

2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. e1-e8
Author(s):  
Leigh Chapman ◽  
Lisa Hargett ◽  
Theresa Anderson ◽  
Jacqueline Galluzzo ◽  
Paul Zimand
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Critically Ill ◽  
Chlorhexidine Gluconate ◽  
Surgical Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Surgical Intensive Care ◽  
Telemetry Unit ◽  
Health Care Associated Infections ◽  
The Impact

Background Critical care nurses take care of patients with complicated, comorbid, and compromised conditions. These patients are at risk for health care–associated infections, which affect patients’ lives and health care systems in various ways. Objective To gauge the impact of routinely bathing patients with 4% chlorhexidine gluconate solution on the incidence of health care–associated infections in a medical-surgical intensive care unit and a postoperative telemetry unit; to outline the framework for a hospital-wide presurgical chlorhexidine gluconate bathing program and share the results. Methods A standard bathing protocol using a 4% chlorhexidine gluconate solution was developed. The protocol included time studies, training, monitoring, and surveillance of health care–associated infections. Results Consistent patient bathing with 4% chlorhexidine gluconate was associated with a 52% reduction in health care–associated infections in a medical-surgical intensive care unit. The same program in a postoperative telemetry unit yielded a 45% reduction in health care–associated infections. Conclusion A comprehensive daily 4% chlorhexidine gluconate bathing program can be implemented with standardized protocols and detailed instructions and can significantly reduce the incidence of health care–associated infections in intensive care unit and non–intensive care unit hospital settings.

Serratia marcescans Contamination of Antiseptic Soap Containing Triclosan: Implications for Nosocomial Infection

1984 ◽  
Vol 5 (9) ◽  
pp. 427-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Anita Barry ◽  
Donald E. Craven ◽  
Theresa A. Goularte ◽  
Deborah A. Lichtenberg
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Nosocomial Infection ◽  
Surgical Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Minimal Bactericidal Concentration ◽  
Surgical Intensive Care ◽  
Time Kill ◽  
The Impact

Abstract During a recent investigation in our surgical intensive care unit, we found that several bottles of the antiseptic handwashing soap, OR Scrub®, were contaminated with Serratia marcescens. OR Scrub® contains 1% triclosan, lanolin, and detergents. The antimicrobial efficacy of OR Scrub® was examined in vitro using serial two-fold dilutions of soap inoculated with various concentrations of different nosocomial pathogens. The minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) of OR Scrub® against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and several strains of S. marcescens was ≤1:2 By comparison, a non-antiseptic soap from the same manufacturer (Wash®) and 4% chlorhexidine (Hibiclens®) had MBCs for all strains tested of at least 1:64. Time-kill curves confirmed the findings of the initial experiments.This is the first report of extrinsic contamination of antiseptic soap containing triclosan. No infections could be attributed to the contaminated soap, but sporadic outbreaks of Serratia have occurred in the intensive care unit with no identifiable source. Although there have been few studies on the impact of antiseptic soap in reducing nosocomial infection, we question whether a soap with the limitations of OR Scrub® should be used in intensive care units or operating rooms.

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