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Author(s):  
Robert J. Clifford ◽  
Donna Newhart ◽  
Maryrose R. Laguio-Vila ◽  
Jennifer L. Gutowski ◽  
Melissa Z. Bronstein ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective: To quantitatively evaluate relationships between infection preventionists (IPs) staffing levels, nursing hours, and rates of 10 types of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Design and setting: An ambidirectional observation in a 528-bed teaching hospital. Patients: All inpatients from July 1, 2012, to February 1, 2021. Methods: Standardized US National Health Safety Network (NHSN) definitions were used for HAIs. Staffing levels were measured in full-time equivalents (FTE) for IPs and total monthly hours worked for nurses. A time-trend analysis using control charts, t tests, Poisson tests, and regression analysis was performed using Minitab and R computing programs on rates and standardized infection ratios (SIRs) of 10 types of HAIs. An additional analysis was performed on 3 stratifications: critically low (2–3 FTE), below recommended IP levels (4–6 FTE), and at recommended IP levels (7–8 FTE). Results: The observation covered 1.6 million patient days of surveillance. IP staffing levels fluctuated from ≤2 IP FTE (critically low) to 7–8 IP FTE (recommended levels). Periods of highest catheter-associated urinary tract infection SIRs, hospital-onset Clostridioides difficile and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae infection rates, along with 4 of 5 types of surgical site SIRs coincided with the periods of lowest IP staffing levels and the absence of certified IPs and a healthcare epidemiologist. Central-line–associated bloodstream infections increased amid lower nursing levels despite the increased presence of an IP and a hospital epidemiologist. Conclusions: Of 10 HAIs, 8 had highest incidences during periods of lowest IP staffing and experience. Some HAI rates varied inversely with levels of IP staffing and experience and others appeared to be more influenced by nursing levels or other confounders.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. e0261588
Author(s):  
Laura J. Rose ◽  
Hollis Houston ◽  
Marla Martinez-Smith ◽  
Amanda K. Lyons ◽  
Carrie Whitworth ◽  
...  

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.


Author(s):  
Xin Wen ◽  
Cong Shen ◽  
Jinyu Xia ◽  
Lan-Lan Zhong ◽  
Zhongwen Wu ◽  
...  

Clostridioides difficile infections (CDI) are the leading cause of healthcare-associated diarrhea and are known to be resistant to multiple antibiotics. In the past decade, C. difficile has emerged rapidly and has spread globally, causing great concern among American and European countries.


Author(s):  
Eve A. Maunders ◽  
Katherine Ganio ◽  
Andrew J. Hayes ◽  
Stephanie L. Neville ◽  
Mark R. Davies ◽  
...  

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a leading cause of healthcare-associated infections, including pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and sepsis. Treatment of K. pneumoniae infections is becoming increasingly challenging due to high levels of antibiotic resistance and the rising prevalence of carbapenem-resistant, extended-spectrum β-lactamases producing strains.


2022 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Serin Edwin Erayil ◽  
Elise Palzer ◽  
Susan Kline

Staphylococcus aureus (SA) colonization has significant implications in healthcare-associated infections. Here we describe a prospective study conducted in pre-surgical outpatients, done with the aim of identifying demographic and clinical risk factors for SA colonization. We found younger age to be a potential predictor of SA colonization.


2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingling Hu ◽  
Weitao Shuai ◽  
Jack T. Sumner ◽  
Anahid A Moghadam ◽  
Erica M Hartmann

Prolonged survival of clinically relevant pathogens on inanimate surfaces represents a major concern in healthcare facilities. Contaminated surfaces can serve as reservoirs of potential pathogens and greatly hinder the prevention of healthcare-associated infections. Probiotic cleaning using environmental microorganisms to promote inter-species competition has been proposed as an alternative to traditional chemical-based cleaning using antimicrobials. Probiotic cleaning seeks to take advantage of ecological principles such as competitive exclusion and utilize benign microorganisms to inhibit viable pathogens on indoor surfaces. However, limited mechanistic study has yielded direct evidence that enables the scientific community to understand the stress response, or microbe-microbe interactions between healthcare-associated pathogens and probiotic bacteria. Therefore, to bridge this knowledge gap, we combined transcriptomics and traditional microbiology techniques to investigate the differential impact of chemical-based and probiotic surface cleaners on the survival of Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae, two clinically important pathogens. Although probiotic Bacillus included in a commercialized All-Purpose Probiotic Cleaner persisted on surfaces for an extended period of time, surfaces contaminated with A. baumannii cleaned using chemical-based detergent with and without probiotic Bacillus showed no statistical difference in the viable colony forming units (CFUs) of A. baumannii. Similarly, for Klebsiella pneumoniae, there were negligible statistical differences in CFUs between probiotic and detergent cleaning scenarios. The transcriptome of A. baumannii with and without probiotic addition shared a high degree of similarity in overall gene expression, while the transcriptome of K. pneumoniae with and without probiotic addition differed in overall gene expression. Together, these results highlight the need to fully understand the underlying biological and ecological mechanisms for different pathogens and practical implications of probiotic indoor cleaning.


2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guang-ju Zhao ◽  
Chang Xu ◽  
Long-wang Chen ◽  
Guang-liang Hong ◽  
Meng-fang Li ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Effective prevention of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) requires early identification of at-risk patients. There is no score designed to predict HAIs. The present study was aimed to explore an available score, Systemic inflammatory syndrome (SIRS) score, on admission in predicting HAIs among critically ill patients. Methods This study was based on the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III (MIMIC III) version 1.4. Patients with HAIs were matched with control patients who had no HAIs in a 1:1 ratio based on age, gender, mechanical ventilation, deep venous catheterization, urethral catheterization, and surgical operation. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to various variables including infection likelihood on admission. The prognostic values of SIRS and infectious SIRS on admission in predicting HAIs were analyzed using logistic regression. Results A total of 2437 patients with HAIs and 2437 matched controls were enrolled in the final analysis. Adjusted odds ratio (ORs) (95% confidence interval [CI]) for HAIs of SIRS scores (1 to 4) on admission was 1.48 (0.77-2.83), 1.86 (0.99-3.47), 2.14 (1.15-3.98), and 2.58 (1.39-4.80). Adjusted ORs (95%CI) for HAIs of SIRS (score≥2) and infectious SIRS were 1.57 (1.27-1.94) and 1.78 (1.52-2.09), respectively. Subgroup analyses showed that SIRS on admission was an independent risk factor for HAIs in patients admitted without definite and probable infection likelihood (OR=1.54, 95%CI 1.28-1.93). However, it was not a risk factor for HAIs inpatients admitted with infection, in non-white patients, and in patients with liver disease or obesity, and in patients who received total parenteral nutrition (TPN) (all P>0.05). In addition, it was showed that infectious SIRS on admission was not a risk factor for HAIs in black patients and in patients with obesity, and those received TPN (all P>0.05). Conclusions Infectious SIRS on admission significantly predicts HAIs among critical illness patients. SIRS on admission was a predictor of HAIs in ICU patients admitted without infection but not in patients admitted with infection.


2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 297
Author(s):  
Nobuhiro Asai ◽  
Yuichi Shibata ◽  
Daisuke Sakanashi ◽  
Hideo Kato ◽  
Mao Hagihara ◽  
...  

(1) Introduction: Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is necessary to standardize treatments for infections because EBM has been established based on the results of clinical trials. Since entry criteria for clinical trials are very strict, it may cause skepticism or questions on whether the results of clinical trials reflect the real world of medical practice. (2) Methods: To examine how many patients could join any randomized clinical trials for the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP). We reviewed all the pneumonia patients in our institute during 2014–2017. The patients were divided into two groups: patients who were eligible for clinical trials (participation-possible group), and those who were not (participation-impossible group). Exclusion criteria for clinical trials were set based on previous clinical trials. (3) Results: A total of 406 patients were enrolled in the present study. Fifty-seven (14%) patients were categorized into the participation-possible group, while 86% of patients belonged to the participation-impossible group. Patients in the participation-possible group had less comorbidities and more favorable outcomes than those with the participation-impossible group. As for the outcomes, there were significant differences in the 30-day and in-hospital mortality rates between the two groups. In addition, the participation-possible group showed a longer overall survival time than the participation-impossible group (p < 0.001 by Log-Rank test). (4) Conclusion: There is a difference in patients’ profile and outcomes between clinical trials and the real world. Though EBM is essential to advance medicine, we should acknowledge the facts and the limits of the clinical trials.


2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond Tu ◽  
Hayley Elling ◽  
Nikki Behnke ◽  
Jennifer Mmodzi Tseka ◽  
Holystone Kafanikhale ◽  
...  

Abstract The burden of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) is greater in low- and middle-income countries than in high-income countries. Inadequate environmental health (EH) conditions and work systems contribute to HAIs in countries like Malawi. We collected qualitative data from 48 semi-structured interviews with healthcare workers (HCWs) from 45 healthcare facilities (HCFs) across Malawi and conducted a thematic analysis. The facilitators of infection prevention and control (IPC) practices in HCFs included disinfection practices, patient education, and waste management procedures. HCWs reported barriers such as lack of IPC training, bottlenecks in maintenance and repair, hand hygiene infrastructure, water provision, and personal protective equipment. This is one of the most comprehensive assessments to date of IPC practices and environmental conditions in Malawian HCFs in relation to HCWs. A comprehensive understanding of barriers and facilitators to IPC practices will help decision-makers craft better interventions and policies to support HCWs to protect themselves and their patients.


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