Designing Surveillance of Healthcare-Associated Infections in the Era of Automation and Reporting Mandates

Healthcare-associated infections in intensive care units in Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan: recent trends based on national surveillance reports

Background

Sustainable systematic interventions are important for infection prevention and control (IPC). Data from surveillance of healthcare-associated infections (HAI) provides feedback for implementation of IPC programs. To address the paucity of such data in Asia, we searched for national HAI surveillance and IPC programs in this region.

Methods

Data were analysed from open access national surveillance reports of three Asian countries: Taiwan, South Korea and Japan from 2008 to 2015. National IPC programs were identified.

Results

There were differences among the countries in surveillance protocols, hospital coverage rates, and national IPC policies and programs. Nevertheless, there was a 53.0% reduction in overall HAI over the 8-year period. This consisted of a decrease from 9.34 to 5.03 infections per 1000 patient-days in Taiwan, from 7.56 to 2.76 in Korea, and from 4.41 to 2.74 in Japan (Poisson regression, all p < 0.05). Across the three countries, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans were the major pathogens for urinary tract infection. Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii and Enterococcus faecium were common bloodstream pathogens. For pneumonia, S. aureus, A. baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae were the predominant pathogens, with considerable country differences. There was a 64.6% decrease in the number of isolates of methicillin-resistant S. aureus, 38.4% decrease in carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa and 49.2% decrease in carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAB) in Taiwan (all p < 0.05), and similarly in Korea with the exception of CRAB (30.5 and 50.4% reduction, respectively, both p < 0.05).

Conclusion

We found a significant decrease in HAI across the three countries in association with sequential multifaceted interventions such as hand hygiene, care bundles, and antimicrobial stewardships. Further regional collaboration could be forged to develop joint strategies to prevent HAI.

Interventions to decrease short-term peripheral venous catheter-related bloodstream infections: impact on incidence and mortality

BACKGROUND

Short-term peripheral venous catheters are a significant source of healthcare-acquired bloodstream infections and a preventable cause of death.

AIM

To assess the effectiveness of interventions applied to reduce the incidence and mortality associated with short-term peripheral venous catheter-related bloodstream infections (PVCR-BSIs).

METHODS

The intervention included continuous PVCR-BSI surveillance, implementation of preventive measures related to catheter insertion and maintenance in accordance with evidence-based recommendations and the hospital's own data, front-line staff educational campaigns, and assessment of adherence to hospital guidelines by ward rounds. A Poisson regression model was used to estimate the trend of rate per year.

FINDINGS

From January 2003 to December 2016, 227 episodes of PVCR-BSI were identified among hospitalized patients at a university hospital. The mean age of patients was 67 years (standard deviation 14 years), 69% were male and the median Charlson score was 3 (interquartile range 2-5). Staphylococcus aureus caused 115 (50.7%) episodes. Thirty-day mortality was 13.2%. After implementation of the intervention, the incidence of PVCR-BSIs decreased significantly from 30 episodes in 2003 (1.17 episodes/10,000 patient-days) to eight episodes in 2016 (0.36/10,000 patient-days). The number of episodes caused by S. aureus decreased from 18 episodes in 2003 (0.70/10,000 patient-days) to three episodes in 2016 (0.14/10,000 patient-day), and mortality decreased from seven cases in 2003 (0.27/10,000 patient-days) to zero cases in 2016 (0.00/10,000 patient-days).

CONCLUSIONS

Surveillance, implementation of a multi-modal strategy and periodical assessment of healthcare workers' adherence to hospital guidelines led to a sustained reduction in PVCR-BSIs. This reduction had a major impact on S. aureus BSI rates and associated mortality.