Candidemia in critically ill patient: An analysis of daily antifungal therapy related costs

Nosocomial Candidiasis: Antifungal Stewardship and the Importance of Rapid Diagnosis

Candidemia and other forms of candidiasis are associated with considerable excess mortality and costs. Despite the addition of several new antifungal agents with improved spectrum and potency, the frequency of Candida infection and associated mortality have not decreased in the past two decades. The lack of rapid and sensitive diagnostic tests has led to considerable overuse of antifungal agents resulting in increased costs, selection pressure for resistance, unnecessary drug toxicity, and adverse drug interactions. Both the lack of timely diagnostic tests and emergence of antifungal resistance pose considerable problems for antifungal stewardship. Whereas antifungal stewardship with a focus on nosocomial candidiasis should be able to improve the administration of antifungal therapy in terms of drug selection, proper dose and duration, source control and de-escalation therapy, an important parameter, timeliness of antifungal therapy, remains a victim of slow and insensitive diagnostic tests. Fortunately, new proteomic and molecular diagnostic tools are improving the time to species identification and detection. In this review we will describe the potential impact that rapid diagnostic testing and antifungal stewardship can have on the management of nosocomial candidiasis.

Infection prevention and control strategies in the era of limited resources and quality improvement: a perspective paper

This paper aims to describe, using an evidence-based approach, the importance of and the resources necessary for implementing effective infection prevention and control (IPC) programmes. The intrinsic and explicit values of such strategies are presented from a clinical, health-economic and patient safety perspective. Policy makers and hospital managers are committed to providing comprehensive, accessible, and affordable healthcare of high quality. Changes in the healthcare system over time accompanied with variations in demographics and case-mix have considerably affected the availability, quality and ultimately the safety of healthcare. The main goal of an IPC programme is to prevent and control healthcare-associated infections (HAI). Many patient-, healthcare provider-, and organizational factors are associated with an increased risk for acquiring HAIs and may impact both the quality and outcome of patient care. Evidence has been published in support of having an effective IPC programme. It has been estimated that about one-third of HAIs could be prevented if key elements of the evidence-based recommendations for IPC are adequately introduced and followed. However, several healthcare agencies from over the world have reported deficits in the essential resources and components of current IPC programmes. To meet its main goal, staffing, training, and infrastructure requirements are needed. Nevertheless, and given the economic crisis, policy makers and hospital managers may be tempted to not increase or even to reduce the budget as it consumes resources and does not generate sufficient visible revenue. IPC is a critical issue in patient safety, as HAIs are by far the most common complication affecting admitted patients. The significant clinical and health-economic burden HAIs place on the healthcare system speak to the importance of getting introduced effective IPC programmes.

The role of nurses working in emergency and critical care environments in the prevention of intravascular catheter-related bloodstream infections

Intravascular catheter-related infections are a major problem in healthcare. This review provides up-to-date guidance of evidence-based recommendations for the prevention of intravascular catheter-related infections with special focus on strategies relevant for nurses working in emergency and critical care environments or practitioners responsible for surveillance and control of infections. The review concludes by providing a range of approaches advocated for: (i) translating guidelines to the needs and expectations of emergency and critical care nurses, and (ii) increasing the chance of successful implementation and compliance with these recommendations.