Reproducibility of the surveillance effect to decrease nosocomial infection rates

Dual-directional regulation of spinal cord injury and the gut microbiota

There is increasing evidence that the gut microbiota affects the incidence and progression of central nervous system diseases via the brain-gut axis. The spinal cord is a vital important part of the central nervous system; however, the underlying association between spinal cord injury and gut interactions remains unknown. Recent studies suggest that patients with spinal cord injury frequently experience intestinal dysfunction and gut dysbiosis. Alterations in the gut microbiota can cause disruption in the intestinal barrier and trigger neurogenic inflammatory responses which may impede recovery after spinal cord injury. This review summarizes existing clinical and basic research on the relationship between the gut microbiota and spinal cord injury. Our research identified three key points. First, the gut microbiota in patients with spinal cord injury presents a key characteristic and gut dysbiosis may profoundly influence multiple organs and systems in patients with spinal cord injury. Second, following spinal cord injury, weakened intestinal peristalsis, prolonged intestinal transport time, and immune dysfunction of the intestine caused by abnormal autonomic nerve function, as well as frequent antibiotic treatment, may induce gut dysbiosis. Third, the gut microbiota and associated metabolites may act on central neurons and affect recovery after spinal cord injury; cytokines and the Toll-like receptor ligand pathways have been identified as crucial mechanisms in the communication between the gut microbiota and central nervous system. Fecal microbiota transplantation, probiotics, dietary interventions, and other therapies have been shown to serve a neuroprotective role in spinal cord injury by modulating the gut microbiota. Therapies targeting the gut microbiota or associated metabolites are a promising approach to promote functional recovery and improve the complications of spinal cord injury.

Evaluation of a client questionnaire at diagnosing surgical site infections in an active surveillance system

OBJECTIVE

To report sensitivity, specificity, predictive values and accuracy of a client questionnaire at diagnosing surgical site infections (SSIs) and describe the impact of active surveillance on SSI detection.

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective, cohort study.

ANIMALS

Dogs and cats undergoing soft tissue or orthopedic surgery over a 12-month period at a referral hospital.

METHODS

Clients were emailed a questionnaire 30 days postoperatively, or 90 days where an implant was used. Three algorithms were developed to diagnose SSIs using one or both of two criteria: (1) presence of any wound healing problems; (2) wound dehiscence or antibiotic prescription, and either purulent discharge or two or more clinical signs (redness, pain, heat, swelling, discharge). Algorithmic diagnoses were compared to gold standard diagnoses made by veterinarians.

RESULTS

Of 754 surgical procedures, 309 responses were completed with 173 corresponding gold standard diagnoses. The most accurate algorithm determined "SSI" or "No SSI" from 90.2% of responses with 95.5% (92.4-98.6) accuracy, 82.6% (77-88.3) sensitivity, 97.7% (95.5-100) specificity, 86.4% (81.2-91.5) positive predictive value, and 97% (94.5-99.6) negative predictive value. "No SSI" was diagnosed in responses not meeting criterion 1, and "SSI" in responses meeting criteria 1 and 2. "Inconclusive" responses, comprising 9.8% of responses, met criterion 1 but not 2. Overall SSI rate was 62/754 (8.2%) and 12/62 (19.4%) SSIs were detected by active surveillance only.

CONCLUSION

Use of this client questionnaire accurately diagnosed SSIs; active surveillance increased SSI detection.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Surveillance of SSIs should be active and can be simplified by using a client questionnaire and algorithmic diagnoses, allowing automated distribution, data collection and analysis.

Surveillance of surgical site infection after colorectal surgery: comprehensiveness and impact of risk factors

OBJECTIVE

The incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) is highest after colorectal surgery. We assessed the impact of risk factors for SSI using the population attributable fraction (PAF).

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

Portuguese hospitals performing regular surveillance.

PATIENTS

We identified patients who underwent colorectal procedures in hospitals that reported colorectal surgeries every year between 2015 and 2019. Among 42 reporting hospitals, 18 hospitals were included.

METHODS

Risk-factor incidence was estimated using the National Epidemiological Surveillance platform from 2015 to 2019. This platform follows the methodology recommended by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) physical classification, wound classification, open surgery, urgent operation, antibiotic prophylaxis, operation time, and male sex were included as risk factors. Measures of association were retrieved from published meta-analyses. PAFs were calculated using the Levin formula. To account for interaction between risk factors, communality of risk factors was used in a weighted-sum approach, providing a combined value that serves as a measure of the comprehensiveness of surveillance.

RESULTS

Among 11,219 reported procedures, the cumulative SSI incidence was 16.8%. The proportion of SSI attributed to all risk factors was 61%. Modifiable variables accounted for 31% of procedures; the highest was laparotomy (16.8%), and urgent operations (2.7%) had the lowest value. Nonmodifiable factors accounted for 28.7%; the highest was wound classification (14.3%).

CONCLUSIONS

A relevant proportion (39%) of SSI remains unaccounted for by current surveillance. Almost one-third of SSI cases have potentially modifiable factors. Interventions focusing on shorter, less invasive procedures may be optimally effective in reducing the SSI incidence.

Hand Hygiene and Antimicrobial Resistance in the COVID-19 Era: An Observational Study

Hand hygiene (HH) is one of the most important infection prevention and control strategies at the hospital level. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential COVID-19 pandemic impact on HH practices and rate of healthcare-associated infections. Data on alcohol-based handrub consumption (AHC) and antimicrobial resistance across 27 Italian hospitals over the period 2017–2021 were considered. Data on Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteria (CRE) were extracted from the antimicrobial resistance regional surveillance system. A significant increase was highlighted, with a peak in 2020 and a partial fall in 2021 for AHC (p < 0.001). The decrease in MRSA rates in 2021 compared to 2017–2019 was significant (p = 0.013). A significant Spearman’s correlation between AHC and CRE rates was found (Spearman’s ρ −0.646, p = 0.032). This study supports the importance of AHC monitoring and showed that improving AHC was an attainable goal in the COVID-19 era. However, other strategies are needed to maintain the high levels of AHC attained during the pandemic, in order to avoid a progressive drop that has already begun in 2021. Furthermore, our results support the inverse relationship between AHC and infection rates and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria.

Implementation Strategies for Preventing Healthcare-Associated Infections across the Surgical Pathway: An Italian Multisociety Document

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) result in significant patient morbidity and can prolong the duration of the hospital stay, causing high supplementary costs in addition to those already sustained due to the patient’s underlying disease. Moreover, bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, making HAI prevention even more important nowadays. The public health consequences of antimicrobial resistance should be constrained by prevention and control actions, which must be a priority for all health systems of the world at all levels of care. As many HAIs are preventable, they may be considered an important indicator of the quality of patient care and represent an important patient safety issue in healthcare. To share implementation strategies for preventing HAIs in the surgical setting and in all healthcare facilities, an Italian multi-society document was published online in November 2022. This article represents an evidence-based summary of the document.

Risk Factors Analysis of Surgical Infection Using Artificial Intelligence: A Single Center Study

Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) have a major role in the evolution of medical care. Despite centuries of medical progress, the management of surgical infection remains a pressing concern. Nowadays, the SSIs continue to be an important factor able to increase the hospitalization duration, cost, and risk of death, in fact, the SSIs are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in modern health care. Methods: A study based on statistical test and logistic regression for unveiling the association between SSIs and different risk factors was carried out. Successively, a predictive analysis of SSIs on the basis of risk factors was performed. Results: The obtained data demonstrated that the level of surgery contamination impacts significantly on the infection rate. In addition, data also reveals that the length of postoperative hospital stay increases the rate of surgical infections. Finally, the postoperative length of stay, surgery department and the antibiotic prophylaxis with 2 or more antibiotics are a significant predictor for the development of infection. Conclusions: The data report that the type of surgery department and antibiotic prophylaxis there are a statistically significant predictor of SSIs. Moreover, KNN model better handle the imbalanced dataset (48 infected and 3983 healthy), observing highest accuracy value.

Beyond the operating room: do hospital characteristics have an impact on surgical site infections after colorectal surgery? A systematic review

Background

Hospital characteristics have been recognized as potential risk factors for surgical site infection for over 20 years. However, most research has focused on patient and procedural risk factors. Understanding how structural and process variables influence infection is vital to identify targets for effective interventions and to optimize healthcare services. The aim of this study was to systematically review the association between hospital characteristics and surgical site infection in colorectal surgery.

Main body

A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases until the 31st of May, 2021. The search strategy followed the Participants, Exposure/Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes and Study design. The primary outcome of interest was surgical site infection rate after colorectal surgery. Studies were grouped into nine risk factor typologies: hospital size, ownership affiliation, being an oncological hospital, safety-net burden, hospital volume, surgeon caseload, discharge destination and time since implementation of surveillance. The STROBE statement was used for evaluating the methodological quality.

A total of 4703 records were identified, of which 172 were reviewed and 16 were included. Studies were published between 2008 and 2021, and referred to data collected between 1996 and 2016. Surgical site infection incidence ranged from 3.2 to 27.6%. Two out of five studies evaluating hospital size adjusted the analysis to patient and procedure-related risk factors, and showed that larger hospitals were either positively associated or had no association with SSI. Public hospitals did not present significantly different infection rates than private or non-profit ones. Medical school affiliation and higher safety-net burden were associated with higher surgical site infection (crude estimates), while oncological hospitals were associated with higher incidence independently of other variables. Hospital caseload showed mixed results, while surgeon caseload and surveillance time since implementation appear to be associated with fewer infections.

Conclusions

Although there are few studies addressing hospital-level factors on surgical site infection, surgeon experience and the implementation of a surveillance system appear to be associated with better outcomes. For hospitals and services to be efficiently optimized, more studies addressing these variables are needed that take into account the confounding effect of patient case mix.

Length of Stay in Patients With Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infection at a Tertiary Hospital in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Objective

To examine the impact of central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) on hospital length of stay (LOS) and to identify the factors associated with prolonged LOS.

Methods

The research setting was King Saud University Medical City (KSUMC) in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A retrospective cohort design was applied with a sample of adult CLABSI patients. Patients developed CLABSI following central line insertion at KSUMC between March 2016 and February 2018.

Results

The CLABSI-related prolongation of LOS was 13.13 ± 9.53 days for a total of 283 patients. This figure rose for patients with any CLABSI-related sequela, and the result was statistically significant (p<0.033). It was also significantly higher in patients with delayed central line removal (p<0.001). A patient’s setting (i.e., in the intensive care unit prior to or following infection) was not a factor associated with prolonged LOS. Nevertheless, the requirement for inotropes after the infection was linked to prolonged LOS in a statistically significant way (p<0.048).

Conclusions

For ill patients who need hemodynamic support following infection, CLABSI can significantly increase hospital LOS. Delayed decisions or slow central line removal are associated with significant increases in LOS.

Sustained reduction of healthcare-associated infections after the introduction of a bundle for prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia in medical-surgical intensive care units

Background

Infection control interventions can be erroneously interpreted if outcomes are assessed in short periods. Also, statistical methods usually applied to compare outcomes before and after interventions are not appropriate for analyzing time series.

Aims

To analyze the impact of a bundle directed at reducing the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and other device-associated infections in two medical-surgical intensive care units (ICU) in Brazil.

Methods

Our study had a quasi-experimental design. Interrupted time series analyses (ITS) was performed assessing monthly rates of overall healthcare-associated infections (HCAI), VAP, laboratory-confirmed central line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), from January 2007 through June 2019. Moreover, multivariate ITS was adjusted for seasonality in Poisson regression models. An intervention based on a bundle for VAP prevention was introduced in August 2010.

Findings

The intervention was followed by sustained reduction in overall HCAI, VAP and CLABSI in both ICU. Continuous post-intervention trends towards reduction were detected for overall HCAI and VAP.

Conclusion

Interventions aimed at preventing one specific site of infection may have sustained impact on other HCAI, which can be documented using time series analyses.

Expert consensus-based clinical practice guidelines management of intravascular catheters in the intensive care unit

The French Society of Intensive Care Medicine (SRLF), jointly with the French-Speaking Group of Paediatric Emergency Rooms and Intensive Care Units (GFRUP) and the French-Speaking Association of Paediatric Surgical Intensivists (ADARPEF), worked out guidelines for the management of central venous catheters (CVC), arterial catheters and dialysis catheters in intensive care unit. For adult patients: Using GRADE methodology, 36 recommendations for an improved catheter management were produced by the 22 experts. Recommendations regarding catheter-related infections’ prevention included the preferential use of subclavian central vein (GRADE 1), a one-step skin disinfection(GRADE 1) using 2% chlorhexidine (CHG)-alcohol (GRADE 1), and the implementation of a quality of care improvement program. Antiseptic- or antibiotic-impregnated CVC should likely not be used (GRADE 2, for children and adults). Catheter dressings should likely not be changed before the 7th day, except when the dressing gets detached, soiled or impregnated with blood (GRADE 2− adults). CHG dressings should likely be used (GRADE 2+). For adults and children, ultrasound guidance should be used to reduce mechanical complications in case of internal jugular access (GRADE 1), subclavian access (Grade 2) and femoral venous, arterial radial and femoral access (Expert opinion). For children, an ultrasound-guided supraclavicular approach of the brachiocephalic vein was recommended to reduce the number of attempts for cannulation and mechanical complications. Based on scarce publications on diagnostic and therapeutic strategies and on their experience (expert opinion), the panel proposed definitions, and therapeutic strategies.

Eight years of sales surveillance of antimicrobials for veterinary use in Germany-What are the perceptions?

A surveillance system for sales volumes of antimicrobial agents for veterinary use was established in Germany in 2011. Since then, pharmaceutical companies and wholesalers have been legally obliged to report annual volumes of veterinary antimicrobial products sold to veterinary practices or clinics located in Germany. The evaluation of sales volumes for eight consecutive years resulted in a considerable total decrease by 58% from 1706 tons to 722 tons. During the investigation period, two legally binding measures to control the risk of antimicrobial resistance resulting from the veterinary use of antimicrobials were introduced, a) the German treatment frequencies benchmarking in 2014 and b) the obligation to conduct susceptibility testing for the use of cephalosporins of the 3^rd and 4^th generation and of fluoroquinolones in 2018. Both had a marked impact on sales volumes. Nonetheless, the category of Critically Important Antimicrobials as defined by the World Health Organization kept accounting for the highest share on sales volumes in Germany in 2018 with 403 tons, despite an overall reduction by 53%. Sales surveillance is considered essential for data retrieval on a global scale and inter-country comparison. However, the usability of a surveillance system based on sales data for risk management of antimicrobial resistance has limitations. The German system does not include off-label use of antimicrobial products authorized for human medicine and does not allow for identification of areas of high risk according to animal species, farm and production types and indications for treatment. For further reduction and enhanced promotion of a prudent use of antimicrobials, targeted measures would be required that could only be deducted from use data collected at farm or veterinary practice level. A surveillance system based on use data is currently lacking in Germany but will be established according to Regulation (EU) 2019/6 on veterinary medicinal products.

Healthcare-associated bloodstream infection trends under a provincial surveillance program

OBJECTIVE

BACTOT, Quebec's healthcare-associated bloodstream infection (HABSI) surveillance program has been operating since 2007. In this study, we evaluated the changes in HABSI rates across 10 years of BACTOT surveillance under a Bayesian framework.

DESIGN

A retrospective, cohort study of eligible hospitals having participated in BACTOT for at least 3 years, regardless of their entry date. Multilevel Poisson regressions were fitted independently for cases of HABSI, catheter-associated bloodstream infections (CA-BSIs), non-catheter-associated primary BSIs (NCA-BSIs), and BSIs secondary to urinary tract infections (BSI-UTIs) as the outcome and log of patient days as the offset. The log of the mean Poisson rate was decomposed as the sum of a surveillance year effect, period effect, and hospital effect. The main estimate of interest was the cohort-level rate in years 2-10 of surveillance relative to year 1.

RESULTS

Overall, 17,479 cases and 33,029,870 patient days were recorded for the cohort of 77 hospitals. The pooled 10-year HABSI rate was 5.20 per 10,000 patient days (95% CI, 5.12-5.28). For HABSI, CA-BSI, and BSI-UTI, there was no difference between the estimated posterior rates of years 2-10 compared to year 1. The posterior means of the NCA-BSI rate ratios increased from the seventh year until the tenth year, when the rate was 29% (95% confidence interval, 1%-89%) higher than the first year rate.

CONCLUSIONS

HABSI rates and those of the most frequent subtypes remained stable over the surveillance period. To achieve reductions in incidence, we recommend that more effort be expended in active interventions against HABSI alongside surveillance.

Surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis prescribing practices and impact on infection risk: Results from a multicenter surveillance study in Italy (2012-2017)

BACKGROUND

Italy is one of the largest consumers of broad-spectrum agents (BSAs) in Europe. This study evaluated surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis (SAP) compliance with the Italian national guidelines and its impact on surgical site infection (SSI) risk.

METHODS

A prospective study was conducted in 42 hospitals participating in the national surveillance system for SSIs. SAP compliance was evaluated considering antibiotic choice, duration of administration, and timing of first dose. Trends in the consumption of 5 BSAs were also evaluated.

RESULTS

Between 2012 and 2017, 24,861 surgical procedures were monitored. The risk ratios (RRs) for appropriate SAP increased by 22% each year, and significant increasing trends over time were found for overall compliance, timing, and duration. Adequate antibiotic choice and duration of administration were associated with a significantly reduced SSI risk (RR = 0.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.5-0.65 vs RR = 0.51; 95% CI, 0.45-0.57, respectively), and overall compliance was associated with a RR of 0.65 (95% CI, 0.59-0.72).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that appropriate narrow-spectrum agents could be more effective than BSAs in preventing SSIs. Interventions to improve SAP compliance with guidelines could significantly contribute to reducing antimicrobial resistance by reducing SSIs and promoting more prudent use of antimicrobials.

Highlighting the gaps in quantifying the economic burden of surgical site infections associated with antimicrobial-resistant bacteria

Antibiotics are the pillar of surgery from prophylaxis to treatment; any failure is potentially a leading cause for increased morbidity and mortality. Robust data on the burden of SSI especially those due to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) show variable rates between countries and geographical regions but accurate estimates of the incidence of surgical site infections (SSI) due to AMR and its related global economic impact are yet to be determined. Quantifying the burden of SSI treatment is an incentive to sensitize governments, healthcare systems, and the society to invest in quality improvement and sustainable development. However in the absence of a unified epidemiologically sound infection definition of SSI and a well-designed global surveillance system, the end result is a lack of accurate and reliable data that limits the comparability of estimates between countries and the possibility of tracking changes to inform healthcare professionals about the appropriateness of implemented infection prevention and control strategies. This review aims to highlight the reported gaps in surveillance methods, epidemiologic data, and evidence-based SSI prevention practices and in the methodologies undertaken for the evaluation of the economic burden of SSI associated with AMR bacteria. If efforts to tackle this problem are taken in isolation without a global alliance and data is still lacking generalizability and comparability, we may see the future as a race between the global research efforts for the advancement in surgery and the global alarming reports of the increased incidence of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens threatening to undermine any achievement.

Process and outcome indicators for infection control and prevention in European acute care hospitals in 2011 to 2012 - Results of the PROHIBIT study

Hospitals from 24 European countries were asked for information on infection prevention and control (IPC) indicators as part of the Prevention of Hospital Infections by Intervention and Training (PROHIBIT) survey. Methods: Leading IPC personnel of 297 hospitals with established healthcare-associated infection (HCAI) surveillance provided information on local surveillance and feedback by using a questionnaire. Results: Most hospitals focused on bloodstream infection (BSI) (n = 251) and surgical site infection (SSI) (n = 254), with a SSI post-discharge surveillance in 148 hospitals. As part of the HCAI surveillance, meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was the leading multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) under surveillance. Seventy-nine per cent of hospitals (n = 236) monitored alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) consumption. Feedback to the local IPC committees mainly included outcome data on HCAI (n = 259; 87%) and MDRO among HCAI (n = 245; 83%); whereupon a feedback of MDRO data depended on hospital size (p = 0.012). Discussion/conclusion: Objectives and methods of surveillance vary across Europe, with BSI, SSI and MRSA receiving considerably more attention than indicators such as pneumonia and urinary tract infection, which may be equally important. In order to maximise prevention and control of HCAI and MDRO in Europe, surveillance should be further improved by targeting relevant HCAI. The role of feedback should be explored in more detail.

Impact of participation in a surgical site infection surveillance network: results from a large international cohort study

BACKGROUND

Surveillance of surgical site infections (SSIs) is a core component of effective infection control practices, though its impact has not been quantified on a large scale.

AIM

To determine the time-trend of SSI rates in surveillance networks.

METHODS

SSI surveillance networks provided procedure-specific data on numbers of SSIs and operations, stratified by hospitals' year of participation in the surveillance, to capture length of participation as an exposure. Pooled and procedure-specific random-effects Poisson regression was performed to obtain yearly rate ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and including surveillance network as random intercept.

FINDINGS

Of 36 invited networks, 17 networks from 15 high-income countries across Asia, Australia and Europe participated in the study. Aggregated data on 17 surgical procedures (cardiovascular, digestive, gynaecological-obstetrical, neurosurgical, and orthopaedic) were collected, resulting in data concerning 5,831,737 operations and 113,166 SSIs. There was a significant decrease in overall SSI rates over surveillance time, resulting in a 35% reduction at the ninth (final) included year of surveillance (RR: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.63-0.67). There were large variations across procedure-specific trends, but strong consistent decreases were observed for colorectal surgery, herniorrhaphy, caesarean section, hip prosthesis, and knee prosthesis.

CONCLUSION

In this large, international cohort study, pooled SSI rates were associated with a stable and sustainable decrease after joining an SSI surveillance network; a causal relationship is possible, although unproven. There was heterogeneity in procedure-specific trends. These findings support the pivotal role of surveillance in reducing infection rates and call for widespread implementation of hospital-based SSI surveillance in high-income countries.

Implementation of tailored interventions in a statewide programme to reduce central line-associated bloodstream infections

BACKGROUND

There have been few studies exploring implementation strategies to central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) in low- or middle-income countries.

AIM

To implement tailored interventions to reduce CLABSI rates in adult intensive care units.

METHODS

The implementation strategy of the State Health Department was performed in São Paulo State, Brazil, over two cycles. Cycle 1 (56 hospitals) was exploratory and cycle 2 (77 hospitals) was designed to confirm the hypothesis generated by the first cycle, with three phases each (pre-intervention, intervention, post-intervention). Cycles included: evaluation of healthcare workers' knowledge, observation of practices, and CLABSI rates monthly report. In cycle 1, a log-normal mixed model was used to select variables significantly associated with the reduction of CLABSI. In cycle 2, CLABSI rates were evaluated.

FINDINGS

Healthcare workers' practices improved after intervention. In cycle 1, reduction of CLABSI rates was more pronounced in hospitals with initial CLABSI rates >7.4 per 1000 catheter-days (P < 0.001) and those that introduced the use of peripherally inserted central catheters (P = 0.01). For hospitals with high CLABSI initial rates, simulation demonstrated that the rates were expected to decrease by 36% (95% CI: 9-63), no matter the type of intervention. In cycle 2, there was an overall decrease in CLABSI rates during the intervention period; whereas the mean rate fell further post-intervention, rates at the 90^th percentile increased.

CONCLUSION

The implementation strategy may have had an effect on infection rates independently of the specific interventions implemented; however, the sustainability of reduction in the post-intervention period remains a challenge.

ICU mortality following ICU-acquired primary bloodstream infections according to the type of pathogen: A prospective cohort study in 937 Germany ICUs (2006-2015)

Objective

Mortality due to intensive care unit (ICU) acquired primary blood stream infections (PBSI) is related primarily to patient co-morbidities, types of pathogens and quality of care. The objective of this study is to determine the impact of various types of pathogen on ICU mortality.

Methods

Data from the German National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance System of patients with PBSI from 2006 to 2015 was used for this analysis. A BSI is primary when the pathogen recognized is not related to an infection on another site. Only mono-microbial infections stratified into the 13 pathogens most frequently causing PBSI were considered. Univariate and multivariate risk factor analyses were performed using the following risk factors: Sex, age, length of stay, device use, time until onset of PBSI, type and size of hospital, type of ICU and type of pathogen. ICU mortality following S.aureus PBSI was used as the reference value.

Results

A total of 4,556,360 patients with 16,978,882 patient days from 937 ICUs were considered in the analysis. Of 14,626 PBSI in total, 12,745 mono-microbial PBSI were included. The ICU mortality was 18.6%. Compared with S.aureus and adjusted by age, sex and type of ICU, S.maltophilia was associated with significantly higher ICU mortality (OR 1.71; 95%CI 1.19–2.47) as followed by Enterococci (OR 1.20; 95%CI 1.06–1.36), E.coli (OR 1.24; 95%CI 1.02–1.49), C.albicans (OR 1.37; 95%CI 1.16–1.61), non albicans Candida spp. (OR 1.49; 95%CI 1.18–1.88) and P.aeruginosa (OR 1.49; 95%CI 1.21–1.84). Coagulase negative Staphylococci were associated with significant lower ICU mortality (OR 0.86; 95%CI 0.75–0.99).

Conclusion

Because of the limitation of the study in adjusting for severity of illness and appropriateness of therapy, the differences between the pathogens may not only be explained by differences in virulence, but may reflect the prognosis after receiving the microbiological results and may therefore be useful for intensive care physicians.

Epidemiology of healthcare-associated infections in Polish intensive care. A multicenter study based on active surveillance

AIM

The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of health care-associated infections (HAIs) in patients treated in Polish intensive care units (ICUs).

METHODS

This retrospective analysis was based on the results of active targeted surveillance, according to the recommendation of the ECDC (European Centre of Disease Control and Prevention, HAI-Net light protocol), conducted in 2013-2015 in seven ICUs for adults located in southern Poland (observational study).

RESULTS

The incidence of HAI was 22.6% and 28.7/1000 person-days (pds). The incidence of pneumonia (PN) was 8.0%, bloodstream infections (BSIs) 7.2% and urinary tract infections (UTIs) 3.7%. The incidence per 1000 pds was as follows: PN 10.2, BSIs 9.2 and UTIs 4.7. PN was the most common source of secondary bloodstream infection (45%); the second was UTIs (22%). Mortality (directly and indirectly) associated with HAI was 10.8% and was related to the presence of PN or primary BSIs. HAIs were usually (69.2%) caused by Gram-negative bacteria; Klebsiella spp. and nonfermenting Gram-negative rods demonstrated very high antibiotic resistance.

CONCLUSION

Despite the lack of widely implemented active targeted surveillance programmes and top-down incentives, it is possible to carry out effective surveillance of HAIs in ICUs in Poland. The results of this study are comparable with the ECDC data, but the results are alarmingly high in two fields: epidemiology of PN and BSIs and very high antibiotic resistance in Gram-negative rods, which indicate the need for intense control in this area and for further studies to clarify the source of the observed discrepancy.

Temporal trends and epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus surgical site infection in the Swiss surveillance network: a cohort study

BACKGROUND

Staphylococcus aureus is the leading pathogen in surgical site infections (SSI).

AIM

To explore trends and risk factors associated with S. aureus SSI.

METHODS

Risk factors for monomicrobial S. aureus SSI were identified from the Swiss multi-centre SSI surveillance system using multi-variate logistic regression. Both in-hospital and postdischarge SSI were identified using standardized definitions.

FINDINGS

Over a six-year period, data were collected on 229,765 surgical patients, of whom 499 (0.22%) developed monomicrobial S. aureus SSI; 459 (92.0%) and 40 (8.0%) were due to meticillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) and meticillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), respectively. There was a significant decrease in the rate of MSSA SSI (P = 0.007), but not in the rate of MRSA SSI (P = 0.70). Independent protective factors for S. aureus SSI were older age [≥75 years vs <50 years: odds ratio (OR) 0.60, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.44-0.83], laparoscopy/minimally invasive surgery (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.50-0.92), non-clean surgery [OR 0.78 (per increase in wound contamination class), 95% CI 0.64-0.94] and correct timing of pre-operative antibiotic prophylaxis (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.65-0.98). Independent risk factors were male sex (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.14-1.66), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists' score (per one-point increment: OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.13-1.51), re-operation for non-infectious reasons (OR 4.59, 95% CI 3.59-5.87) and procedure type: cardiac surgery, laminectomy, and hip or knee arthroplasty had two-to nine-fold increased odds of S. aureus SSI compared with other procedures.

CONCLUSIONS

SSI due to S. aureus are decreasing and becoming rare events in Switzerland. High-risk procedures that may benefit from specific preventive measures were identified. Unfortunately, many of the independent risk factors are not easily modifiable.

The Effect of Participating in a Surgical Site Infection (SSI) Surveillance Network on the Time Trend of SSI Rates: A Systematic Review

This systematic literature review reveals that participating in a surgical site infection (SSI) surveillance network is associated with short-term reductions in SSI rates: relative risk [RR] for year 2, 0.80 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.79–0.82); year 3 RR, 0.92 (95% CI, 0.90–0.94); year 4 RR, 0.98 (95% CI, 0.96–1.00).

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017;38:1364–1366

Early recognition of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus surgical site infections using risk and protective factors identified by a group of Italian surgeons through Delphi method

BACKGROUND

Surgical site infections (SSIs) constitute a major clinical problem in terms of morbidity, mortality, duration of hospital stay, and overall costs. The bacterial pathogens implicated most frequently are Streptococcus pyogenes (S. pyogenes) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). The incidence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) SSIs is increasing significantly. Since these infections have a significant impact on hospital budgets and patients' health, their diagnosis must be anticipated and therapy improved. The first step should be to evaluate risk factors for MRSA SSIs.

METHODS

Through a literature review, we identified possible major and minor risk factors for, and protective factors against MRSA SSIs. We then submitted statements on these factors to 228 Italian surgeons to determine, using the Delphi method, the degree of consensus regarding their importance. The consensus was rated as positive if >80% of the voters agreed with a statement and as negative if >80% of the voters disagreed. In other cases, no consensus was reached.

RESULTS

There was positive consensus that sepsis, >2 weeks of hospitalization, age >75 years, colonization by MRSA, and diabetes were major risk factors for MRSA SSIs. Other possible major risk factors, on which a consensus was not reached, e.g., prior antibiotic use, were considered minor risk factors. Other minor risk factors were identified. An adequate antibiotic prophylaxis, laparoscopic technique, and infection committee surveillance were considered protective factors against MRSA SSIs. All these factors might be used to build predictive criteria for identifying SSI due to MRSA.

CONCLUSIONS

In order to help to recognize and thus promptly initiate an adequate antibiotic therapy for MRSA SSIs, we designed a gradation of risk and protective factors. Validation, ideally prospective, of this score is now required. In the case of a SSI, if the risk that the infection is caused by MRSA is high, empiric antibiotic therapy should be started after debriding the wound and collecting material for culture.

Impact of nosocomial infections surveillance on nosocomial infection rates: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

According to previously studies, nosocomial infections (NIs) surveillance could effectively reduce infection rates. As NIs surveillance systems have been implemented in some hospitals for several years, their impact on NIs need to be explored. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to evaluate the tendency of NI rates during the surveillance period and the impact of surveillance on NI rates.

METHODS

A systematic literature search of the PubMed database to identify papers that evaluated effect of surveillance on NIs, all kinds of NIs occurred during hospitalization or discharged were included. Exclude articles investigated the surveillance combined with other infection control measures.

RESULTS

Twenty-five articles were included. NI rates had different levels of reduction during surveillance period, the reduction were not limited by state, department, surveillance system, and NI type. Continuous surveillance had a positive impact on NI, OR/RR were ranged from 0.43 to 0.95.

CONCLUSION

Participation in NI surveillance is associated with reducing infection rates, though RCTs need to further prove the effective role of surveillance. Hospitals may consider to perform NIs surveillance systems according to its own conditions.

Core components for effective infection prevention and control programmes: new WHO evidence-based recommendations

Health care-associated infections (HAI) are a major public health problem with a significant impact on morbidity, mortality and quality of life. They represent also an important economic burden to health systems worldwide. However, a large proportion of HAI are preventable through effective infection prevention and control (IPC) measures. Improvements in IPC at the national and facility level are critical for the successful containment of antimicrobial resistance and the prevention of HAI, including outbreaks of highly transmissible diseases through high quality care within the context of universal health coverage. Given the limited availability of IPC evidence-based guidance and standards, the World Health Organization (WHO) decided to prioritize the development of global recommendations on the core components of effective IPC programmes both at the national and acute health care facility level, based on systematic literature reviews and expert consensus. The aim of the guideline development process was to identify the evidence and evaluate its quality, consider patient values and preferences, resource implications, and the feasibility and acceptability of the recommendations. As a result, 11 recommendations and three good practice statements are presented here, including a summary of the supporting evidence, and form the substance of a new WHO IPC guideline.

Central-Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections in Québec Intensive Care Units: Results from the Provincial Healthcare-Associated Infections Surveillance Program (SPIN)

BACKGROUND Following implementation of bundled practices in 2009 in Quebec and Canadian intensive care units (ICUs), we describe CLABSI epidemiology during the last 8 years in the province of Québec (Canada) and compare rates with Canadian and American benchmarks. METHODS CLABSI incidence rates (IRs) and central venous catheter utilization ratios (CVCURs) by year and ICU type were calculated using 2007-2014 data from the Surveillance Provinciale des Infections Nosocomiales (SPIN) program. Using American and Canadian surveillance data, we compared SPIN IRs to rates in other jurisdictions using standardized incidence ratios (SIRs). RESULTS In total, 1,355 lab-confirmed CLABSIs over 911,205 central venous catheter days (CVC days) were recorded. The overall pooled incidence rate (IR) was 1.49 cases per 1,000 CVC days. IRs for adult teaching ICUs, nonteaching ICUs, neonatal ICUs (NICUs), and pediatric ICUs (PICUs) were 1.04, 0.91, 4.20, and 2.15 cases per 1,000 CVC days, respectively. Using fixed SPIN 2007-2009 benchmarks, CLABSI rates had decreased significantly in all ICUs except for PICUs by 2014. Rates declined by 55% in adult teaching ICUs, 52% in adult nonteaching ICUs, and 38% in NICUs. Using dynamic American and Canadian CLABSI rates as benchmarks, SPIN adult teaching ICU rates were significantly lower and adult nonteaching ICUs had lower or comparable rates, whereas NICU and PICU rates were higher. CONCLUSION Québec ICU CLABSI surveillance shows declining CLABSI rates in adult ICUs. The absence of a decrease in CLABSI rate in NICUs and PICUs highlights the need for continued surveillance and analysis of factors contributing to higher rates in these populations. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016;1-9.

Focus on the prophylaxis, epidemiology and therapy of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus surgical site infections and a position paper on associated risk factors: the perspective of an Italian group of surgeons

BACKGROUND

The aim of this research was to study the epidemiology, microbiology, prophylaxis, and antibiotic therapy of surgical site infections (SSIs), especially those caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and identify the risk factors for these infections. In Italy SSIs occur in about 5 % of all surgical procedures. They are predominantly caused by staphylococci, and 30 % of them are diagnosed after discharge. In every surgical specialty there are specific procedures more associated with SSIs.

METHODS

The authors conducted a systematic review of the literature on SSIs, especially MRSA infections, and used the Delphi method to identify risk factors for these resistant infections.

RESULTS

Risk factors associated with MRSA SSIs identified by the Delphi method were: patients from long-term care facilities, recent hospitalization (within the preceding 30 days), Charlson score > 5 points, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and thoracic surgery, antibiotic therapy with beta-lactams (especially cephalosporins and carbapenem) and/or quinolones in the preceding 30 days, age 75 years or older, current duration of hospitalization >16 days, and surgery with prothesis implantation. Protective factors were adequate antibiotic prophylaxis, laparoscopic surgery and the presence of an active, in-hospital surveillance program for the control of infections. MRSA therapy, especially with agents that enable the patient's rapid discharge from hospital is described.

CONCLUSION

The prevention, identification and treatment of SSIs, especially those caused by MRSA, should be implemented in surgical units in order to improve clinical and economic outcomes.

Infection Risk in Sterile Operative Procedures

BACKGROUND

The main objective of hospital hygiene and infection prevention is to protect patients from preventable nosocomial infections. It was recently stated that the proper goal should be for zero infection rates in sterile surgical procedures. In this article, we attempt to determine whether this demand is supported by the available literature.

METHODS

We systematically searched the Medline and EMBASE databases for studies published in the last 10 years on the efficacy of infection control measures and carried out a meta-analysis according to the PRISMA tool. We used the following search terms: "aseptic surgery," "intervention," "surgical site infection," "nosocomial infection," "intervention," and "prevention."

RESULTS

2277 articles were retrieved, of which 204 were acquired in full text and analyzed. The quantitative analysis included 7 prospective cohort studies on the reduction of nosocomial infection rates after aseptic surgery. The measures used included training sessions, antibiotic prophylaxis, and operative-site disinfection and cleaning techniques. These interventions succeeded in reducing postoperative wound infections (relative risk (RR] 0.99 [0.98; 1.00]). Subgroup analyses on antibiotic prophylaxis (RR 0.99 [0.98; 1.01]) and noncontrolled trials (RR 0.97 [0.92; 1.02]) revealed small, insignificant effects.

CONCLUSION

A multimodal approach with the participation of specialists from various disciplines can further reduce the rate of postoperative infection. A reduction to zero is not realistic and is not supported by available evidence.

Electronic health record solutions to reduce central line-associated bloodstream infections by enhancing documentation of central line insertion practices, line days, and daily line necessity

BACKGROUND

Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) continue to cause preventable morbidity and mortality, but methods for tracking and ensuring consistency of CLABSI-prevention activities remain underdeveloped.

METHODS

We created an integrated electronic health record solution to prompt sterile central venous catheter (CVC) insertion, CVC tracking, and timely line removal. The system embedded central line insertion practices (CLIP) elements in inserter procedure notes, captured line days and new lines, matching each with its CLIP form and feeding back compliance, and enforced daily documentation of line necessity in physician progress notes. We examined changes in CLIP compliance and form submission, number of new line insertions captured, and necessary documentation.

RESULTS

Standard reporting of CLIP compliance, which measures compliance per CLIP form received, artificially inflated CLIP compliance relative to compliance measured using CVC placements as the denominator; for example, 99% per CLIP form versus 55% per CVC placement. This system established a higher threshold for CLIP compliance using this denominator. Identification of CVCs increased 35%, resulting in a decrease in CLABSI rates. The system also facilitated full compliance with daily documentation of line necessity.

CONCLUSIONS

Integrated electronic health records systems can help realize the full benefit of CLABSI prevention strategies by promoting, tracking, and raising the standard for best practices behavior.

Epidemiology of healthcare associated infections in Germany: Nearly 20 years of surveillance

OBJECTIVE

To describe the epidemiology of healthcare-associated infections (HAI) in hospitals participating in the German national nosocomial infections surveillance system (KISS).

METHOD

The epidemiology of HAI was described for the surveillance components for intensive care units (ITS-KISS), non-ICUs (STATIONS-KISS), very low birth weight infants (NEO-KISS) and surgical site infections (OP-KISS) in the period from 2006 to 2013. In addition, risk factor analyses were performed for the most important infections of ICU-KISS, NEO-KISS and OP-KISS.

RESULTS

Data from a total of 3,454,778 ICU patients from 913 ICUs, 618,816 non-ICU patients from 142 non-ICU wards, 53,676 VLBW from 241 neonatal intensive care units (NICU) and 1,005,064 surgical patients from operative departments from 550 hospitals were used for analysis. Compared with baseline data, a significant reduction of primary bloodstream infections (PBSI) and lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) was observed in ICUs with the maximum effect in year 5 (or longer participation) (incidence rate ratio 0.60 (CI95 0.50-0.72) and 0.61 (CI95 0.52-0.71) respectively). A significant reduction of PBSI and LRTI was also observed in NEO-KISS when comparing the baseline situation with the 5th year of participation (hazard ratio 0.70 (CI95 0.64-0.76) and 0.43 (CI95 0.35-0.52)). The effect was smaller in operative departments after the introduction of OP-KISS (OR 0.80; CI95 0.64-1.02 in year 5 or later for all procedure types combined). Due to the large database, it has not only been possible to confirm well-known risk factors for HAI, but also to identify some new interesting risk factors like seasonal and volume effects.

CONCLUSIONS

Participating in a national surveillance system and using surveillance data for internal quality management leads to substantial reduction of HAI. In addition, a surveillance system can identify otherwise not recognized risk factors which should - if possible - be considered for infection control management and for risk adjustment in the benchmarking process.

Risk factors for incidence and case-fatality rates of healthcare-associated infections: a 20-year follow-up of a hospital-based cohort

Information is lacking on the integrated evaluation of mortality rates in healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Our aim was to differentiate the risk factors responsible for the incidence from those for the case-fatality rates in association with HAIs. We therefore examined the time trends of both incidence and case-fatality rates over a 20-year period at a tertiary-care teaching medical centre in Taiwan and the mortality rate was expressed as the product of the incidence rate and the case-fatality rate. During the study period the overall mortality rate fell from 0·46 to 0·32 deaths/1000 patient-days and the incidence rate fell from 3·41 to 2·31/1000 patient-days, but the case-fatality rate increased marginally from 13·5% to 14·0%. The independent risk factors associated with incidence of HAIs were age, gender, infection site, admission type, and department of hospitalization. Significant prognostic factors for HAI case-fatality were age, infection site, intensive care, and clinical department. We conclude that the decreasing trend for the HAI mortality rate was accompanied by a significant decline in the incidence rate and this was offset by a slightly increasing trend in the case-fatality rate. This deconstruction approach could provide further insights into the underlying complex causes of mortality for HAIs.

Surveillance of healthcare-associated infections in a neonatal intensive care unit in Italy during 2006-2010

BACKGROUND

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a frequent complication associated with hospitalization of infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). The aim of this study was to evaluate and describe the results of surveillance of HAIs in a III level NICU in Naples, Italy during 2006-2010.

METHODS

The surveillance covered 1,699 neonates of all birth weight (BW) classes with >2 days NICU stay. Infections were defined using standard Centers for Disease Control and Prevention definitions adapted to neonatal pathology and were considered to be healthcare-associated if they developed >2 days after NICU admission.

RESULTS

One hundred-fifty-three HAIs were diagnosed with a frequency of 9% and an incidence density of 3.5 per 1000 days of hospital stay. HAIs developed in all BW classes, but patients weighing≤1000 g at birth were more affected with a decreasing trend from the lowest to the highest BW classes. Sepsis proved to be the most frequent infection (44.4%), followed by urinary tract infection (UTI) (28.8%), pneumonia (25.5%) and meningitis (1.3%). Device associated infections (i.e. central line-associated bloodstream infections (BSIs), umbilical catheter-associated BSI and ventilator associated pneumonias (VAPs) represented 64.1% of all HAIs. Most frequent pathogens responsible for all types of infections were: P. aeruginosa (17%), C. parapsilosis (16.3%), E. coli (13.1%), C. albicans (10.5%), non- extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) K. pneumoniae (7.8%), and coagulase-negative Staphylococci (5.2%). No microbiological diagnosis was achieved for 6.5% of infections.

CONCLUSIONS

HAIs developed in all BW classes but low BW neonates were at major risk to acquire HAIs in our NICU. Use of central line-, umbilical-catheter and mechanical ventilation was associated with higher risk of infection. Our findings highlight the importance of an extensive surveillance approach in the NICU setting, which includes all BW classes of neonates and monitors infections associated with the use of medical devices.

Diminishing Surgical Site Infections in Australia: Time Trends in Infection Rates, Pathogens and Antimicrobial Resistance Using a Comprehensive Victorian Surveillance Program, 2002–2013

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate time trends in surgical site infection (SSI) rates and SSI pathogens in Australia.

DESIGN

Prospective multicenter observational cohort study.

SETTING

A group of 81 Australian healthcare facilities participating in the Victorian Healthcare Associated Infection Surveillance System (VICNISS).

PATIENTS

All patients underwent surgeries performed between October 1, 2002, and June 30, 2013. National Healthcare Safety Network SSI surveillance methods were employed by the infection prevention staff at the participating hospitals.

INTERVENTION

Procedure-specific risk-adjusted SSI rates were calculated. Pathogen-specific and antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) infections were modeled using multilevel mixed-effects Poisson regression.

RESULTS

A total of 183,625 procedures were monitored, and 5,123 SSIs were reported. Each year of observation was associated with 11% risk reduction for superficial SSI (risk ratio [RR], 0.89; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.88–0.90), 9% risk reduction for deep SSI (RR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.90–0.93), and 5% risk reduction for organ/space SSI (RR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.93–0.97). Overall, 3,318 microbiologically confirmed SSIs were reported. Of these SSIs, 1,174 (35.4%) were associated with orthopedic surgery, 827 (24.9%) with coronary artery bypass surgery, 490 (14.8%) with Caesarean sections, and 414 (12.5%) with colorectal procedures. Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequently identified pathogen, and a statistically significant increase in infections due to ceftriaxone-resistant Escherichia coli was observed (RR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.10–1.70).

CONCLUSIONS

Standardized SSI surveillance methods have been implemented in Victoria, Australia. Over an 11-year period, diminishing rates of SSIs have been observed, although AMR infections increased significantly. Our findings facilitate the refinement of recommended surgical antibiotic prophylaxis regimens and highlight the need for a more expansive national surveillance strategy to identify changes in epidemiology.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2015;00(0): 1–8

The Italian national surgical site infection surveillance programme and its positive impact, 2009 to 2011

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Results from the first 12 months of the national surveillance of healthcare associated outbreaks in Germany, 2011/2012

Background

In August 2011, the German Protection against Infection Act was amended, mandating the reporting of healthcare associated infection (HAI) outbreak notifications by all healthcare workers in Germany via local public health authorities and federal states to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).

Objective

To describe the reported HAI-outbreaks and the surveillance system’s structure and capabilities.

Methods

Information on each outbreak was collected using standard paper forms and notified to RKI. Notifications were screened daily and regularly analysed.

Results

Between November 2011 and November 2012, 1,326 paper forms notified 578 HAI-outbreaks, between 7 and 116 outbreaks per month. The main causative agent was norovirus (n = 414/578; 72%). Among the 108 outbreaks caused by bacteria, the most frequent pathogens were Clostridium difficile (25%) Klebsiella spp. (19%) and Staphylococcus spp. (19%). Multidrug-resistant bacteria were responsible for 54/108 (50%) bacterial outbreaks. Hospitals were affected most frequently (485/578; 84%). Hospital outbreaks due to bacteria were mostly reported from intensive care units (ICUs) (45%), followed by internal medicine wards (16%).

Conclusion

The mandatory HAI-outbreak surveillance system describes common outbreaks. Pathogens with a particular high potential to cause large or severe outbreaks may be identified, enabling us to further focus research and preventive measures. Increasing the sensitivity and reliability of the data collection further will facilitate identification of outbreaks able to increase in size and severity, and guide specific control measures to interrupt their propagation.

Healthcare associated infections (HAI) perspectives

Healthcare associated infections (HAI) are among the major complications of modern medical therapy. The most important HAIs are those related to invasive devices: central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI), catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) as well as surgical site infections (SSI). HAIs are associated with significant mortality, morbidities and increasing healthcare cost. The cited case-fatality rate ranges from 2.3% to 14.4% depending on the type of infection. In this mini-review, we shed light on these aspects as well as drivers to decrease HAIs.

[Healthcare-associated infection rates: measuring and comparing. Experiences from the German National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance System (KISS) and from other surveillance systems]

Surveillance of nosocomial infections is meanwhile a cornerstone of infection prevention activities in hospitals. The objective of this article is to compare healthcare-associated infection rates in intensive care patients, neonatal intensive care patients and operated patients (ICU-KISS, OP-KISS, NEO-KISS) of the German nosocomial infection surveillance system (KISS) with the corresponding data of the US American National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). In general, the methodological differences among the three surveillance systems are minor but there are some exceptions. Therefore, differences between countries have to be interpreted very carefully as they may be due to differences in diagnostics, patient mix, types of interventions, length of stay, selection of participating hospitals, post-discharge surveillance activities and interpretation of case definitions. Organizational aspects, such as mandatory participation with public disclosure on infection rates may also have an impact.

How can compliance with hand hygiene be improved in specialized areas of a university hospital?

Hand hygiene is considered to be the pillar of infection control and prevention. Despite national and international recommendations on hand hygiene, compliance remains low. Basic requirements allowing adequate hand hygiene compliance, in theory at least, are well known. Why then is it so hard to achieve acceptable compliance despite sufficient access to hand disinfectant dispensers, repeated training, and participation in national campaigns? Could it be that hand hygiene is regarded as too laborious, and changes to the established work-flow are needed to increase compliance? Some practicable examples are presented and pitfalls in defining compliance are discussed. Ownership for compliance must come from within clinical teams, and not solely driven from the infection control team. Support from the hospital management is essential. Ideally, the concepts presented allow a simple and efficient implementation of hand hygiene as part of the clinical work-flow to achieve an increase in compliance in the longer term.

Reduction and surveillance of device-associated infections in adult intensive care units at a Saudi Arabian hospital, 2004-2011

BACKGROUND

Device-associated infections (DAI) are recognized as a marker of patient safety. Data regarding DAI rates in Saudi Arabia are sparse.

METHODS

This was a prospective surveillance study of DAI rates conducted in the adult intensive care units of the Saudi Aramco Medical Services Organization, carried out using the DAI definition provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Healthcare Safety Network. DAI prevention bundles were introduced in 2006 for ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), in mid-2010 for catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), and in 2008 for central line-associated blood stream infections (CLABSI).

RESULTS

DAI rates for VAP, CLABSI, and CAUTI are reported for the study period from 2004 to 2011. CAUTI was the most common DAI (42.2%), followed by CLABSI (38.5%) and VAP (19.3%). The overall rate of each infection type per 1000 device-days was 8.18 for CAUTI, 10 for CLABSI, and 4.52 for VAP. Annual DAI rates showed a significant reduction over time from the beginning of the study to the end of the study for CLABSI (16.3 vs. 6.06), CAUTI (6.75 vs. 3.41), and VAP (9.8 vs. 1.3) (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

CAUTI was the most common infection, and the use of DAI prevention bundles was associated with a significant decrease in DAI rates over time.

KPC - 3 Klebsiella pneumoniae ST258 clone infection in postoperative abdominal surgery patients in an intensive care setting: analysis of a case series of 30 patients

BACKGROUND

Abdominal surgery carries significant morbidity and mortality, which is in turn associated with an enormous use of healthcare resources. We describe the clinical course of 30 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients who underwent abdominal surgery and showed severe infections caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae sequence type (ST) 258 producing K. pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC-Kp). The aim was to evaluate risk factors for mortality and the impact of a combination therapy of colistin plus recommended regimen or higher dosage of tigecycline.

METHODS

A prospective assessment of severe monomicrobial KPC-Kp infections occurring after open abdominal surgery carried out from August 2011 to August 2012 in the same hospital by different surgical teams is presented. Clinical and surgical characteristics, microbiological and surveillance data, factors associated with mortality and treatment regimens were analyzed. A combination regimen of colistin with tigecycline was used. A high dose of tigecycline was administered according to intra-abdominal abscess severity and MICs for tigecycline.

RESULTS

The mean age of the patients was 56.6 ± 15 and their APACHE score on admission averaged 22.72. Twenty out of 30 patients came from the surgical emergency unit. Fifteen patients showed intra-abdominal abscess, eight anastomotic leakage, four surgical site infection (SSI) and three peritonitis. The overall crude ICU mortality rate was 40% (12 out of 30 patients). Twelve of the 30 patients were started on a combination treatment of high-dose tigecycline and intravenous colistin. A significantly lower mortality rate was observed among those patients compared to patients treated with approved dose of tigecycline plus colistin. No adverse events were reported with high doses of tigecycline.

CONCLUSIONS

Critically-ill surgical patients are prone to severe post-surgical infectious complications caused by KPC-Kp. Timely microbiological diagnosis and optimizing antibiotic dosing regimens are essential to prevent worse outcomes. Further studies and well-controlled clinical trials are needed to define the optimal treatment of infections by KPC-Kp and, more generally, carbapenem-resistant bacteria.

Surveillance on secular trends of incidence and mortality for device-associated infection in the intensive care unit setting at a tertiary medical center in Taiwan, 2000-2008: a retrospective observational study

Background

Device–associated infection (DAI) plays an important part in nosocomial infection. Active surveillance and infection control are needed to disclose the specific situation in each hospital and to cope with this problem effectively. We examined the rates of DAI by antimicrobial-resistant pathogens, and 30–day and in–hospital mortality in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Methods

Prospective surveillance was conducted in a mixed medical and surgical ICU at a major teaching hospital from 2000 through 2008. Trend analysis was performed and logistic regression was used to assess prognostic factors of mortality.

Results

The overall rate of DAIs was 3.03 episodes per 1000 device–days. The most common DAI type was catheter–associated urinary tract infection (3.76 per 1000 urinary catheter–days). There was a decrease in DAI rates in 2005 and rates of ventilator–associated pneumonia (VAP, 3.18 per 1000 ventilator–days) have remained low since then (p < 0.001). The crude rates of 30–day (33.6%) and in–hospital (52.3%) mortality, as well as infection by antibiotic-resistant VAP pathogens also decreased. The most common antimicrobial-resistant pathogens were methicillin–resistant Staphylococcus aureus (94.9%) and imipenem–resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (p < 0.001), which also increased at the most rapid rate. The rate of antimicrobial resistance among Enterobacteriaceae also increased significantly (p < 0.05). After controlling for potentially confounding factors, the DAI was an independent prognostic factor for both 30–day mortality (OR 2.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.99–3.17, p = 0.001) and in–hospital mortality (OR 3.61, 95% CI 2.10–3.25, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

The decrease in the rate of DAI and infection by resistant bacteria on the impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome can be attributed to active infection control and improved adherence after 2003.