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Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected quality improvement work that was key to hospital-acquired infection (HAI) prevention efforts for many hospitals. Central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) standardized infection ratios (SIRs) were highly affected by the pandemic., Methods: After seeing an increase in CLABSI SIRs through early 2021, a health care system including 12 acute care hospitals in the midwestern United States focused on processes and process measures for CLABSI prevention. Each hospital was asked to identify a medical provider, nursing, and infection prevention lead to champion the work (identified as a CLABSI triad). CLABSI triads emphasized best practice expectations, standardized technology and products, and implemented reporting and trending of compliance. Work started in July 2021, with multiple initiatives rolled out through the end of 2022. CLABSI SIRs and standardized utilization ratios (SURs) were analyzed with interrupted time series analysis; changes in several process measures were analyzed using Wilcoxon rank sum exact testing., Results: A 47.5% decrease was seen in CLABSI SIR through the study period, with SIR = 0.61 from 2023 to April 2024. The slope of the trend line for CLABSI SIR and central line utilization had a significant downward trend in the intervention time frame (p = 0.04 and p < 0.01, respectively). CLABSI prevention best practices improved statistically during the study period., Conclusion: Intense focus by leadership on key CLABSI prevention process measures was associated with lower CLABSI SIRs., (Copyright © 2024 The Joint Commission. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: An automated protocol was designed within our electronic medical record (EMR) to help curb the Clostridium difficile problem at our institution. The protocol will identify patients at high risk for C difficile, improve the timing of testing of patients infected on admission, and enhance the appropriateness of C difficile testing throughout the patient's hospitalization., Methods: Admitted patients with 2 of the following 3 criteria were labeled as high risk for C difficile: admission to a medical institution in the preceding 90 days, administration of antibiotics in the preceding 90 days, or a history of C difficile. High-risk patients with diarrhea in the first 3 days of admission are identified in the EMR, and prompt testing for C difficile is done. After day 3, if diarrhea develops, a series of questions is presented to help test the appropriate patients for C difficile., Results: A statistically significant reduction in rates of hospital-onset C difficile was achieved after implementation of the protocol., Conclusions: Implementation of an automated protocol for targeted testing of high-risk patients for C difficile was successful at reducing rates of hospital-onset C difficile by improving timing and appropriateness of testing., (Copyright © 2018 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) continues to be a significant complication after total joint arthroplasty. Diagnosis of PJI can be challenging and elusive in the absence of a gold standard. This purpose of this article is to review the current evidence on the utility of serum and synovial fluid biomarkers to help aid in the diagnosis of PJI with focusing on synovial fluid alpha-defensin., Methods: Articles and data for this review were identified by searches of PubMed and Ovid MEDLINE up to June 1, 2016. In addition, we manually reviewed the bibliographies of the retrieved articles for additional citations for references from relevant articles on the diagnosis of PJI., Results: Serum biomarkers can be elevated in various inflammatory conditions. Synovial fluid biomarkers are more accurate for the diagnosis of PJI compared to serum biomarkers. Based on current available data, alpha-defensin is the most promising synovial fluid biomarker for the diagnosis of PJI and is commercially available., Conclusions: Synovial fluid alpha-defensin could enhance our ability to identify PJI and incorporate into the diagnostic algorithm in the future. Large-scale studies are needed to provide more data for its significance for the diagnosis of PJI.

We report a case of a 62-year-old female with seizures and encephalitis. Molecular testing of the patient's cerebrospinal fluid was positive for both herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2). To our knowledge, this is the first report of simultaneous detection of HSV-1 and HSV-2 in cerebrospinal fluid., (Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.)

Mercy Hospital Springfield is a tertiary care facility with 32 000 discharges and 15 000 inpatient surgeries in 2011. From June 2009 through January 2011, a stable inpatient elective neurosurgery infection rate of 2.15% was observed. The failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) methodology to reduce inpatient neurosurgery infections was utilized. Following FMEA implementation, overall elective neurosurgery infection rates were reduced to 1.51% and sustained through May 2012. Compared with baseline, the post-FMEA deep-space and organ infection rate was reduced by 41% (P = .052). Overall hospital inpatient clean surgery infection rates for the same time frame did not decrease to the same extent, suggesting a specific effect of the FMEA. The study team believes that the FMEA interventions resulted in 14 fewer expected infections, $270 270 in savings, a 168-day reduction in expected length of stay, and 22 fewer readmissions. Given the serious morbidity and cost of health care-associated infections, the study team concludes that FMEA implementation was clinically cost-effective., (© 2013 by the American College of Medical Quality.)

Background: Health care-associated infections are serious complications impacting 2 million patients and accounting for approximately 100,000 deaths per year. In the present study, we evaluated the effectiveness of a new hand hygiene monitoring program (HHMP) and measured the sustainability of this effectiveness over a 1-year period., Methods: The HHMP consisted of 4 key components: extensive education, conspicuous and visible monitors, immediate feedback concerning compliance to health care workers, and real-time data dissemination to leadership. The HHMP was implemented in 2 hospital care units. Two different, but similar, departments served as controls, and hand hygiene compliance was monitored via the "secret shopper" technique. All 4 departments were followed for 12 months., Results: Both experimental departments showed statistically significant increases in hand hygiene compliance. Experimental department 1 increased compliance from 49% to an average of 90%, and experimental department 2 increased compliance from 60% to an average of 96%. Both experimental departments were able to sustain these results for at least 6 months. Compliance rates were significantly higher in the experimental departments compared with the control departments. No significant changes were seen in the control departments., Conclusions: These finding suggest that continuous monitoring by salient observers and immediate feedback are critical to the success of hand hygiene programs., (Copyright © 2014 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)