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Background: Increasing nosocomial infections during the COVID-19 pandemic have been reported. However, data describing peripheral venous catheter associated bloodstream infections (PVC-BSI) are limited. Aims: To describe the epidemiology and risk factors for PVC-BSI during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We conducted retrospective cohort study of prospectively collected PVC-BSI data in a 2100 bed hospital network in Switzerland. Adult patients with a PVC inserted between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021 were included. Risk factors for PVC-BSI were identified through descriptive analysis of patient and catheter characteristics, and univariable marginal Cox models. Results: 206,804 PVCs and 37 PVC-BSI were analysed. Most PVC-BSI were attributed to catheters inserted in the Emergency department (76%) or surgical wards (22%). PVC-BSI increased in 2021 compared to 2020 (hazard ratio 2021 vs. 2020 = 2.73; 95% confidence interval 1.19–6.29), with a numerically higher rate of Staphylococcus aureus (1/10, 10%, vs. 5/27, 19%) and polymicrobial infection (0/10, 0% vs. 4/27, 15%). PVC insertions, patient characteristics, and catheter characteristics remained similar across the study period. PVC-BSI risk was associated with admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), and use of wide gauge catheter (< = 16G). Conclusion: Increased PVC-BSI during the COVID-19 pandemic was not explained by catheter or patient factors alone, and may result from system-wide changes. PVC-BSI events are primarily attributed to acute care settings, including the emergency department, surgical wards, and the ICU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The WHO Infection Prevention and Control Assessment Framework (IPCAF) is a standardized tool to assess infection prevention and control (IPC) structures in healthcare facilities. The IPCAF reflects the eight WHO core components (CC) of IPC. Besides facility self-assessment, the IPCAF can be used for national surveys, and repeated usage can aid in describing trends concerning IPC structures. A previous survey in over 700 German hospitals conducted in 2018, yielded an overall high IPC level in participating hospitals, albeit with potentials for improvement. In 2023, the survey was repeated to describe once again the state of IPC implementation in German hospitals and compare findings to data from 2018. Methods: The German National Reference Center for the Surveillance of Nosocomial Infections (NRC) invited 1,530 German acute care hospitals participating in the national surveillance network "KISS", to complete a translated online version of the IPCAF between October 2023 and January 2024. The questionnaire-like nature of the IPCAF, where each answer corresponds to a number of points, allows for calculating an overall IPC score. Based on the overall score, hospitals were allocated to four different IPC levels: inadequate (0–200), basic (201–400), intermediate (401–600), and advanced (601–800). Aggregated scores were calculated and compared with results from 2018. Results: Complete datasets from 660 hospitals were received and analyzed. The median overall IPCAF score was 692.5 (interquartile range: 642.5–737.5), with 572 hospitals (86.6%) classified as advanced, and 87 hospitals (13.2%) as intermediate. One hospital (0.2%) fell into the basic category. The overall median score was virtually unchanged when compared to 2018 (690; data from 736 hospitals). The median score for the CC on workload, staffing and bed occupancy was markedly higher (85 vs. 75), whereas the median score for the CC on multimodal strategies was slightly lower than in 2018 (75 vs. 80). Conclusions: Repeated assessments of IPC structures at the national level with the IPCAF are feasible and a means to gain insights into the evolution of IPC structures. When comparing aggregated scores, a stable and high level of IPC key aspects in Germany was observed, with improvements over time in IPC indicators related to workload and staffing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global public health concern that is fueled by the overuse of antimicrobial agents. Low- and middle-income countries, including those in Africa,. Point prevalence surveys (PPS) have been recognized as valuable tools for assessing antimicrobial utilization and guiding quality improvement initiatives. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the prescription rates, indications, and quality of antimicrobial use in African health facilities. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted in multiple databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Hinari (Research4Life) and Google Scholar. Studies reporting the point prevalence of antimicrobial prescription or use in healthcare settings using validated PPS tools were included. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklist. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted to combine the estimates. Heterogeneity was evaluated using Q statistics, I² statistics, meta-regression, and sensitivity analysis. Publication bias was assessed using a funnel plot and Egger's regression test, with a p-value of < 0.05 indicating the presence of bias. Results: Out of 1790 potential studies identified, 32 articles were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled prescription rate in acute care hospitals was 60%, with significant heterogeneity (I2 = 99%, p < 0.001). Therapeutic prescriptions constituted 62% of all the prescribed antimicrobials. Prescription quality varied: documentation of reasons in notes was 64%, targeted therapy was 10%, and parenteral prescriptions were 65%, with guideline compliance at 48%. Hospital-acquired infections comprised 20% of all prescriptions. Subgroup analyses revealed regional disparities in antimicrobial prescription prevalence, with Western Africa showing a prevalence of 65% and 44% in Southern Africa. Publication bias adjustment estimated the prescription rate at 54.8%, with sensitivity analysis confirming minor variances among studies. Conclusion: This systematic review and meta-analysis provide valuable insights into antimicrobial utilization in African health facilities. The findings highlight the need for improved antimicrobial stewardship and infection control programs to address the high prevalence of irrational antimicrobial prescribing. The study emphasizes the importance of conducting regular surveillance through PPS to gather reliable data on antimicrobial usage, inform policy development, and monitor the effectiveness of interventions aimed at mitigating AMR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) remains the most significant challenge among hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), yet still unresolved. The present study aims to evaluate the preventive effectiveness of JUC Spray Dressing (name of U.S. FDA and CE certifications, while the medical device name in China is Long-acting Antimicrobial Material) alone for CAUTI without combining with antibiotics and to evaluate the impact of bacterial biofilm formation on CAUTI results on the inserted catheters of patients. Methods: In this multicenter, randomized, double-blind study, we enrolled adults who suffered from acute urinary retention (AUR) and required catheterization in 6 hospitals in China. Participants were randomly allocated 1:1 according to a random number table to receive JUC Spray Dressing (JUC group) or normal saline (placebo group). The catheters were pretreated with JUC Spray Dressing or normal saline respectively before catheterization. Urine samples and catheter samples were collected after catheterization by trial staff for further investigation. Results: From April 2012 to April 2020, we enrolled 264 patients and randomly assigned them to the JUC group (n = 132) and the placebo group (n = 132). Clinical symptoms and urine bacterial cultures showed the incidence of CAUTI of the JUC group was significantly lower than the placebo group (P < 0.01). In addition, another 30 patients were enrolled to evaluate the biofilm formation on catheters after catheter insertion in the patients' urethra (10 groups, 3 each). The results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that bacterial biofilm formed on the 5th day in the placebo group, while no bacterial biofilm formed on the 5th day in the JUC group. In addition, no adverse reactions were reported using JUC Spray Dressing. Conclusion: Continued indwelling urinary catheters for 5 days resulted in bacterial biofilm formation, and pretreatment of urethral catheters with JUC Spray Dressing can prevent bacterial biofilm formation by forming a physical antimicrobial film, and significantly reduce the incidence of CAUTI. This is the first report of a study on inhibiting bacterial biofilm formation on the catheters in CAUTI patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is an ongoing controversy regarding whether single-occupancy rooms are superior to multiple-occupancy rooms in terms of infection prevention. We investigated whether treatment in a multiple-occupancy room is associated with an increased incidence of nosocomial coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) compared with treatment in a single-occupancy room. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, every hospitalization period of adult patients aged ≥ 18 years at a tertiary hospital in Korea from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022, was analyzed. If COVID-19 was diagnosed more than 5 days after hospitalization, the case was classified as nosocomial. We estimated the association between the number of patients per room and the risk of nosocomial COVID-19 using a Cox proportional hazards regression model. Results: In total, 25,143 hospitalizations per room type were analyzed. The incidence rate of nosocomial COVID-19 increased according to the number of patients per room; it ranged from 3.05 to 38.64 cases per 10,000 patient-days between single- and 6-bed rooms, respectively. Additionally, the hazard ratios of nosocomial COVID-19 showed an increasing trend according to the number of patients per room, ranging from 0.14 (95% confidence interval 0.001–1.03) to 2.66 (95% confidence interval 1.60–4.85) between single- and 6-bed rooms, respectively. Conclusions: We demonstrated that the incidence of nosocomial COVID-19 increased according to the number of patients per room. To reduce nosocomial infections by respiratory viruses, the use of multiple-occupancy rooms should be minimized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cockroaches can pose a significant health risk in hospital environments because they may serve as reservoirs and vectors for nosocomial pathogens. Cockroaches harbor epidemiologically significant extended spectrum and metalo beta lactamase producing Gram negative bacterial pathogens, which complicate nosocomial infections. Objectives: The main aim of this study is to determine aetiology and phenotypic extended spectrum and metalo beta lactamase producing Gram negative bacteria pathogens from cockroaches collected in hospitals. Methods: A cross-sectional study was employed from February to May 2022 to determine the antibiotic resistance producing bacterial isolates from cockroaches by giving special emphasis to metalo beta lactamase and extended spectrum beta lactamase production from different wards of WSUCSH. Cockroaches were collected with hands wearing sterile gloves. External homogenate was prepared and incubated microbiologically by using different culture media and differentiated biochemically. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by disk diffusion method. ESBL production was conducted using double disc synergy method and double disk method was used to detect MBL enzyme detection. Descriptive statistics was used to determine prevalence and percentage. Result: Out of 245 cockroaches, 108 Gram negative bacteria were isolated. K. pneumoniae 29(26.9%) was the most predominant bacteria and Enetrobacter spp. 8(7.4%), was the least. All, K. pneumoniae, P. mirabilis, and Enterobacter isolates were pan-resistant to Ampicillin. P.aeruginosa and P.mirabilis antibiotics showed ≥ 80% resistant for amoxicillin/clavulanic acid antibiotics. Cefotaxime, ceftazidime, ceftriaxone and imipenem showed relative efficacy compared with other antibiotics. Out of 78 amoxicillin-clavulanic acid resistant isolates, 42(34.7%) were ESBL producers. ESBL production is more depicted by P. aeruginosa, A. baumannii, K. pneumoniae and E. coli. The overall prevalence of MBL production is 29(23.1%). K. pneumoniae P. aeruginosa, E.coli, A. baumannii, Enterobacter spp and K.oxytoca revealed MBL production. Conclusion: The overall prevalence of ESBL and MBL producing nosocomial agents from hospital cockroaches was 34.7% and 23.1% respectively. P.aeruginosa, A.baumannii, K.pneumoniae and E.coli showed pronounced ESBL production. All bacterial isolates except P. mirabilis and C. freundii showed MBL production. The needed to evaluate our antibiotic stewardship program and antibiotic resistance detection for treatment is mandatory. The impact of cockroach as a source of AMR should be sought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nosocomial infections (NIs) frequently occur and adversely impact prognosis for hospitalized patients with cirrhosis. This study aims to develop and validate two machine learning models for NIs and in-hospital mortality risk prediction. Methods: The Prediction of Nosocomial Infection and Prognosis in Cirrhotic patients (PIPC) study included hospitalized patients with cirrhosis at the Qingchun Campus of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University. We then assessed several machine learning algorithms to construct predictive models for NIs and prognosis. We validated the best-performing models with bootstrapping techniques and an external validation dataset. The accuracy of the predictions was evaluated through sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and likelihood ratios, while predictive robustness was examined through subgroup analyses and comparisons between models. Results: We enrolled 1,297 patients into derivation cohort and 496 patients into external validation cohort. Among the six algorithms assessed, the Random Forest algorithm performed best. For NIs, the PIPC-NI model achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.784 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.741–0.826), a sensitivity of 0.712, and a specificity of 0.702. For in-hospital mortality, the PIPC- mortality model achieved an AUC of 0.793 (95% CI 0.749–0.836), a sensitivity of 0.769, and a specificity of 0.701. Moreover, our PIPC models demonstrated superior predictive performance compared to the existing MELD, MELD-Na, and Child-Pugh scores. Conclusions: The PIPC models showed good predictive power and may facilitate healthcare providers in easily assessing the risk of NIs and prognosis among hospitalized patients with cirrhosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The prevalence of multiple nosocomial infections (MNIs) is on the rise, however, there remains a limited comprehension regarding the associated risk factors, cumulative risk, probability of occurrence, and impact on length of stay (LOS). Method: This multicenter study includes all hospitalized patients from 2020 to July 2023 in two sub-hospitals of a tertiary hospital in Guangming District, Shenzhen. The semi-Markov multi-state model (MSM) was utilized to analyze risk factors and cumulative risk of MNI, predict its occurrence probability, and calculate the extra LOS of nosocomial infection (NI). Results: The risk factors for MNI include age, community infection at admission, surgery, and combined use of antibiotics. However, the cumulative risk of MNI is lower than that of single nosocomial infection (SNI). MNI is most likely to occur within 14 days after admission. Additionally, SNI prolongs LOS by an average of 7.48 days (95% Confidence Interval, CI: 6.06–8.68 days), while MNI prolongs LOS by an average of 15.94 days (95% CI: 14.03–18.17 days). Furthermore, the more sites of infection there are, the longer the extra LOS will be. Conclusion: The longer LOS and increased treatment difficulty of MNI result in a heavier disease burden for patients, necessitating targeted prevention and control measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Avoiding excessive antibiotic treatment duration is a fundamental goal in antimicrobial stewardship. Manual collection of data is a time-consuming process, but a semi-automated approach for data extraction has been shown feasible for community-acquired infections (CAI). Extraction of data however may be more challenging in hospital-acquired infections (HAI). The aim of this study is to explore whether semi-automated data extraction of treatment duration is also feasible and accurate for HAI. Methods: Data from a university-affiliated hospital over the period 1-6-2020 until 1-6-2022 was used for this study. From the Electronic Health Record, raw data on prescriptions, registered indications and admissions was extracted and processed to define treatment courses. In addition, clinical notes including prescription instructions were obtained for the purpose of validation. The derived treatment course was compared to the registered indication and the actual length of treatment (LOT) in the clinical notes in a random sample of 5.7% of treatment courses, to assess the accuracy of the data for both CAI and HAI. Results: Included were 10.564 treatment courses of which 73.1% were CAI and 26.8% HAI. The registered indication matched the diagnosis as recorded in the clinical notes in 79% of treatment courses (79.2% CAI, 78.5% HAI). Higher error rates were seen in urinary tract infections (UTIs) (29.0%) and respiratory tract infections (RTIs) (20.5%) compared to intra-abdominal infections (7.4%), or skin or soft tissue infections (11.1%), mainly due to incorrect specification of the type of UTI or RTI. The LOT was accurately extracted in 98.5% of courses (CAI 98.2%, HAI 99.3%) when compared to prescriptions in the EHR. In 21% of cases however the LOT did not match with the clinical notes, mainly if patients received treatment from other health care providers preceding or following the present course. Conclusion: Semi-automatic data extraction can yield reliable information about the indication and LOT in treatment courses of hospitalized patients, for both HAI and CAI. This can provide stewardship programs with a surveillance tool for all in-hospital treated infections, which can be used to achieve stewardship goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a pressing global health concern, particularly pronounced in low-resource settings. In Ethiopia, the escalating prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) poses a substantial threat to public health. Methods: A comprehensive search of databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Hinari, and Google Scholar, identified relevant studies. Inclusion criteria encompassed observational studies reporting the prevalence of meropenem-resistant P. aeruginosa in Ethiopia. Quality assessment utilized JBI checklists. A random-effects meta-analysis pooled data on study characteristics and prevalence estimates, with subsequent subgroup and sensitivity analyses. Publication bias was assessed graphically and statistically. Results: Out of 433 studies, nineteen, comprising a total sample of 11,131, met inclusion criteria. The pooled prevalence of meropenem-resistant P. aeruginosa was 15% (95% CI: 10–21%). Significant heterogeneity (I2 = 83.6%) was observed, with the number of P. aeruginosa isolates identified as the primary source of heterogeneity (p = 0.127). Subgroup analysis by infection source revealed a higher prevalence in hospital-acquired infections (28%, 95% CI: 10, 46) compared to community settings (6%, 95% CI: 2, 11). Geographic based subgroup analysis indicated the highest prevalence in the Amhara region (23%, 95% CI: 8, 38), followed by Addis Ababa (21%, 95% CI: 11, 32), and lower prevalence in the Oromia region (7%, 95% CI: 4, 19). Wound samples exhibited the highest resistance (25%, 95% CI: 25, 78), while sputum samples showed the lowest prevalence. Publication bias, identified through funnel plot examination and Egger's regression test (p < 0.001), execution of trim and fill analysis resulted in an adjusted pooled prevalence of (3.7%, 95% CI: 2.3, 9.6). Conclusion: The noteworthy prevalence of meropenem resistance among P. aeruginosa isolates in Ethiopia, particularly in healthcare settings, underscores the urgency of implementing strict infection control practices and antibiotic stewardship. Further research is imperative to address and mitigate the challenges posed by antimicrobial resistance in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The application of hand hygiene (HH) and the use of non-sterile gloves (NSG) in daily care is highly intertwined. We aimed (1) to assess the combined application of HH and NSG among nurses and (2) to explore determinants that influence their ability to combine both measures in their care. Methods: In a multi-methods study, we combined direct observations of care episodes with semi-structured interviews with nurses in two affiliated university hospitals. Topics were based on Flottorp's checklist of determinants of practice. Results: In total, we observed 205 care episodes and interviewed 10 nurses. Observations revealed that the combination of NSG and HH was correctly applied in 19% of care episodes in which a single procedure was executed, and in 2% of care episodes in which multiple procedures were performed. From the interviews, we found determinants that influenced compliance, covered mainly by three out of seven of Flottorp's checklist domains. Nurses indicated that their knowledge of protocols was limited to HH and protocols were hardly ever actively consulted; visual reminders within their workplace were used as sources of information. Nurses' behavior was primarily influenced by their ability to operationalize this information and their ability to integrate both infection prevention measures into their care. The intention to apply and combine HH and NSG use was influenced by their risk assessment of cross-contamination, by the urge to self-protect and gut feeling. The feasibility to execute HH and NSG protocols is influenced by the urgency and the complexity of the care episode. Conclusions: The combined correct application with HH and NSG measures by nurses is low. Nurses are instructed in a fragmented way while in the day to day care HH and NSG use are highly intertwined. Operationalization and simplification of infection prevention protocols, in which instructions on both infection prevention measures are fused, should be considered. Strategies to improve practice should consider the power of habit and nurses urge to self-protect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Before 2012, established national surveillance systems in the Netherlands were not able to provide a timely, comprehensive epidemiological view on nosocomial outbreaks. The Healthcare-associated Infections and AntiMicrobial Resistance Monitoring Group (SO-ZI/AMR) was initiated in 2012 for timely national nosocomial outbreak monitoring and risk assessment. This paper aims to describe the achievements of the SO-ZI/AMR by presenting characteristics of outbreaks reported in 2012–2021. Methods: Hospitals and, since 2015, long-term care facilities (LTCF) were requested to report outbreaks when (1) continuity of care was threatened, or (2) transmission continued despite control measures. A multi-disciplinary expert panel (re-)assessed the public health risk of outbreaks during monthly meetings, using 5 severity phases and based on data collected via standardised questionnaires. We descriptively studied the panel's consensus-based severity classification, distribution of (highly resistant) microorganisms, and duration and size of outbreaks between April 2012 and December 2021. Results: In total, 353 hospital outbreaks and 110 LTCF outbreaks were reported. Most outbreaks (hospitals: n = 309 (88%), LTCF: n = 103 (94%)) did not progress beyond phase 1 (no public health implications, outbreak expected to be controlled within two months), one hospital outbreak reached phase 4 (insufficient/ineffective response: possible public health threat, support offered). Highly resistant microorganisms (HRMO) were involved in 269 (76%) hospital and 103 (94%) LTCF outbreaks. Most outbreaks were caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA; n = 93 (26%) in hospitals, n = 80 (72%) in LTCF), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE; n = 116 (33%) in hospitals, n = 2 (2%) in LTCF) and highly resistant Enterobacterales (n = 41 (12%) in hospitals, n = 20 (18%) in LTCF). Carbapenemase-producing gram-negative bacteria were involved in 32 (9.1%) hospital and five (4.5%) LTCF outbreaks. In hospitals, VRE outbreaks had the longest duration (median 2.3; range 0.0-22.8 months) and widest range of affected patients (median 9; range 2-483). Conclusions: The SO-ZI/AMR provided national insight into the characteristics of nosocomial outbreaks over the past decade. HRMO outbreaks – mostly caused by MRSA, VRE (in hospitals) and highly resistant Enterobacterales – occurred regularly, but most of them were controlled quickly and did not develop into a public health threat. The SO-ZI/AMR has become a solid monitoring body, essential to assess risks and raise awareness of potential HRMO threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Healthcare-associated infection is a serious global problem, particularly in developing countries. In North African countries, comprehensive research on the incidence and effects of such infections is rare. This study evaluated the epidemiology and determined the impact of healthcare-associated infections in Libyan national teaching hospitals. Methods: A prospective longitudinal study was carried out in Libya's four largest teaching and referral hospitals (Tripoli Medical Center, Tripoli-Central Hospital, Benghazi Medical Center, and Sabha Medical Center) from November 1, 2021, to October 31, 2022. The epidemiological events and the parameters incorporated in this study were based on the data published by the Libyan Centers for Disease Control. The surveillance was carried out on all patients admitted to the wards of medicine, surgery, intensive care, gynecology & obstetrics, and pediatrics in all four hospitals. Trained staff reviewed the medical records and compared the percentages of patients with healthcare-associated infections. Bio-statistical and multivariable logistic regression analyses were carried out to test the variables associated with healthcare-associated infections and the resulting deaths. Results: A total of 22,170 hospitalized patients in four hospitals were included in the study. Hospital-acquired infection was reported in 3037 patients (13.7%; 95% CI: 12.9–14.4%). The highest incidence was in Benghazi Medical Center (17.9%; 95% CI: 16.9–18.7%), followed by Sabha Medical Center (14.8%; 95% CI:14.9-16.51%). Surgical site infection was the most prevalent (31.3%), followed by ventilator-associated pneumonia (29.3%), urinary tract infection (26.8%), and bloodstream infection (12.6%). Patients with healthcare-associated infections experienced severe morbidity requiring intervention. New antimicrobial regimens were needed for 1836 patients (93%), and 752 patients (34%) required admission to intensive care. Surgical intervention, respiratory support, and inotropes were also needed as a consequence of HAI events. Conclusions: The high incidence of healthcare-associated infections in Libyan hospitals should be considered a major problem and a serious burden. This should alert healthcare authorities at the national and hospital levels to the urgent need for preventive and control strategies to combat hospital-acquired infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study aimed to assess the role of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence level monitoring for identifying reservoirs of the outbreak pathogen during two consecutive outbreaks caused by Enterococcus faecium and Staphylococcus capitis at a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The secondary aim was to evaluate the long-term sustainability of the infection control measures employed one year after the final intervention measures. Methods: Two outbreaks occurred during a 53-day period in two disconnected subunits, A and B, that share the same attending physicians. ATP bioluminescence level monitoring, environmental cultures, and hand cultures from healthcare workers (HCW) in the NICU were performed. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) typing was carried out to investigate the phylogenetic relatedness of the isolated strains. Results: Four cases of E. faecium sepsis (patients A-8, A-7, A-9, B-8) and three cases of S. capitis sepsis (patients A-16, A-2, B-8) were diagnosed in six preterm infants over a span of 53 days. ATP levels remained high on keyboard 1 of the main station (2076 relative light unit [RLU]/100 cm2) and the keyboard of bed A-9 (4886 RLU/100 cm2). By guidance with the ATP results, environmental cultures showed that E. faecium isolated from the patients and from the main station's keyboard 1 were genotypically indistinguishable. Two different S. capitis strains caused sepsis in three patients. A total 77.8% (n = 7/9) of S. capitis cultured from HCW's hands were genotypically indistinguishable to the strains isolated from A-2 and A-16. The remaining 22.2% (n = 2/9) were genotypically indistinguishable to patient B-8. Three interventions to decrease the risk of bacterial transmission were applied, with the final intervention including a switch of all keyboards and mice in NICU-A and B to disinfectable ones. Post-intervention prospective monitoring up to one year showed a decrease in blood culture positivity (P = 0.0019) and catheter-related blood stream infection rate (P = 0.016) before and after intervention. Conclusion: ATP monitoring is an effective tool in identifying difficult to disinfect areas in NICUs. Non-medical devices may serve as reservoirs of pathogens causing nosocomial outbreaks, and HCWs' hands contribute to bacterial transmission in NICUs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Physiotherapists and physiotherapy undergraduates have direct contact with patients which make them transmitters of infections if they do not follow standard precautions. Hence, the purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge of nosocomial infections, standard precautions, and source of information among physiotherapy undergraduates in Sri Lanka. Methods: An observational Google based survey study was conducted among 294 physiotherapy undergraduates, of which there were 103 in University of Peradeniya, 103 in University of Colombo, and 88 in General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University. The Infection Control Standardized Questionnaire comprising three domains: knowledge of nosocomial infections, standard precautions and hand hygiene was used for data collection along with a self-constructed data sheet for socio-demographic information and source of information. Results: Participants achieved mean knowledge of 67.1 ± 16.8, 84.4 ± 14.7 and 66.4 ± 15.4 for nosocomial infections, standard precautions, and hand hygiene respectively. Of the total sample, 225 (76.5%) achieved adequate level of total knowledge. Eighty-three of them (28.3%) equally mentioned, formal teaching at faculty and informal sources as the most important source of knowledge. There was no significant impact of university and the duration of clinical exposure on knowledge of nosocomial infections, standard precautions, hand hygiene and total knowledge. The study year has a significant impact on standard precautions (P = 0.004) and total knowledge (P = 0.035) and final years had highest knowledge compared to the other study years. Conclusion: Knowledge of nosocomial infections and infection control measures were satisfactory among the physiotherapy undergraduates in Sri Lanka. Further developments of formal sources of information about nosocomial infections are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are a global public health problem and put patients at risk of complications, including death. HAIs increase treatment costs, but their financial impact on Serbia's healthcare system is unknown. Our goal was to assess incremental costs of HAIs in a tertiary care adult intensive care unit (ICU) that managed COVID-19 patients. Methods: A retrospective study from March 6th to December 31st, 2020 included patients with microbiologically confirmed COVID-19 (positive rapid antigen test or real-time polymerase chain reaction) treated in the ICU of the Teaching Hospital for Infectious and Tropical Diseases, University Clinical Centre of Serbia. Demographic and HAI-specific data acquired in our ICU were collected, including total and stratified medical costs (services, materials, laboratory testing, medicines, occupancy costs). Median total and stratified costs were compared in relation to HAI acquisition. Linear regression modelling was used to assess incremental costs of HAIs, adjusted for age, biological sex, prior hospitalisation, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) on admission. Outcome variables were length of stay (LOS) in days and mortality. Results: During the study period, 299 patients were treated for COVID-19, of which 214 were included. HAIs were diagnosed in 56 (26.2%) patients. Acinetobacter spp. was the main pathogen in respiratory (38, 45.8%) and bloodstream infections (35, 42.2%), the two main HAI types. Median total costs were significantly greater in patients with HAIs (€1650.4 vs. €4203.2, p < 0.001). Longer LOS (10.0 vs. 18.5 days, p < 0.001) and higher ICU mortality (51.3% vs. 89.3%, p < 0.001) were seen if HAIs were acquired. Patients with ≥ 2 HAIs had the highest median total costs compared to those without HAIs or with a single HAI (€1650.4 vs. €3343.4 vs. €7336.9, p < 0.001). Incremental costs in patients with 1 and ≥ 2 HAIs were €1837.8 (95% CI 1257.8–2417.7, p < 0.001) and €5142.5 (95% CI 4262.3–6022.7, p < 0.001), respectively. Conclusions: This is the first economic evaluation of HAIs in Serbia, showing significant additional costs to our healthcare system. HAIs prolong LOS and influence ICU mortality rates. Larger economic assessments are needed to enhance infection control practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Antimicrobial resistance threatens the ability to successfully prevent and treat infections. While hospital benchmarks regarding antimicrobial use (AMU) have been well documented among adult populations, there is less information from among paediatric inpatients. This study presents benchmark rates of antimicrobial use (AMU) for paediatric inpatients in nine Canadian acute-care hospitals. Methods: Acute-care hospitals participating in the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program submitted annual AMU data from paediatric inpatients from 2017 and 2018. All systemic antimicrobials were included. Data were available for neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), pediatric ICUs (PICUs), and non-ICU wards. Data were analyzed using days of therapy (DOT) per 1000 patient days (DOT/1000pd). Results: Nine hospitals provided paediatric AMU data. Data from seven NICU and PICU wards were included. Overall AMU was 481 (95% CI 409–554) DOT/1000pd. There was high variability in AMU between hospitals. AMU was higher on PICU wards (784 DOT/1000pd) than on non-ICU (494 DOT/1000pd) or NICU wards (333 DOT/1000pd). On non-ICU wards, the antimicrobials with the highest use were cefazolin (66 DOT/1000pd), ceftriaxone (59 DOT/1000pd) and piperacillin-tazobactam (48 DOT/1000pd). On PICU wards, the antimicrobials with the highest use were ceftriaxone (115 DOT/1000pd), piperacillin-tazobactam (115 DOT/1000pd), and cefazolin (111 DOT/1000pd). On NICU wards, the antimicrobials with the highest use were ampicillin (102 DOT/1000pd), gentamicin/tobramycin (78 DOT/1000pd), and cefotaxime (38 DOT/1000pd). Conclusions: This study represents the largest collection of antimicrobial use data among hospitalized paediatric inpatients in Canada to date. In 2017/2018, overall AMU was 481 DOT/1000pd. National surveillance of AMU among paediatric inpatients is necessary for establishing benchmarks and informing antimicrobial stewardship efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Traditionally, hand hygiene (HH) interventions do not identify the observed healthcare workers (HWCs) and therefore, reflect HH compliance only at population level. Intensive care units (ICUs) in seven European hospitals participating in the "Prevention of Hospital Infections by Intervention and Training" (PROHIBIT) study provided individual HH compliance levels. We analysed these to understand the determinants and dynamics of individual change in relation to the overall intervention effect. Methods: We included HCWs who contributed at least two observation sessions before and after intervention. Improving, non-changing, and worsening HCWs were defined with a threshold of 20% compliance change. We used multivariable linear regression and spearman's rank correlation to estimate determinants for the individual response to the intervention and correlation to overall change. Swarm graphs visualized ICU-specific patterns. Results: In total 280 HCWs contributed 17,748 HH opportunities during 2677 observation sessions. Overall, pooled HH compliance increased from 43.1 to 58.7%. The proportion of improving HCWs ranged from 33 to 95% among ICUs. The median HH increase per improving HCW ranged from 16 to 34 percentage points. ICU wide improvement correlated significantly with both the proportion of improving HCWs (ρ = 0.82 [95% CI 0.18–0.97], and their median HH increase (ρ = 0.79 [0.08–0.97]). Multilevel regression demonstrated that individual improvement was significantly associated with nurse profession, lower activity index, higher nurse-to-patient ratio, and lower baseline compliance. Conclusions: Both the proportion of improving HCWs and their median individual improvement differed substantially among ICUs but correlated with the ICUs' overall HH improvement. With comparable overall means the range in individual HH varied considerably between some hospitals, implying different transmission risks. Greater insight into improvement dynamics might help to design more effective HH interventions in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Romania is one of the European countries reporting very high antimicrobial resistance (AMR) rates and consumption of antimicrobials. We aimed to characterize the AMR profiles and clonality of 304 multi-drug resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii (Ab) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) strains isolated during two consecutive years (2018 and 2019) from hospital settings, hospital collecting sewage tanks and the receiving wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located in the main geographical regions of Romania. Methods: The strains were isolated on chromogenic media and identified by MALDI-TOF-MS. Antibiotic susceptibility testing and confirmation of ESBL- and CP- producing phenotypes and genotypes were performed. The genetic characterization also included horizontal gene transfer experiments, whole-genome sequencing (WGS), assembling, annotation and characterization. Results: Both clinical and aquatic isolates exhibited high MDR rates, especially the Ab strains isolated from nosocomial infections and hospital effluents. The phenotypic resistance profiles and MDR rates have largely varied by sampling point and geographic location. The highest MDR rates in the aquatic isolates were recorded in Galați WWTP, followed by Bucharest. The Ab strains harbored mostly blaOXA-23, blaOXA-24, blaSHV, blaTEM and blaGES, while Pa strains blaIMP, blaVIM, blaNDM, blaVEB, blaGES and blaTEM, with high variations depending on the geographical zone and the sampling point. The WGS analysis revealed the presence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) to other antibiotic classes, such as aminoglycosides, tetracyclines, sulphonamides, fosfomycin, phenicols, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole as well as class 1 integrons. The molecular analyses highlighted: (i) The presence of epidemic clones such as ST2 for Ab and ST233 and ST357 for Pa; (ii) The relatedness between clinical and hospital wastewater strains and (iii) The possible dissemination of clinical Ab belonging to ST2 (also proved in the conjugation assays for blaOXA-23 or blaOXA-72 genes), ST79 and ST492 and of Pa strains belonging to ST357, ST640 and ST621 in the wastewaters. Conclusion: Our study reveals the presence of CP-producing Ab and Pa in all sampling points and the clonal dissemination of clinical Ab ST2 strains in the wastewaters. The prevalent clones were correlated with the presence of class 1 integrons, suggesting that these isolates could be a significant reservoir of ARGs, being able to persist in the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic may have had a substantial impact on the incidence of device-associated healthcare-associated infections (HAI), in particular in intensive care units (ICU). A significant increase of HAI was reported by US hospitals when comparing incidence rates from 2019 and 2020. The objective of this study was to investigate the development of the most relevant device-associated HAI in German ICUs during the year 2020 as compared to 2019. Methods: We utilized the data of the ICU component of the German National Reference Center for Surveillance of Nosocomial Infections (KISS = Krankenhaus-Infektions-Surveillance-System) for the period 2019–2020. We focused on central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI), catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), ventilator-associated lower respiratory infections (VALRTI) and bloodstream infections associated with the use of Extracorporeal-Life-Support-Systems (ECLSABSI). Device use was defined as the number device days per 100 patient days; device-associated infection rates as the number of device-associated infections per 1000 device days. To compare the pooled means between the years and quarters we calculated rate ratios of device-associated infection rates with 95% confidence intervals by Poisson regression models. Results: The number of participating ICUs in the surveillance system decreased from 982 in 2019 to 921 in 2020 (6.2%). Device utilization rates increased significantly for central lines and ventilator use. VALRTI rates and CAUTI rates decreased in 2020 compared with 2019, however, no increase was shown for CLABSI or ECLSABSI. This result was also confirmed when the corresponding quarters per year were analyzed. Conclusions: The lack of an increase in device-associated healthcare associated infections (HAI) in German ICUs may be due to the lower overall incidence of COVID-19 cases in Germany in 2020 compared with US, to a very high availability of ICU beds per 100,000 inhabitants compared with many other countries, and a change in the ICU patient mix due to numerous elective procedures that were postponed during the first two waves. The primary reason seems to be that only 7% of all ICU patients in Germany in 2020 were COVID-19 patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) strains are one of the most important pathogens causing nosocomial infections in Germany. Due to limited treatment options and an increased risk for acquisition in immunocompromised children, surveillance to monitor occurrence of VREfm in paediatric clinical facilities is of critical importance. Following an unusual accumulation of VREfm positive patients between April 2019 and August 2020 at Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital in Munich, Germany, our study aimed to identify dynamics and routes of transmission, and analyse the affected population in view of previously described host risk factors for VREfm colonisation or infection. Methods: The hospital database was used to collect epidemiological and clinical data of VREfm cases. Descriptive statistical analyses were conducted to outline patient characteristics and depict possible differences between VREfm-colonised and -infected children. An outbreak investigation determining genetic relatedness among VREfm isolates was performed by core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST). To examine potential transmission pathways, results of genome analysis were compared with epidemiological and clinical data of VREfm positive patients. Results: VREfm acquisition was documented in a total of 33 children (< 18 years). Seven VREfm-colonised patients (21.2%), especially those with a haemato-oncological disease (4/7; p = 0.011), showed signs of clinical infection. cgMLST analysis revealed seven distinct clusters, demonstrating a possible connection within each clonal lineage. Additional eight singletons were identified. Comparison with epidemiological and clinical data provided strong evidence for a link between several VREfm positive patients within the hospital. Conclusions: A nosocomial spread—at least in part—was the most likely reason for the unusual accumulation of VREfm cases. The study highlights that there is a constant need to increase efforts in hygiene measures, infection control and antibiotic stewardship to combat VREfm transmission events within German paediatric hospitals. Continuous monitoring of adherence to respective policies might reduce the occurrence of clustered cases and prevent future outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The burden of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and the spread of antimicrobial resistance can be potentially preventable through comprehensive infection prevention and control (IPC) programs. However, information on the current state of IPC implementation is rare in China. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Zhejiang province, China, from April to June 2021. The Zhejiang nosocomial infection control and quality improvement center (NICQI) cooperated with 11 municipal NICQI centers to introduce the purpose of this study and invite all licensed secondary and tertiary hospitals in Zhejiang province through WeChat group. The questionnaire had three sections, including information about participating hospitals, demographic information about IPs, and the Chinese version of the Infection Prevention and Control Assessment Framework that covered eight core components (CC). Results: Of the 382 hospitals invited, 222 (58.1% response rate) accepted and completed the online questionnaire. The overall median score of the participating hospitals was 682 (630–723), which corresponded to an advanced level of IPC. There was a significant difference in scores between hospitals types (P < 0.001). Profound differences were revealed regarding the scores of the individual components, with CC2 (IPC guidelines) and CC6 (Monitoring/audit of IPC practices and feedback) having the highest (100) and lowest (65) median scores, respectively. Only 23 (10.4%) hospitals reported assessing facility safety culture. Conclusions: IPC structures are at a relatively high level in acute care hospitals in Eastern China. The identified potential areas for improvement were similar to those identified in developed countries, particularly regarding multimodal strategies for implementation and safety culture construction. Meanwhile, the Chinese government should pay more attention to IPC resources and practices among secondary care hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The most frequent adverse events in healthcare are healthcare-associated infections, whose burden is highest in resource-limited settings. In addition, low resource settings often lack Hand Hygiene (HH) knowledge and reliable supply to disinfectant, a necessity emphasized by the past West African Ebola Epidemic and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. PASQUALE aims to increase patient safety by introducing the WHO multimodal HH strategy in the University Hospital Bouaké, Côte d'Ivoire. Methods: Assessment of HH knowledge, perception and compliance was performed 12 months before, right after the intervention and at a ten months interval using questionnaires for knowledge and perception and direct observation for compliance. The intervention consisted of a HH training and the introduction of local production of alcohol-based hand-rub. In the absence of a control group, the effectiveness of the intervention was assessed by a before-and-after study. Results: Baseline knowledge score was 14/25, increased significantly to 17/25 (p < 0.001) upon first and decreased to 13/25 in second follow-up. Compliance showed a significant increase from 12.7% to 36.8% (p < 0.001) in first and remained at 36.4% in second follow-up. Alcohol-based hand-rub production and consumption almost doubled after first confirmed COVID-19 case in Côte d'Ivoire. Conclusion: The WHO HH improvement strategy is an effective and pandemic-adaptable method to increase long-term HH compliance. This study emphasizes that the implementation of the strategy to build a robust system is of utmost importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Attributed to the immunosuppression caused by malignancy itself and its treatments, cancer patients are vulnerable to developing nosocomial infections. This study aimed to develop a nomogram to predict the in-hospital death risk of these patients. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at a medical center in Northwestern China. The univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were adopted to identify predictive factors for in-hospital mortality of nosocomial infections in cancer patients. A nomogram was developed to predict the in-hospital mortality of each patient, with receiver operating characteristic curves and calibration curves being generated to assess its predictive ability. Furthermore, decision curve analysis (DCA) was also performed to estimate the clinical utility of the nomogram. Results: A total of 1,008 nosocomial infection episodes were recognized from 14,695 cancer patients. Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli (15.5%) was the most predominant causative pathogen. Besides, multidrug-resistant strains were discovered in 25.5% of cases. The multivariate analysis indicated that Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status 3–4, mechanical ventilation, septic shock, hypoproteinemia, and length of antimicrobial treatment < 7 days were correlated with higher in-hospital mortality. Patients who received curative surgery were correlated with favorable survival outcomes. Ultimately, a nomogram was constructed to predict the in-hospital mortality of nosocomial infections in cancer patients. The area under the curve values of the nomogram were 0.811 and 0.795 in the training and validation cohorts. The calibration curve showed high consistency between the actual and predicted in-hospital mortality. DCA indicated that the nomogram was of good clinical utility and more credible net clinical benefits in predicting in-hospital mortality. Conclusions: Nosocomial infections stay conjoint in cancer patients, with gram-negative bacteria being the most frequent causative pathogens. We developed and verified a nomogram that could effectively predict the in-hospital death risk of nosocomial infections among these patients. Precise management of high-risk patients, early recognition of septic shock, rapid and adequate antimicrobial treatment, and dynamic monitoring of serum albumin levels may improve the prognosis of these individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The guideline-driven and widely implemented single room isolation strategy for respiratory viral infections (RVI) such as influenza or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) can lead to a shortage of available hospital beds. We discuss our experience with the introduction of droplet precautions on-site (DroPS) as a possible alternative. Methods: During the 2018/19 influenza season we introduced DroPS on several wards of a single tertiary care center, while other wards maintained the traditional single room isolation strategy. On a daily basis, we evaluated patients for the development of respiratory symptoms and screened those with a clinical diagnosis of hospital-acquired respiratory viral infection (HARVI) for influenza/RSV by molecular rapid test. If negative, it was followed by a multiplex respiratory virus PCR. We report the concept of DroPS, the feasibility of the strategy and the rate of microbiologically confirmed HARVI with influenza or RSV infection on the DroPS wards compared to wards using the traditional single room isolation strategy. Results: We evaluated all hospitalised patients at risk for a HARVI, 741 (72%) on the DroPS wards and 293 (28%) on the regular wards. The hospital-acquired infection rate with influenza or RSV was 2/741 (0.3%; 1× influenza A, 1× RSV) on the DroPS wards and 2/293 (0.7%; 2× influenza A) on the regular wards. Conclusions: Droplet precautions on-site (DroPS) may be a simple and potentially resource-saving alternative to the standard single room isolation strategy for respiratory viral infections. Further studies in a larger clinical context are needed to document its safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although several meta-analyses reported the impact of chlorhexidine (CHX) use in patients undergoing various types of surgery, no meta-analysis summarized the overall effectiveness of CHX specifically for cardiac surgery. This meta-analysis aimed to examine the impact of CHX on infections after cardiac surgery compared with other cleansers or antiseptics. Methods: PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched from inception up to October 2020 for potentially eligible studies: (1) population: patients who underwent cardiac surgery; (2) intervention or exposure: any type of CHX use in the treatment or exposed group; (3) outcome: number of patients with infections; (4) comparison: placebo or other antiseptic agents; (5) English. The primary outcome was surgical site infection (SSI). Results: Fourteen studies were included, with 8235 and 6901 patients in the CHX and control groups. CHX was not protective against SSI (OR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.57–1.04, P = 0.090). CHX was protective for superficial wound infection (OR = 0.42, 95% CI: 0.26–0.70, P = 0.001), but not with deep wound infection (P = 0.509). CHX was not protective against urinary tract of infection (P = 0.415) but was protective for bloodstream infection (OR = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.16–0.80, P = 0.012), nosocomial infections (OR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.44–0.69, P < 0.001), and pneumonia (OR = 0.26, 95% CI: 0.11–0.61, P = 0.002). Conclusions: In patients undergoing cardiac surgery, CHX does not protect against SSI, deep wound infection, and urinary tract infections but might protect against superficial SSI, bloodstream infection, nosocomial infections, and pneumonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives/purpose: High-touch surfaces are a critical reservoir in the spread of nosocomial infections. Although disinfection and infection control protocols are well developed, they lack the ability to passively reduce the pathogenic load of high-touch surfaces. Copper and its alloys have been suggested as a surface that exhibit continuous biocidal effects. Antimicrobial studies on these surfaces are prevalent, while virucidal studies are not as well explored. The goal of this study was to first determine the virucidal activity of a copper–nickel–zinc alloy and to then examine the effect of soiling and virus preparation on virucidal activity. Methods: A baculovirus vector was used as an easily quantifiable model of an infectious enveloped animal cell virus. Droplets containing virus were deposited on surfaces and allowed to stay wet using humidity control or were dried onto the surface. Virus was then recovered from the surface and assayed for infectivity. To examine how the composition of the droplet affected the survival of the virus, 3 different soiling conditions were tested. The first two were recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the third consisted of cell debris resulting from virus amplification. Results: A copper–nickel–zinc alloy was shown to have strong virucidal effects for an enveloped virus. Copper, nickel, and zinc ions were all shown to leach from the alloy surface and are the likely cause of virucidal activity by this surface. Virucidal activity was achieved under moderate soiling but lost under high soiling generated by routine virus amplification procedures. The surface was able to repeatably inactivate dried virus droplets under moderate soiling conditions, but unable to do so for virus droplets kept wet using high humidity. Conclusion: Ion leaching was associated with virucidal activity in both wet and dried virus conditions. Soiling protected the virus by quenching metal ions, and not by inhibiting leaching. The composition of the solution containing virus plays a critical role in evaluating the virucidal activity of surfaces and surface coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The hospital environment has got more attention as evidence as source for bacterial transmission and subsequent hospital-acquired infection increased. Regular cleaning and disinfection have been proposed to lower the risk of infection, in particular for gram-positive bacteria. Auto-disinfecting surfaces would allow to decrease survival of pathogens, while limiting resource to achieve a safe environment in patient rooms. Methods: A controlled trial to evaluate the antimicrobial effectiveness of a polyvinyl chloride foil containing an integrated silver-based agent (containing silver ions 2%) on high-touch surfaces in patient rooms. Results: The overall log reduction of the mean values was 1.8 log10 CFU, the median 0.5 log10 CFU comparing bioburden of control vs antimicrobial foil (p < 0.01). Important pathogens were significantly less likely recovered from the foil, in particular enterococci. These effects were present even after 6 months of in-use. Conclusions: A foil containing an integrated silver-based agent applied to high-touch surfaces effectively results in lower recovery of important pathogens from such surfaces over a 6-month study period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surveillance of nosocomial infections, like catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), central line-associated bloodstream infection, possible ventilator-associated pneumonia and secondary bloodstream infections were observed to study the impact of COVID-19 outbreak in ICUs from Tan Tock Seng Hospital and National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Singapore between February and June 2020. Higher nosocomial infection rates were observed in COVID-19 patients, although it was not statistically significant. Moreover, COVID-19 patients seem to be more predisposed to CAUTI despite a higher proportion of non-COVID-19 patients having urinary catheters. Thus, continued vigilance to ensure adherence to IPC measures is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In healthcare facilities, nosocomial transmissions of respiratory viruses are a major issue. SARS-CoV-2 is not exempt from nosocomial transmission. Our goals were to describe COVID-19 nosocomial cases during the first pandemic wave among patients in a French university hospital and compliance with hygiene measures. Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study in Grenoble Alpes University Hospital from 01/03/2020 to 11/05/2020. We included all hospitalised patients with a documented SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis. Nosocomial case was defined by a delay of 5 days between hospitalisation and first symptoms. Hygiene measures were evaluated between 11/05/2020 and 22/05/2020. Lockdown measures were effective in France on 17/03/2020 and ended on 11/05/2020. Systematic wearing of mask was mandatory for all healthcare workers (HCW) and visits were prohibited in our institution from 13/03/2021 and for the duration of the lockdown period. Results: Among 259 patients included, 14 (5.4%) were considered as nosocomial COVID-19. Median time before symptom onset was 25 days (interquartile range: 12–42). Eleven patients (79%) had risk factors for severe COVID-19. Five died (36%) including 4 deaths attributable to COVID-19. Two clusters were identified. The first cluster had 5 cases including 3 nosocomial acquisitions and no tested HCWs were positive. The second cluster had 3 cases including 2 nosocomial cases and 4 HCWs were positive. Surgical mask wearing and hand hygiene compliance were adequate for 95% and 61% of HCWs, respectively. Conclusions: The number of nosocomial COVID-19 cases in our hospital was low. Compliance regarding mask wearing, hand hygiene and lockdown measures drastically reduced transmission of the virus. Monitoring of nosocomial COVID-19 cases during the first wave enabled us to determine to what extent the hygiene measures taken were effective and patients protected. Trial registration Study ethics approval was obtained retrospectively on 30 September 2020 (CECIC Rhône-Alpes-Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, IRB 5891). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sequence type (ST) 17 vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREF) is frequently isolated in nosocomial settings. The aim of this study was to identify whether ST17 contributes to subsequent bacteremia more often than other STs among hospitalized patients carrying VREF. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in patients carrying ST17 VREF and those with non-ST17 VREF. Rectal screening according to hospital policy was used to identify patients with VREF. Subsequent VREF bacteremia events within a year of detection of colonization were recorded. Cox regression analysis was used to adjust the covariates involved in determining the association between ST17 and subsequent bacteremia events. Results: The cohorts comprised 52 patients with ST17 and 169 patients with non-ST17 VREF. One-year VREF bacteremia-free rates were 85.9% and 90.2%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, ST17 was associated with subsequent bacteremia at an adjusted hazard risk (aHR) of 4.02 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.32–12.29). Liver transplantation (aHR, 40.08; 95% CI, 4.87–329.76) and hematologic malignancy (aHR, 20.97; 95% CI, 4.87–87.82) were also significant. All cases of subsequent bacteremia in ST17 VREF carriers were caused by ST17; however, subsequent bacteremia in non-ST17 carriers was often caused by ST17 or another ST variant. Conclusions: A specific genotype, ST17 is a predictor of subsequent bacteremia in hospitalized patients carrying VREF. Patients with a hematologic malignancy and those receiving a liver transplant are also at high risk. More targeted strategies may be needed to prevent VREF infection in hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, tuberculosis (TB) is a leading cause of death from a single infectious agent. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at increased risk of hospital-acquired TB infection due to persistent exposure to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in healthcare settings. The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed an international system of infection prevention and control (IPC) interventions to interrupt the cycle of nosocomial TB transmission. The guidelines on TB IPC have proposed a comprehensive hierarchy of three core practices, comprising: administrative controls, environmental controls, and personal respiratory protection. However, the implementation of most recommendations goes beyond minimal physical and organisational requirements and thus cannot be appropriately introduced in resource-constrained settings and areas of high TB incidence. In many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) the lack of knowledge, expertise and practice on TB IPC is a major barrier to the implementation of essential interventions. HCWs often underestimate the risk of airborne Mtb dissemination during tidal breathing. The lack of required expertise and funding to design, install and maintain the environmental control systems can lead to inadequate dilution of infectious particles in the air, and in turn, increase the risk of TB dissemination. Insufficient supply of particulate respirators and lack of direction on the re-use of respiratory protection is associated with unsafe working practices and increased risk of TB transmission between patients and HCWs. Delayed diagnosis and initiation of treatment are commonly influenced by the effectiveness of healthcare systems to identify TB patients, and the availability of rapid molecular diagnostic tools. Failure to recognise resistance to first-line drugs contributes to the emergence of drug-resistant Mtb strains, including multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant Mtb. Future guideline development must consider the social, economic, cultural and climatic conditions to ensure that recommended control measures can be implemented in not only high-income countries, but more importantly low-income, high TB burden settings. Urgent action and more ambitious investments are needed at both regional and national levels to get back on track to reach the global TB targets, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance and infectious agents have challenged hospitals in recent decades. Our aim was to investigate the circulation of target infectious agents using Geographic Information System (GIS) and spatial–temporal statistics to improve surveillance and control of healthcare-associated infection and of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), using Klebsiella pneumoniae complex as a model. Methods: A retrospective study carried out in a 450-bed federal, tertiary hospital, located in Rio de Janeiro. All isolates of K. pneumoniae complex from clinical and surveillance cultures of hospitalized patients between 2014 and 2016, identified by the use of Vitek-2 system (BioMérieux), were extracted from the hospital's microbiology laboratory database. A basic scaled map of the hospital's physical structure was created in AutoCAD and converted to QGis software (version 2.18). Thereafter, bacteria according to resistance profiles and patients with carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKp) complex were georeferenced by intensive and nonintensive care wards. Space–time permutation probability scan tests were used for cluster signals detection. Results: Of the total 759 studied isolates, a significant increase in the resistance profile of K. pneumoniae complex was detected during the studied years. We also identified two space–time clusters affecting adult and paediatric patients harbouring CRKp complex on different floors, unnoticed by regular antimicrobial resistance surveillance. Conclusions: In-hospital GIS with space–time statistical analysis can be applied in hospitals. This spatial methodology has the potential to expand and facilitate early detection of hospital outbreaks and may become a new tool in combating AMR or hospital-acquired infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Environmental surface decontamination is a crucial tool to prevent the spread of infections in hospitals. However, manual cleaning and disinfection may be insufficient to eliminate pathogens from contaminated surfaces. Ultraviolet-C (UV-C) irradiation deploying autonomous disinfection devices, i.e. robots, are increasingly advertised to complement standard decontamination procedures with concurrent reduction of time and workload. Although the principle of UV-C based disinfection is proven, little is known about the operational details of UV-C disinfection delivered by robots. To explore the impact of a UV-C disinfection robot in the clinical setting, we investigated its usability and the effectiveness as an add-on to standard environmental cleaning and disinfection. Additionally, its effect on Candida auris, a yeast pathogen resistant to antifungals and disinfectants, was studied. Methods: After setting the parameters "surface distance" and "exposure time" for each area as given by the manufacturer, the robot moved autonomously and emitted UV-C irradiation in the waiting areas of two hospital outpatient clinics after routine cleaning and/or disinfection. To quantify the efficacy of the robotic UV-C disinfection, we obtained cultures from defined sampling sites in these areas at baseline, after manual cleaning/disinfection and after the use of the robot. Four different C. auris strains at two concentrations and either in a lag or in a stationary growth phase were placed in these areas and exposed to UV-C disinfection as well. Results: The UV-C irradiation significantly reduced the microbial growth on the surfaces after manual cleaning and disinfection. C. auris growth in the lag phase was inhibited by the UV-C irradiation but not in the presence of the rim shadows. The effects on C. auris in the stationary phase were differential, but overall C. auris strains were not effectively killed by the standard UV-C disinfection cycle. Regarding usability, the robot's interface was not intuitive, requiring advanced technical knowledge or intensive training prior to its use. Additionally, the robot required interventions by the technical operator during the disinfection process, e.g. stopping due to unforeseen minor dislocation of items during the clinical service or due to moving individuals, making it a delicate high-tech device but not yet ready for the autonomous use in the clinical routine. Conclusions: Presently, the UV-C robot tested in this study is not ready to be integrated in the environmental cleaning and disinfection procedures in our hospital. The single standard disinfection UV-C irradiation cycle is not sufficient to inactivate pathogens with augmented environmental resilience, e.g. C. auris, particularly when microbial loads are high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aim: Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is one of the most common pathogens causing nosocomial and community-acquired infections with high morbidity and mortality rates. Fusidic acid has been increasingly used for the treatment of infections due to methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). The present study aimed to determine the precise prevalence of fusidic acid resistant MRSA (FRMRSA), fusidic acid resistant MSSA (FRMSSA), and total fusidic acid resistant S. aureus (FRSA) on a global scale. Methods: Several international databases including Medline, Embase, and the Web of Sciences were searched (2000–2020) to discern studies addressing the prevalence of FRSA, FRMRSA, and FRMSSA. STATA (version14) software was used to interpret the data. Results: Of the 1446 records identified from the databases, 215 studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria for the detection of FRSA (208 studies), FRMRSA (143 studies), and FRMSSA (71 studies). The analyses manifested that the global prevalence of FRSA, FRMRSA, and FRMSSA was 0.5%, 2.6% and 6.7%, respectively. Conclusion: This meta-analysis describes an increasing incidence of FRSA, FRMSSA, and FRMRSA. These results indicate the need for prudent prescription of fusidic acid to stop or diminish the incidence of fusidic acid resistance as well as the development of strategies for monitoring the efficacy of fusidic acid use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Knowledge on the epidemiology, genotypic and phenotypic features of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) ESKAPEE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter spp., and Escherichia coli) and their association with hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are limited in Malaysia. Therefore, we evaluated the AMR features and resistance mechanisms of the ESKAPEE pathogens collected in a tertiary hospital located in the capital of Malaysia. Methods: A total of 378 AMR-ESKAPEE strains were obtained based on convenience sampling over a nine-month study period (2019–2020). All strains were subjected to disk diffusion and broth microdilution assays to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequence analyses were performed to determine the AMR genes profiles of the non-susceptible strains. Chi-square test and logistic regression analyses were used to correlate the AMR profiles and clinical data to determine the risk factors associated with HAIs. Results: High rates of multidrug resistance (MDR) were observed in A. baumannii, K. pneumoniae, E. coli, and S. aureus (69–89%). All organisms except E. coli were frequently associated with HAIs (61–94%). Non-susceptibility to the last-resort drugs vancomycin (in Enterococcus spp. and S. aureus), carbapenems (in A. baumannii, P. aeruginosa, and Enterobacteriaceae), and colistin (in Enterobacteriaceae) were observed. Both A. baumannii and K. pneumoniae harbored a wide array of extended-spectrum β-lactamase genes (blaTEM, blaSHV, blaCTX-M, blaOXA). Metallo-β-lactamase genes (blaVEB, blaVIM, blaNDM) were detected in carbapenem-resistant strains, at a higher frequency compared to other local reports. We detected two novel mutations in the quinolone-resistant determining region of the gyrA in fluoroquinolone-resistant E. coli (Leu-102-Ala; Gly-105-Val). Microbial resistance to ampicillin, methicillin, and cephalosporins was identified as important risk factors associated with HAIs in the hospital. Conclusion: Overall, our findings may provide valuable insight into the microbial resistance pattern and the risk factors of ESKAPEE-associated HAIs in a tertiary hospital located in central Peninsular Malaysia. The data obtained in this study may contribute to informing better hospital infection control in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) is a common pathogen associated with hospital and community-onset infections. This study aimed to compare the clinical and microbiological characteristics of nosocomial, healthcare-associated (HCA), and community-acquired (CA) K. pneumoniae infections. Methods: Clinical data were extracted from electronic medical records and analyzed retrospectively. Antimicrobial susceptibility and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) production were determined for all identified strains. Carbapenemase and ESBL genes were amplified by PCR. Genotyping of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKP) and ESBL-producing strains was performed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Results: Of 379 K. pneumoniae infections, 98 (25.9%) were nosocomial, 195 (51.5%) were healthcare-associated, and 86 (22.6%) were community-acquired. Hematological malignancy (OR = 4.467), and hypertension (OR = 2.08) and cerebral vascular disease (OR = 2.486) were associated with nosocomial and HCA infections respectively, when compared to CA infections. Overall, the incidence of antimicrobial resistance for the majority of agents tested was similar between nosocomial and HCA infections (P > 0.05) and both groups had a higher incidence than CA infections (P < 0.05). Moreover, 95.1% (78/82) of CRKP strains were isolated from the nosocomial and HCA groups. The blaKPC was the most prevalent carbapenemase gene among CRKP strains (80.5%, 66/82). ESBL-producing strains were prevalent among nosocomial (40.8%), HCA (35.9%) and CA groups (24.4%). The blaCTX-M-9-group and blaCTX-M-1-group genes were predominant in nosocomial (65.0%) and CA strains (66.7%), respectively. PFGE results showed ESBL-producing and CRKP strains were genetically diverse. Identical PFGE profiles were observed among HCA and nosocomial strains. Conclusions: Nosocomial and HCA K. pneumoniae infections presented similar clinical features and antimicrobial resistance, and both two types of infections were different to CA infections. CRKP and ESBL-producing strains were disseminated mainly in HCA and nosocomial groups, and showed a clonal diversity. The cross transmission of CRKP was existed among HCA and nosocomial patients. This finding suggests that similar empirical therapy should be considered for patients with nosocomial and HCA K. pneumoniae infections and bacterial resistance surveillance of these infections is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: According to the Centers for Disease Control's 2015 Hospital Acquired Infection Hospital Prevalence Survey, 1 in 31 hospital patients was infected with at least one nosocomial pathogen while being treated for unrelated issues. Many studies associate antibiotic administration with nosocomial infection occurrence. However, to our knowledge, there is little to no direct evidence of antibiotic administration selecting for nosocomial opportunistic pathogens. Aim: This study aims to confirm gut microbiota shifts in an animal model of antibiotic treatment to determine whether antibiotic use favors pathogenic bacteria. Methodology: We utilized next-generation sequencing and in-house metagenomic assembly and taxonomic assignment pipelines on the fecal microbiota of a urinary tract infection mouse model with and without antibiotic treatment. Results: Antibiotic therapy decreased the number of detectable species of bacteria by at least 20-fold. Furthermore, the gut microbiota of antibiotic treated mice had a significant increase of opportunistic pathogens that have been implicated in nosocomial infections, like Acinetobacter calcoaceticus/baumannii complex, Chlamydia abortus, Bacteroides fragilis, and Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron. Moreover, antibiotic treatment selected for antibiotic resistant gene enriched subpopulations for many of these opportunistic pathogens. Conclusions: Oral antibiotic therapy may select for common opportunistic pathogens responsible for nosocomial infections. In this study opportunistic pathogens present after antibiotic therapy harbored more antibiotic resistant genes than populations of opportunistic pathogens before treatment. Our results demonstrate the effects of antibiotic therapy on induced dysbiosis and expansion of opportunistic pathogen populations and antibiotic resistant subpopulations of those pathogens. Follow-up studies with larger samples sizes and potentially controlled clinical investigations should be performed to confirm our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: More evidence is emerging on the role of surface decontamination for reducing hospital-acquired infection (HAI). Timely and adequate removal of environmental pathogens leads to measurable clinical benefit in both routine and outbreak situations. Objectives: This systematic review aimed to evaluate published studies describing the effect of automated technologies delivering hydrogen peroxide (H202) or ultra-violet (UV) light on HAI rates. Methods: A systematic review was performed using relevant search terms. Databases were scanned from January 2005 to March 2020 for studies reporting clinical outcome after use of automated devices on healthcare surfaces. Information collected included device type, overall findings; hospital and ward data; study location, length and size; antimicrobial consumption; domestic monitoring; and infection control interventions. Study sponsorship and duplicate publications were also noted. Results: While there are clear benefits from non-touch devices in vitro, we found insufficient objective assessment of patient outcome due to the before-and-after nature of 36 of 43 (84%) studies. Of 43 studies, 20 (47%) used hydrogen peroxide (14 for outbreaks) and 23 (53%) used UV technology (none for outbreaks). The most popular pathogen targeted, either alone or in combination with others, was Clostridium difficile (27 of 43 studies: 63%), followed by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (16 of 43: 37%). Many owed funding and/or personnel to industry sponsorship (28 of 43: 65%) and most were confounded by concurrent infection control, antimicrobial stewardship and/or cleaning audit initiatives. Few contained data on device costs and rarely on comparable costs (1 of 43: 2%). There were expected relationships between the country hosting the study and location of device companies. None mentioned the potential for environmental damage, including effects on microbial survivors. Conclusion: There were mixed results for patient benefit from this review of automated devices using H202 or UV for surface decontamination. Most non-outbreak studies lacked an appropriate control group and were potentially compromised by industry sponsorship. Concern over HAI encourages delivery of powerful disinfectants for eliminating pathogens without appreciating toxicity or cost benefit. Routine use of these devices requires justification from standardized and controlled studies to understand how best to manage contaminated healthcare environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intensive care units (ICU) are essential healthcare facility for life threatening conditions. Bacterial contamination of objects/instruments in ICU is an important source of nosocomial infections. This study is aimed to determine the level of bacterial contamination of instruments/objects which are commonly touched by healthcare workers and frequently come in contact with the neonates. Methods: This hospital based prospective study was conducted in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal. A total of 146 samples collected from surfaces of incubators, radiant warmers, suction tips, ventilators, stethoscopes, door handles, weighing machines, mothers' beds, phototherapy beds, laryngoscope, telephone sets, blood pressure machine, etc. formed the material of the study. Isolation, identification and antibiotic susceptibility of the bacterial isolates was performed by standard techniques. Blood culture isolates from NICU patients during the study period were compared with the environmental isolates. Results: Out of 146 samples, bacterial growth was observed in 109. A total of 119 bacterial isolates were retrieved from 109 samples. Three common potential pathogens isolated were Escherichia coli (n = 27), Klebsiella species (n = 21) and Staphylococcus aureus (n = 18). Majority of E. coli and Klebsiella isolates were from incubators, suction tips and mothers' beds. Majority of S. aureus isolates were cultured from radiant warmers. Among S. aureus isolates, 33.3% (6/18) were methicillin resistant. Majority of the bacterial isolates were susceptible to gentamicin and amikacin. Common potential pathogens isolated from blood culture of NICU patients were S. aureus and Klebsiella species. Conclusion: High degree of bacterial contamination of objects/instruments in NICU was recorded. Isolation of potential pathogens like E. coli, Klebsiella species and S. aureus is a major threat of nosocomial infections. Blood culture data of NICU reflects possibility of nosocomial infections from contaminated sites. Gentamicin and amikacin may be used for empirical therapy in suspected cases of nosocomial infections in NICU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (S. maltophilia) is an opportunistic and nosocomial pathogen that can cause an invasive and fatal infection, particularly in hospitalized and immunocompromised patients. However, little is known about the impact of S. maltophilia bacteremia in pediatric patients. Therefore, we aimed to identify risk factors for mortality, antibiotics susceptibility to S. maltophilia, and mortality rates in pediatric patients with S. maltophilia bacteremia. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study by identifying all S. maltophilia positive blood cultures in the microbiology laboratory database between January 2007 and December 2018 from hospitalized pediatric patients (age 1–14 years). After identifying patients with S. maltophilia bacteremia, medical charts were reviewed for demographics, clinical data, and outcomes within seven days of bacteremia diagnosis. Risk factors associated with mortality in S. maltophilia bacteremia patients were determined using univariate and multivariate analyses. Findings: Sixty-eight pediatric patients with S. maltophilia bacteremia were identified. All infections were nosocomial infections, and (88.2%) bacteremia cases were catheter-related bloodstream infections. On multivariate analysis, ICU admission prior to bacteremia episode and neutropenia were the major risk factors associated with mortality. S. maltophilia was the most susceptible to trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX, 94.1%), followed by levofloxacin (85.7%). The overall mortality rate within seven days of S. maltophilia bacteremia diagnosis was 33.8%. Conclusion: S. maltophilia bacteremia is a devastating emerging infection associated with high mortality among hospitalized children. Therefore, early diagnosis and prompt management based on local susceptibility data are crucial. Various risk factors, especially ICU admission prior to bacteremia episode and neutropenia, are associated with S. maltophilia bacteremia mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To continuously evaluate the effect of environmental cleaning and hand hygiene compliance on the colonization and infection rates of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MDR-AB) in the patients within an intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: Environmental cleaning on the high-touch clinical surfaces (HTCS) within a comprehensive ICU was evaluated through monitoring fluorescent marks when the overall compliance with hand hygiene during 2013–2014 was monitored. Meanwhile, samples from the HTCS and inpatients were collected and sent for bacterial culture and identification. The drug susceptibility testing was further implemented to monitor the prevalence of MDR-AB. The genetic relatedness of MDR-AB collected either from the HTCS or inpatients was analyzed by pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) when an outbreak was doubted. Results: The overall compliance with hand hygiene remained relatively stable during 2013–2014. Under this circumstance, the clearance rate of fluorescence marks on the environmental surfaces within ICUs significantly increased from 21.9 to 85.7%, and accordingly the colonization and infection rates of MDR-AB decreased from 16.5 to 6.6‰ and from 7.4 to 2.8‰, respectively, from the beginning to the end of 2013. However, during 2014, because of frequent change and movement of environmental services staff, the clearance rate of fluorescence marks decreased below 50.0%, and the overall colonization and infection rates of MDR-AB correspondingly increased from 9.1 to 11.1‰ and from 1.5 to 3.9‰, respectively. PFGE displayed a high genetic relatedness between the MDR-AB strains analyzed, indicating a dissemination of MDR-AB during the surveillance period. Conclusion: For the easily disseminated MDR-AB within ICUs, the clearance rate of fluorescence labeling on HTCS is negatively correlated with the hospital infection rate of MDR-AB. Such an invisible fluorescence labelling is an effective and convenient method to continuously monitor cleanness of medical environment within hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early in its evolution, Enterococcus faecium acquired traits that allowed it to become a successful nosocomial pathogen. E. faecium inherent tenacity to build resistance to antibiotics and environmental stressors that allows the species to thrive in hospital environments. The continual wide use of antibiotics in medicine has been an important driver in the evolution of E. faecium becoming a highly proficient hospital pathogen. For successful prevention and reduction of nosocomial infections with vancomycin resistant E. faecium (VREfm), it is essential to focus on reducing VREfm carriage and spread. The aim of this review is to incorporate microbiological insights of E. faecium into practical infection control recommendations, to reduce the spread of hospital-acquired VREfm (carriage and infections). The spread of VREfm can be controlled by intensified cleaning procedures, antibiotic stewardship, rapid screening of VREfm carriage focused on high-risk populations, and identification of transmission routes through accurate detection and typing methods in outbreak situations. Further, for successful management of E. faecium, continual innovation in the fields of diagnostics, treatment, and eradication is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There are few studies focused on carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) bloodstream infection (BSI). The aim of this study is to identify the prevalence and risk factors for infection and mortality of CRKP BSI. Methods: Susceptibility of Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP) isolated from blood samples and the proportion of CRKP were recorded annually. One hundred sixty-four patients with CRKP and 328 with carbapenem-susceptible Klebsiella pneumoniae (CSKP) BSI were categorized as the case group and control group to identify risk factors for CRKP infection and mortality by univariable analysis and multivariable logistic-regression analysis. Results: The proportion and mortality of CRKP BSI increased significantly, with the percentage of KP in BSI increasing from 7 to 12% from 2014 to 2019 with a concomitant resistance to meropenem increasing from 16.7 to 41.8%. Compared with CSKP group, patients in CRKP group had longer hospitalization time before bacteremia (median 14 vs 4, P < 0.001) and longer total hospitalization time (median 31 vs 19, P < 0.001). The proportion of admission to ICU was higher (70.7% vs 17.7%, P < 0.001), and APACHE II score was higher (median 12 vs 8, P < 0.001). The mortality in CRKP group was 43.9% (72/164), while 14.9% (49/328) in CSKP group (p < 0.001). KP detection in other sites(P = 0.036, OR 1.964), blood purification(P = 0.018, OR 3.326), bronchoscopy(P = 0.011, OR 5.423), surgery (P = 0.001, OR 3.084), carbapenem use(P = 0.001, OR 3.395), tigecycline use(P = 0.006, OR 4.595) were independent risk factors for CRKP BSI. Previous hospitalization (P = 0.048, OR 2.755), long hospitalization (P = 0.003, OR 1.035), bone marrow puncture (P = 0.037, OR3.856), use of β-lactamase inhibitor (P = 0.005, OR 3.890) were independent risk factors for mortality in CRKP BSI. Conclusion: The prevalence and mortality of CRKP BSI are still increasing. Timely treatment of KP infection in other site, strengthening the hospital infection control of blood purification, bronchoscopy and surgery, control the use of carbapenem and tigecycline, may help to prevent CRKP BSI. More preventative hospital resources are needed for severely ill patients with prolonged hospitalizations and intensive care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Due to the increasing rate of hospital-acquired infections, it is essential to select appropriate disinfectant agents. In this study, the efficacy of hospital disinfectants against nosocomial infection pathogens was compared. Methods: High level disinfectants (Steranios 2%, Deconex HLDPA, and Microzed Quatenol) were tested for their antibacterial effects by determining their minimum inhibitory (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) against Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212 and Burkholderia cepacia ATCC 10673. Results: E. faecalis, as gram-positive bacterium, was more susceptible to high level disinfectants compared to gram-negative B.cepacia. The MIC = MBC values of 2% Steranios, Deconex HLDPA and Microzed Quatenol against E. faecalis and B.cepacia were 0.31, 9.77, 2.2 mg/L and 9.8, 78.13, 70.31 mg/L, respectively. Conclusions: According to the findings of this study, the most effective disinfectants against both E. faecalis and B.cepacia were Steranios 2%, Microzed Quatenol, and Deconex HLDPA in order. Considering the importance of these bacterial strains in healthcare-associated infections, the use of these effective disinfectants is recommended in the hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patient-level surveillance (indication, appropriate choice, dosing, route, duration) of antimicrobial use in Canadian hospitals is needed to reduce antimicrobial overuse and misuse. Patient-level surveillance has not been performed on a national level in Canada. The Global Point Prevalence Survey of Antimicrobial Consumption and Resistance (Global-PPS) is an international collaborative to monitor antimicrobial use and resistance in hospitals worldwide. Global-PPS locally documents on a single day patient-level antimicrobial prescribing practices. This article presents the results of the 2017 Global-PPS in Canadian hospitals with established antimicrobial stewardship programs. Methods: Hospitals part of the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program were invited to participate. Surveys could be performed any time in the 2017 calendar year. All in-patient wards in each hospital were surveyed by a physician, pharmacist or nurse with infectious disease training. Results: Fourteen Canadian hospitals participated in the survey. Of 4118 patients, 1400 patients (34.0%) received a total of 2041 antimicrobials. Overall, 73.1% (n = 1493) of antimicrobials were for therapeutic use, 14.2% (n = 288) were for medical prophylaxis, 8.3% (n = 170) were for surgical prophylaxis, 1.8% (n = 37) were for other reasons, and 0.2% (n = 3) were used as prokinetic agents. Only 2.5% (n = 50) were for unknown reasons. For antimicrobials for therapeutic use, 29.9% of patients were treated for lower respiratory tract (343/1147), 10.5% for intra-abdominal (120/1147), 9.3% for skin and soft tissue (107/1147) and 7.5% for gastro-intestinal (86/1147) infections. Conclusions: Standardized methodology amongst Global-PPSs allows the comparison of our results to the 2015 Global-PPS. The prevalence of antimicrobial use on medical, surgical, and intensive care wards are similar to those previously observed in North America. Indication of antimicrobials has not been previously reported on such a large scale in Canadian hospitals. This report serves as a comparison for further point prevalence surveys that are currently underway. It will be used for identifying opportunities and benchmarking in antibiotic stewardship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite improvements in hospital infection prevention and control, healthcare associated infections (HAIs) remain a challenge with significant patient morbidity, mortality, and cost for the healthcare system. In this review, we use a One Health framework (human, animal, and environmental health) to explain the epidemiology, demonstrate key knowledge gaps in infection prevention policy, and explore improvements to control Gram-positive pathogens in the healthcare environment. We discuss patient and healthcare worker interactions with the hospital environment that can lead to transmission of the most common Gram-positive hospital pathogens – methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile, and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus – and detail interventions that target these two One Health domains. We discuss the role of animals in the healthcare settings, knowledge gaps regarding their role in pathogen transmission, and the absence of infection risk mitigation strategies targeting animals. We advocate for novel infection prevention and control programs, founded on the pillars of One Health, to reduce Gram-positive hospital-associated pathogen transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Healthcare-associated infections are the most frequent adverse events in healthcare worldwide, with limited available evidence suggesting highest burden in resource-limited settings. Recent Ebola epidemics emphasize the disastrous impact that spread of infectious agents within healthcare facilities can have, accentuating the need for improvement of infection control practices. Hand hygiene (HH) measures are considered to be the most effective tool to prevent healthcare-associated infections. However, HH knowledge and compliance are low, especially in vulnerable settings such as Guinea. The aim of PASQUALE (Partnership to Improve Patient Safety and Quality of Care) was to assess knowledge and compliance with HH and improve HH by incorporating the WHO HH Strategy within the Faranah Regional Hospital (FRH), Guinea. Methods: In a participatory approach, a team of FRH staff and leadership was invited to identify priorities of the hospital prior to the start of PASQUALE. The local hygiene committee was empowered to increase its activities and take ownership of the HH improvement strategy. A baseline assessment of knowledge, perception and compliance was performed months before the intervention. The main intervention consisted of local alcohol-based-hand-rub (ABHR) production, with final product efficacy testing, in conjunction with a training adapted to the needs identified in the baseline assessment. A follow-up assessment was conducted directly after the training. Effectiveness of the intervention was assessed via uncontrolled before-and-after comparison. Results: Baseline knowledge score (13.0/25) showed a significant increase to 19.0/25 in follow-up. Baseline-Compliance was 23.7% and increased significantly to 71.5% in follow-up. Compliance rose significantly across all professional groups except for midwifes and in all indications for HH, with the largest in the indication "Before aseptic tasks". The increase in compliance was associated with the intervention and remained significant after adjusting for confounders. The local pharmacy successfully supplies the entire hospital. The local supply resulted in a ten-fold increase of monthly hospital disinfectant consumption. Conclusion: The WHO HH strategy is an adaptable and effective method to improve HH knowledge and compliance in a resource-limited setting. Local production is a feasible method for providing self-sufficient supply of ABHR to regional hospitals like the FRH. Participatory approaches like hygiene committee ownership builds confidence of sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Effective infection prevention and control strategies require reliable data describing the epidemiology of hospital acquired infections (HAIs), and this is currently lacking in Nigeria. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence, types and risk factors associated with HAIs in acute care hospitals in Northern Nigeria. Methods: A pilot point-prevalence survey was conducted in three acute care hospitals in Northern Nigeria between April and May 2019 using a protocol developed by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Patients admitted into the wards at or before 8.00 am on the survey date were included. Patients' medical records were reviewed by a clinical pharmacist with the support of the attending physician and nurse to identify HAIs. Results: Of the 321 patients surveyed, 50 HAIs were identified among 46 patients translating into a point-prevalence of 14.3%. The most common HAIs were bloodstream infection (38.0%), surgical site infections (32.0%) and pneumonia (12.0%). Neonatal (53.0%), pediatric surgical (26.7%) and surgical (10.1%) specialties had the highest prevalence. Device associated infections represented 16% of all HAIs including bloodstream infections and pneumonia. Of all the HAIs, 15 (30.0%) were present at the time of admission while 75.5% originated from the current hospitals. Univariate analysis showed that newborn (less than 1 month old) (OR: 4.687 95% CI: 1.298–16.927), intubation (OR: 3.966, 95% CI: 1.698–9.261), and neonatal (OR: 41.538 95% CI: 4.980–346.5) and pediatric surgical (OR: 13.091 95% CI: 1.532–111.874) specialties were significantly associated with HAI. Conclusion: The prevalence of HAI was relatively high compared to other developing countries and was significantly associated with neonatal and pediatric surgical specialties. Hospital infection control strategies should be strengthened to reduce the burden of HAIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Infection control link nurse programs show considerable variation. We report how Dutch link nurse programs are organized, how they progress, and how contextual factors may play a role in the execution of these programs. Methods: This mixed-methods study combined a survey and semi-structured interviews with infection control practitioners, based on items of the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) checklist. Results: The Netherlands has 74 hospitals; 72 infection control practitioners from 72 different hospitals participated in the survey. Four of these infection control practitioners participated in interviews. A link nurse program was present in 67% of the hospitals; responsibility for 76% of these programs lied solely with the infection prevention and control team. The core component of most programs (90%) was education. Programs that included education on infection prevention topics and training in implementation skills were perceived as more effective than programs without such education or programs where education included only infection prevention topics. The interviews illustrated that these programs were initiated by the infection prevention team with the intention to collaborate with other departments to improve practice. Content for these programs was created at the time of their implementation. Infection control practitioners varied in their ability to express program goals and to engage experts and key stakeholders. Conclusions: Infection control link nurse programs vary in content and in set up. Programs with a clear educational content are viewed as more successful by the infection control practitioners that implement these programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]