A regionally tailored epidemiological forecast and monitoring program to guide a healthcare system in the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, analytics and predictive models built on regional data provided timely, accurate monitoring of epidemiological behavior, informing critical planning and decision-making for health system leaders. At Atrium Health, a large, integrated healthcare system in the southeastern United States, a team of statisticians and physicians created a comprehensive forecast and monitoring program that leveraged an array of statistical methods. METHODS: The program utilized the following methodological approaches: (i) exploratory graphics, including time plots of epidemiological metrics with smoothers; (ii) infection prevalence forecasting using a Bayesian epidemiological model with time-varying infection rate; (iii) doubling and halving times computed using changepoints in local linear trend; (iv) death monitoring using combination forecasting with an ensemble of models; (v) effective reproduction number estimation with a Bayesian approach; (vi) COVID-19 patients hospital census monitored via time series models; and (vii) quantified forecast performance. RESULTS: A consolidated forecast and monitoring report was produced weekly and proved to be an effective, vital source of information and guidance as the healthcare system navigated the inherent uncertainty of the pandemic. Forecasts provided accurate and precise information that informed critical decisions on resource planning, bed capacity and staffing management, and infection prevention strategies. CONCLUSIONS: In this paper, we have presented the framework used in our epidemiological forecast and monitoring program at Atrium Health, as well as provided recommendations for implementation by other healthcare systems and institutions to facilitate use in future pandemics.

Beyond the surface: a color-inclusive guide to central line site assessment.

Significant gaps exist in representation of diverse populations in central-line assessment education and tools. We review some of these gaps and provide some real-world guidance on how to assess central line sites in patients of all skin tones.

Hospital return-to-work practices for healthcare providers infected with severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

A survey of academic medical-center hospital epidemiologists indicated substantial deviation from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance regarding healthcare providers (HCPs) recovering from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) returning to work. Many hospitals continue to operate under contingency status and have HCPs return to work earlier than recommended.

Severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections occurring in healthcare workers after booster vaccination: A comparison of delta versus omicron variants.

In this study, we used genomic sequencing to identify variants of severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in healthcare workers with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) after receiving a booster vaccination. We compared symptoms, comorbidities, exposure risks, and vaccine history between the variants. Postbooster COVID-19 cases increased as the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant predominated.

Global monkeypox case hospitalisation rates: A rapid systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Estimates of the case hospitalization rate and case fatality rate when hospital care is available for monkeypox (MPX) infections have not been well defined. This rapid systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the case hospitalisation rate and case fatality rate where hospital care is available. Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, the Lancet Preprints, and MedRxiv for studies published between Jan 1, 1950 and Aug 2, 2022. We included documents which contained both the number of cases and associated hospitalisations of MPX infections. From eligible studies we extracted the country, the year of the study, the study design type, the clade of MPX, the participant characteristics, transmission type, any treatments used, number of cases (including suspected, probable, or laboratory confirmed diagnosis), number of hospitalizations, hospitalized patient outcomes, and case definition. Case hospitalization rate (CHR) was defined as the proportion of cases that were admitted to hospital care while case fatality rate (CFR) was defined as the proportion of cases that died. CHR and CFR were analysed in a fully Bayesian meta-analytic framework using random effects models, including sub-group analysis with heterogeneity assessed using I2. Findings: Of the 259 unique documents identified, 19 studies were eligible for inclusion. Included studies represented 7553 reported cases among which there were 555 hospitalizations. Of the 7540 cases for which outcomes were available, there were 15 recorded deaths. The median age of cases was 35 years (interquartile range 28-38, n = 2010) and primarily male (7339/7489, 98%) in studies where age or sex were available. Combined CHR was estimated to be 14.1% (95% credible interval, 7.5-25.0, I2 97.4%), with a high degree of heterogeneity. Further analysis by outbreak period indicates CHRs of 49.8% (28.2-74.0, I2 81.4%), 21.7% (7.2-52.1, I2 57.7%), and 5.8% (3.2-9.4, I2 92.4%) during the pre-2017, 2017-2021, and 2022 outbreaks, respectively, again with high levels of heterogeneity. CFR was estimated to be 0.03% (0.0-0.44, I2 99.9%), with evidence of large heterogeneity between the studies. Interpretation: There is limited data for MPX hospitalization rates in countries where MPX has been traditionally non-endemic until the current outbreak. Due to substantial heterogeneity, caution is needed when interpreting these findings. Health care organizations should be cognizant of the potential increase in healthcare utilization. Rapid identification of infection and use of appropriate therapies such as antivirals play a role reducing the CHR and associated CFR. Funding: None.

Reducing the rates of household transmission: The impact of COVID-19 vaccination in healthcare workers with a known household exposure.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of COVID-19 vaccination oninfectionratesin healthcare workers(HCWs) with a householdexposure. METHODS: Retrospectivecohort study8410HCWs(400 fullyvaccinated, 1645partially vaccinated,6365 unvaccinated),employed by a large integrated healthcare system in the southeastern United States,tested for SARS-CoV-2between January 1 and February 26, 2021. RESULTS: Benefit of vaccination persisted even with household exposure, with unvaccinated HCWs being 3.7 to 7.7 times more likely to be infected than partially or fully vaccinated HCW with positive household contacts respectively (partial OR = 3.73, 95% CI 2.17 - 6.47; full OR = 7.67, CI 2.75 - 21.35). Whereas 89.4% of unvaccinated COVID-positive HCWs with known household exposures were symptomatic, 50% of fully vaccinated HCWs had symptoms, reducing risk of secondary spread from and between HCWs. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19vaccinationprovided protection against infection evenamongst healthcare workerswithclose household contact,and after adjusting for community prevalence.

At the vanguard: Leaders' perspectives on establishing healthcare system infection prevention programs.

Hospitals are increasingly consolidating into health systems. Some systems have appointed healthcare epidemiologists to lead system-level infection prevention programs. Ideal program infrastructure and support resources have not been described. We informally surveyed 7 healthcare epidemiologists with recent experience building and leading system-level infection prevention programs. Key facilitators and barriers for program structure and implementation are described.

Bugs and Drugs: Collaboration Between Infection Prevention and Antibiotic Stewardship.

Overall goals of antibiotic stewardship and infection prevention programs are to improve patient safety as it pertains to risk of infection or multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) acquisition. Although the focus of day-to-day activities may differ, the themes of surveillance, education, clinician engagement, and multidisciplinary interactions are prevalent in both programs. Synergistic work between programs has yielded benefits in prevention of MDROs, surgical site infections, Clostridioides difficile infection, and reducing inappropriate testing and treatment for asymptomatic bacteriuria. Collaboration between programs can help maximize resources and minimize redundant work to keep issues related to bugs and drugs at bay.

Implementation of a Nurse-Driven Protocol for Catheter Removal to Decrease Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection Rate in a Surgical Trauma ICU.

INTRODUCTION: Early removal of urinary catheters is an effective strategy for catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) prevention. We hypothesized that a nurse-directed catheter removal protocol would result in decreased catheter utilization and CAUTI rates in a surgical trauma intensive care unit (STICU). METHODS: We performed a retrospective, cohort study following implementation of a multimodal CAUTI prevention bundle in the STICU of a large tertiary care center. Data from a 19-month historical control were compared to data from a 15-month intervention period. Pre- and postintervention indwelling catheter utilization and CAUTI rates were compared. RESULTS: Catheter utilization decreased significantly with implementation of the nurse-driven protocol from 0.78 in the preintervention period to 0.70 in the postintervention period (P < .05). As a result of the bundle, the CAUTI rate declined significantly, from 5.1 to 2.0 infections per 1000 catheter-days in the pre- vs postimplementation period (Incident Rate Ratio [IRR]: 0.38, 95% confidence interval: 0.21-0.65). CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of a nurse-driven protocol for early urinary catheter removal as part of a multimodal CAUTI intervention strategy can result in measurable decreases in both catheter utilization and CAUTI rates.

Saving costs through the decontamination of the packaging of unused medical supplies using hydrogen peroxide vapor.

OBJECTIVE. Individually packaged sterile supply items may become contaminated and act as vectors for nosocomial transmission of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs). Thus, many hospitals have a policy to dispose of these unused, packaged supply items at patient discharge from the hospital, which has considerable cost implications. We evaluated the frequency of contamination of these items, the efficacy of hydrogen peroxide vapor (HPV) in disinfecting them, and costs associated with discarded supplies. DESIGN. Before-after study. METHODS. A pilot study was performed in the rooms of 20 patients known to be colonized or infected with vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), and a follow-up study was performed in an additional 20 rooms of patients under precautions for various MDROs in 6 high-risk units. Five pairs of supply items were selected. One item of each pair was sampled without exposure to HPV, and the other was sampled after HPV exposure. The cost of discarded supplies was calculated by examining stock lists of supplies stored on the study units. RESULTS. Seven (7%) of 100 items were contaminated with VRE in the pilot study, and 9 (9%) of 100 items were contaminated with MDROs in the follow-up study. None of the items were contaminated after exposure to HPV (P < .02 in both the pilot and the follow-up study). The annual cost of supplies discarded at patient hospital discharge was $387,055. This figure does not include the cost of waste disposal and is therefore likely to be an underestimation of the financial burden. CONCLUSIONS. HPV effectively disinfected the packaging of supply items, which could generate considerable financial and environmental benefits.

An evaluation of environmental decontamination with hydrogen peroxide vapor for reducing the risk of patient acquisition of multidrug-resistant organisms.

BACKGROUND: Admission to a room previously occupied by a patient with certain multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) increases the risk of acquisition. Traditional cleaning strategies do not remove all environmental MDROs. We evaluated the environmental and clinical impact of hydrogen peroxide vapor (HPV) room disinfection. METHODS: We performed a 30-month prospective cohort intervention study on 6 high-risk units in a 994-bed tertiary care hospital. Following a 12-month preintervention phase, HPV was implemented on 3 units to decontaminate the rooms of patients known to be infected or colonized with epidemiologically important MDROs, following their discharge. Monthly environmental samples for MDROs were collected on all study units for 3 preintervention and 6 intervention months. The risk of MDRO acquisition in patients admitted to rooms decontaminated using HPV was compared with rooms disinfected using standard methods. RESULTS: The prior room occupant was known to be infected or colonized with an MDRO in 22% of 6350 admissions. Patients admitted to rooms decontaminated using HPV were 64% less likely to acquire any MDRO (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.36; 95% confidence interval [CI], .19-.70; P < .001) and 80% less likely to acquire VRE (IRR, 0.20; 95% CI, .08-.52; P < .001) after adjusting for other factors. The risk of acquiring Clostridium difficile, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and multidrug-resistant gram-negative rods individually was reduced, but not significantly. The proportion of rooms environmentally contaminated with MDROs was reduced significantly on the HPV units (relative risk, 0.65, P = .03), but not on non-HPV units. CONCLUSIONS: HPV decontamination reduced environmental contamination and the risk of acquiring MDROs compared with standard cleaning protocols.

Low frequency of environmental contamination with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in an inner city emergency department and a human immunodeficiency virus outpatient clinic.

We investigated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) environmental contamination in an inner city outpatient clinic and emergency department (ED). Moistened cotton-tipped swabs were used to sample 63 surfaces in the outpatient clinic and 69 surfaces in the ED. MRSA was identified on none of the 63 surfaces in the outpatient clinic and on 7% of the 69 surfaces in the ED. Our findings may have implications for cleaning and disinfection regimens in outpatient settings.

Chlorhexidine: expanding the armamentarium for infection control and prevention.

Health care-associated infections (HAIs) result in increased patient morbidity and utilization of health care resources. Rates of HAI are increasing despite advances in health care technology. Limited antimicrobial agents and a dry drug pipeline make novel prevention efforts critical. Chlorhexidine, an antiseptic solution that has been used worldwide since the 1950s, is a safe and effective product with broad antiseptic activity. Novel uses of chlorhexidine-containing products are being implemented to promote antisepsis and prevent bacterial colonization and infection. We review some of the many infection control applications of chlorhexidine in the battle against HAI, such as general skin cleansing, skin decolonization, preoperative showering and bathing, vascular catheter site preparation, impregnated catheter site dressings, impregnated catheters, and oral decontamination. As mandatory public reporting and pay for performance force infection control issues to the forefront, chlorhexidine-containing products may provide a vast armamentarium for the control and prevention of HAI.