Cumulative antibiogram preparation among hospitals participating in the Japan Surveillance for Infection Prevention and Healthcare Epidemiology.

BACKGROUND: The cumulative antibiogram is essential to guide empirical therapy for infectious diseases and monitor the trend of antimicrobial resistance. However, the status of antibiogram generation at medical institutions in Japan is uncertain. METHODS: A web-based questionnaire survey was conducted in February 2023 on the status of antibiogram preparation among facilities participating in the Japan Surveillance for Infection Prevention and Healthcare Epidemiology (J-SIPHE), an infection control surveillance system in Japan. RESULTS: The questionnaire collection rate was 19.6% (379/1931). Of all facilities, 47% (178/379) performed microbiological tests mainly in-house, while 53% (201/379) performed microbiological tests mainly outsourced. Of all facilities, 78% (296/379) prepared antibiograms. Of those without antibiograms, 33% (27/83) were considering the development in the future. Some facilities cited staff shortage as a barrier to preparing antibiograms. Of the 214 facilities with antibiograms that could use the J-SIPHE system to prepare antibiograms, 19% (41/214) were using the J-SIPHE system to prepare their antibiograms. CONCLUSIONS: One-quarter of the facilities that responded to the survey had not prepared antibiograms. Technical support for surveillance and awareness activity for using cumulative antibiograms might promote antibiogram preparation in Japan, which may improve antimicrobial stewardship and antimicrobial resistance measures.

Temporal trends in microbial detection during the COVID-19 pandemic: Analysis of the Japan surveillance for Infection Prevention and Healthcare Epidemiology (J-SIPHE) database.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence of microbial infections and other metrics related to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has not yet been fully described. Using data from Japan Surveillance for Infection Prevention and Healthcare Epidemiology (J-SIPHE), a national surveillance database system that routinely collects clinical and epidemiological data on microbial infections, infection control practices, antimicrobial use, and AMR emergence from participating institutions in Japan, we assessed the temporal changes in AMR-related metrics before and after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. We found that an apparent decrease in the incidence of microbial infections in 2020 compared with 2019 may have been driven primarily by a reduction in bed occupancy, although the incidence showed a constant or even slightly increasing trend after adjusting for bed occupancy. Meanwhile, we found that the incidence of Streptococcus pneumoniae dramatically decreased from April 2020 onward, probably due to stringent non-pharmaceutical interventions against COVID-19. Antimicrobial use showed a weak increasing trend, while the use of hand sanitiser at the included medical institutions increased by about 50% in 2020 compared with 2019.

A Matched Case-Case-Control Study of the Impact of Clinical Outcomes and Risk Factors of Patients with IMP-Type Carbapenemase-Producing Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae in Japan.

IMP-type carbapenemase, found in various Gram-negative bacteria, has been increasingly detected worldwide. We aimed to study the outcomes and risk factors for acquisition of IMP-type carbapenemase-producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (IMP-CRE), as this has not been evaluated in detail. We conducted a matched case-case-control study of patients from whom IMP-CRE isolates were obtained. All patients who tested positive for IMP-CRE were included; they were matched with patients with carbapenem-susceptible Enterobacteriaceae (CSE) and with controls at a ratio of 1:1:2. The risk factors for acquisition for the CRE and CSE groups and mortality rates, which were calculated using multivariate logistic regression models with weighting according to the inverse probability of propensity scores, were compared. In total, 192 patients (96 patients each in the CRE and CSE groups, with 130 Enterobacter cloacae isolates and 62 Klebsiella sp. isolates) were included. The IMP-11 type was present in 43 patients, IMP-1 in 33, and IMP-60 and IMP-66 in 1 each; 31 patients with CRE (32.3%) and 34 with CSE (35.4%) developed infections. Multivariate analysis identified the following independent risk factors: gastrostomy, history of intravenous therapy or hemodialysis, and previous exposure to broad-spectrum ß-lactam antibiotics, including penicillin with ß-lactamase inhibitors, cephalosporins, and carbapenems. In propensity score-adjusted analysis, mortality rates for the CRE and CSE groups were similar (15.0% and 19.5%, respectively). We found that IMP-CRE may not contribute to worsened clinical outcomes, compared to CSE, and gastrostomy, previous intravenous therapy, hemodialysis, and broad-spectrum antimicrobial exposure were identified as risk factors for CRE isolation. Fluoroquinolone and aminoglycosides are potentially useful antibiotics for IMP-CRE infections.

Nationwide cross-sectional study of antimicrobial stewardship and antifungal stewardship programs in inpatient settings in Japan.

BACKGROUND: To prevent antimicrobial resistance, both antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) and antifungal stewardship (AFS) in inpatient settings are needed in small/middle-sized hospitals as well as large hospitals. METHODS: We conducted the web-based, self-administered, nationwide cross-sectional study regarding AMS and AFS in inpatient settings in Japan, targeting hospitals that participated in a hospital epidemiology workshop conducted in July 2018. The questionnaire was composed of intervention protocols for use of broad-spectrum antimicrobials and antifungals within 7 or 28 d of beginning usage. These broad-spectrum antimicrobial and antifungal protocols were compared between large (≥501beds) and small/middle-sized (≤500 beds) hospitals. RESULTS: Of 240 hospitals surveyed, 39 (16%; 18 large and 21 small/middle-sized) responded. The number of hospitals that intervened in the use of broad-spectrum antimicrobials within 7 and 28 d were 17 (44%) and 34 (87%), respectively; those that intervened for antifungals were 3 (8%) and 10 (26%), respectively. Interventions for use of broad-spectrum antimicrobials within 7 d were significantly more frequent in small/middle-sized hospitals compared to large hospitals [13 (61. 9%) vs. 4 (22. 2%), odds ratio = 5.7, 95% confidence interval = 1.4-23.3, p = 0.023]. CONCLUSIONS: Small/middle-sized hospitals had more frequent interventions within 7 d of broad-spectrum antimicrobial use than large hospitals. More effort to improve AFS is needed among all hospitals.

Rate of blood culture submissions in Japan as an indicator of bloodstream infections.

Bloodstream infections can be missed if blood cultures are not submitted properly. We therefore examined the optimal number of blood cultures submitted to provide an indicator of the incidence of bloodstream infections in Japan. We analysed the number of blood cultures submitted per 1000 patient days as an indicator of the incidence of bloodstream infections, using data on blood cultures from 117 acute care hospitals in Japan. Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn tests were used to determine plateau numbers of blood cultures submitted per 1000 patient days. The median number of blood culture sets per 1000 patient days was 26.2, the median rate of solitary blood culture submissions was 8.0%, the median contamination rate was 1.3%, the median positivity rate including contaminants was 13.4%, and the median incidence of bloodstream infections per 1000 patient days was 2.8. The incidence of detected bloodstream infections increased with increasing blood culture submissions up to plateau around 45 submissions per 1000 patient days. In acute care hospitals in Japan, the incidence of BSI increased as the rate of blood culture submissions increased, but the positivity rate may reach a plateau at about 45 submissions per 1000 patient days, and this might be an indicator for the optimal number of blood culture submission in Japan.

Environmental Sampling for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 During a COVID-19 Outbreak on the Diamond Princess Cruise Ship.

During a COVID-19 outbreak on the Diamond Princess cruise ship we sampled environmental surfaces after passengers and crew vacated cabins. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in 58 of 601 samples (10%) from case cabins 1-17 days after cabins were vacated but not from noncase cabins. There was no difference in detection proportion between cabins of symptomatic (15%, 28/189; cycle quantification [Cq], 29.79-38.86) and asymptomatic cases (21%, 28/131; Cq, 26.21-38.99). No SARS-CoV-2 virus was isolated from any of the samples. Transmission risk of SARS-CoV-2 from symptomatic and asymptomatic patients may be similar and surfaces could be involved in transmission.

Surveillance systems for healthcare-associated infection in high and upper-middle income countries: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare-associated infection (HAI) surveillance is useful for improved infection control. To understand the current HAI surveillance systems (HAISS) trend globally, a scoping review was performed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The search strategy included academic literature review, Google search, and questionnaires by the Embassies of Japan (registration number: UMIN000036035). Eighty-two high and 56 upper-middle income countries defined by country income classification for the World Bank were targeted. The following information was reviewed: name of the system, official website, languages used in the official website, foundation year, operating body, survey type (prevalence or incidence), reporting periodicity, mode of participation (mandatory or voluntary), targeted medical facilities, targeted HAIs and definitions, targeted antimicrobial resistant pathogens, and parameters. Online accessibility of the official websites of the SS was assessed through Google search. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Forty-two (30.4%) countries (35 [42.7%] high and 7 [12.5%] upper-middle income countries) had national HAISS. Most systems operated on a voluntary basis, monitored HAI incidence, and used the Center for Disease Control and Prevention definitions. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, surgical site infection, and catheter-related blood stream infection were most commonly monitored. Surveillance for device-associated infections was implemented mainly in intensive care units. Thirty-five countries had at least one official website on their systems, while 7 (20.0%) were identified in the top 30 Google search hits, in English. Approximately half of the academic articles identified through PubMed were from three English-speaking countries. The feasibility and benefits of standardization of the HAI surveillance criteria and efficient feedback methods are future considerations.

Evaluation of antimicrobial selective pressure using the multicenter semiautomatic surveillance system Japan surveillance for infection prevention and healthcare epidemiology.

BACKGROUND: Evaluating the selective pressure of antimicrobials on bacteria is important for promoting antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs). The aim of this study was to assess the selective pressure of antimicrobials by evaluating their use (carbapenem [CBP] and CBP-sparing therapy) over time and the detection status of CBP-resistant organisms using multicenter data. METHODS: Among the facilities whose data were registered in the Japan Surveillance for Infection Prevention and Healthcare Epidemiology from 2017 to 2020, those that had data on the use of CBP and CBP-sparing therapy (fluoroquinolones [FQs], cefmetazole [CMZ], piperacillin-tazobactam [PIP/TAZ], ampicillin-sulbactam [ABPC/SBT], ceftriaxone/cefotaxime [CTRX/CTX], CAZ (ceftazidime), cefepime [CFPM], and aminoglycosides [AGs]) as well as on CBP-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) and CBP-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA) detection were included. Alcohol-based hand rubbing (ABHR) usage was also analyzed. Regression analyses, including multivariable regression analysis, were performed to evaluate trends. The association of antimicrobial use density (AUD) with CRE and CRPA detection rates was evaluated. RESULTS: In 28 facilities nationwide, CBP, FQ, CAZ, AG, and PIP/TAZ use decreased over the 3-year period, whereas the use of CMZ, ABPC/SBT, CTRX/CTX, CFPM, and ABHR as well as the rates of CRE and CRPA detection increased. The average AUD did not significantly correlate with CRE and CRPA detection rates. The multivariable regression analysis did not reveal any significant correlation between each AUD or ABHR and CRE or CRPA detection. CONCLUSION: CBP and ABHR use showed a decreasing and an increasing trend, respectively, while CRPA and CRE detection rates exhibited a gradual increase. The considerably low CRE and CRPA detection rates suggest that slight differences in numbers may have been observed as excessive trend changes. Further investigation is warranted to evaluate selective pressure while considering the characteristics of ASP and the mechanisms underlying resistance.

A single-center descriptive study of untraced sources of infection among new cases of coronavirus disease in Tokyo, Japan.

We investigated possible sources of newly infected patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) after the fourth wave in order to explore unknown sources. Retrospective chart review on all the confirmed patients with COVID-19 admitted to the National Center for Global Health and Medicine (NCGM) in Tokyo, Japan was conducted from May 22 through June 29, 2021. Among the 22 participants, 14 (64%) had a history of known high-risk infection behaviors. Of those, 12 reported that their activities involved eating and drinking. In addition, there were 24 high-risk situations, of those, 21 (88%) were related to indoor dining, and masks were not worn in 22 situations (92%). New source of infection has not been identified. In situations with a high known risk of infection, many cases were related to eating and drinking, and insufficient use of masks was evident. Raising risk awareness on infection prevention and control of COVID-19 is urgently needed.