Device and surgical procedure-related infections in Canadian acute care hospitals, 2018-2022.

Background: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a significant healthcare burden in Canada. National surveillance of HAIs at sentinel acute care hospitals is conducted by the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program. Objective: This article describes device and surgical procedure-related HAI epidemiology in Canada from 2018 to 2022. Methods: Data were collected from over 60 Canadian sentinel acute care hospitals between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2022, for central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), hip and knee surgical site infections (SSIs), cerebrospinal fluid shunt (CSF) SSIs and paediatric cardiac SSIs. Case counts, rates, patient and hospital characteristics, pathogen distributions and antimicrobial resistance data are presented. Results: Between 2018 and 2022, 2,258 device-related infections and 987 surgical procedure-related infections were reported. A significant rate increase was observed in adult mixed intensive care unit CLABSIs (1.07-1.93 infections per 1,000 line days, p=0.05) and a non-significant rate increase was observed in SSIs following knee arthroplasty (0.31-0.42 infections per 100 surgeries, p=0.45). A fluctuating rate trend was observed in CSF shunt SSIs over the time period and a significant rate decrease in paediatric cardiac SSIs was observed (68%, from 7.5-2.4 infections per 100 surgeries, p=0.01). The most commonly identified pathogens were coagulase-negative staphylococci (22.8%) among CLABSIs and Staphylococcus aureus (42%) among SSIs. Conclusion: Epidemiological and microbiological trends among selected device and surgical procedure-related HAIs are essential for benchmarking infection rates nationally and internationally, identifying any changes in infection rates or antimicrobial resistance patterns and helping inform hospital infection prevention and control and antimicrobial stewardship policies and programs.

Using a standardized algorithm to decrease central venous catheter utilization.

Central venous catheters (CVCs) have many benefits in patient care but are associated with increasing risks with catheter duration. A level II trauma-certified community hospital sought to decrease CVC duration utilizing a daily assessment algorithm in the critical care unit. After implementation, CVC days decreased from 490 CVC days per 1,000 patient days to 452 (odds ratio 0.86, P < .01) and catheter duration decreased from 7.71 days to 6.57 (P = .19).

Associations between hospital-level socioeconomic patient mix and rates of central line-associated bloodstream infections in short bowel syndrome: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Low neighborhood income is linked with increased hospitalizations for central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) in pediatric short bowel syndrome (SBS). We assessed whether this relationship varies by hospital center. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study using the Pediatric Health Information System (2018-2023) database for patients <18 years old with SBS (N = 1210) at 24 hospitals in the United States. Using 2015 US Census data, we determined the estimated median household income of each patient's zip code. Hospital-level neighborhood income was defined as the median of the estimated median household income among patients at each hospital. We applied an extension of Cox regression to assess risk for CLABSI hospitalization. RESULTS: Among 1210 children with 5255 hospitalizations, most were <1 year on initial admission (53%), male (58%), and publicly insured (69%). Hospitals serving low-income neighborhoods served more female (46% vs 39%), Black (29% vs 22%), and Hispanic (22% vs 16%) patients with public insurance (72% vs 65%) residing in the southern United States (47% vs 21%). In univariate analysis, low hospital-level neighborhood income was associated with increased risk of CLABSI hospitalization (rate ratio [RR], 1.48; 95% CI, 1.21-1.83; P < 0.001). These findings persisted in multivariate analysis (RR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.10-1.84; P < 0.01) after adjusting for race, ethnicity, insurance, region, and patient-level neighborhood income. CONCLUSION: Hospitals serving predominantly low-income neighborhoods bear a heavier burden of CLABSI hospitalizations for all their patients across the socioeconomic spectrum. Hospital initiatives focused on CLABSI prevention may be pivotal in addressing this disparity.

Reducing ambulatory central line-associated bloodstream infections: A family-centered approach.

BACKGROUND: Ambulatory central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) cause significant morbidity and mortality, especially in pediatric oncology. Few studies have had interventions directed toward caregivers managing central lines (CL) at home to reduce ambulatory CLABSI rates. We aimed to reduce and sustain our ambulatory CLABSI rate by 25% within 3 years of the start of a quality improvement intervention. PROCEDURE: Plan-do-study-act cycles were implemented beginning April 2016. The main intervention was a family-centered CL care skill development curriculum for external CLs. Training began upon hospital CL insertion, followed by an ambulatory teach-back program to achieve home caregiver CL care independence. Other changes included: standardizing ambulatory nurse CL care practice (audits, a train the nurse trainer process, and workshops for independent home care agencies); developing aids for trainers and caregivers; providing supplies for clean surfaces; wide dissemination of the program; and minimizing opportunities of CLABSI (e.g., standardizing timing of CL removal). The outcome measure was the ambulatory CLABSI rate (excluding mucosal barrier injury laboratory-confirmed bloodstream infection), compared pre intervention (January 2015 to March 2016) to post intervention, including 2 years of sustainability (April 2016 to June 2023), using statistical process control charts. We estimated the total number of CLABSI and associated healthcare charges prevented. RESULTS: The ambulatory CLABSI rate decreased by 52% from 0.25 to 0.12 per 1000 CL days post intervention, achieved within 27 months; 117 CLABSI were prevented, with $4.2 million hospital charges and 702 hospital days avoided. CONCLUSIONS: Focusing efforts on home caregivers CL care may lead to reduction in pediatric oncology ambulatory CLABSI rates.

Should Blood Cultures Be Drawn Through an Indwelling Catheter?

There is no practical way to definitively diagnose a catheter-related bloodstream infection in situ if blood cultures are only obtained percutaneously unless there is the rare occurrence of purulent drainage from a central venous catheter insertion site. That is why the Infectious Diseases Society of America guidelines for diagnosis and management of catheter-related bloodstream infections and Infectious Diseases Society of America guidelines for evaluation of fever in critically ill patients both recommend drawing blood cultures from a central venous catheter and percutaneously if the catheter is a suspected source of infection. However, central venous catheter-drawn blood cultures may be more likely to be positive reflecting catheter hub, connector, or intraluminal colonization, and many hospitals in the United States discourage blood culture collection from catheters in an effort to reduce reporting of central-line associated bloodstream infections to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As such, clinical decisions are made regarding catheter removal or other therapeutic interventions based on incomplete and potentially inaccurate data. We urge clinicians to obtain catheter-drawn blood cultures when the catheter may be the source of suspected infection.

The use of procedural kits may reduce unscheduled central line dressing changes: A matched pre-post intervention study.

Background: Unscheduled dressing changes for central venous lines (CVLs) have been shown to increase the risk of bloodstream infections. Objective: The objective of this study is to determine if the use of an innovative dressing change kit reduces the rate of unscheduled dressing changes. Methods: This pre-post interventional study took place at a large, academic, tertiary care center in metro Detroit, Michigan, the United States. We assessed the impact of the interventional dressing change procedure kit on the rate of unscheduled dressing changes for adult patients who underwent placement of a CVL inclusive of a central catheter, peripherally inserted central catheter, or hemodialysis catheter. Data was collected for the pre-intervention cohort through electronic health records (EHRs), while data for the post-intervention cohort were collected by direct observation by trained research staff in combination with EHR data. The primary outcome was the rate of unscheduled dressing changes. Secondary outcomes included rate of unscheduled dressing changes based on admission floor type, etiology of unscheduled dressing changes, and central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs). Results: The study included a convenience sample of 1548 CVLs placed between May 2018 and June 2022 with a matched analysis including 488 catheters in each of the pre- and post-intervention groups. The results showed that the unadjusted rate of unscheduled dressing evaluations was significantly reduced from the pre-intervention group (0.21 per day) to the post-intervention group (0.13 per day) (p < .001). The adjusted rate ratio demonstrated the same trend at 1.00 pre- and 0.60 post-intervention (p < .001). Stratifying the analysis based on the highest level of care showed that the intervention was effective in reducing the unadjusted rate of unscheduled dressing evaluations for both the advanced and regular medical floor subgroups pre- to post-intervention; the advanced subgroup had an reduction from 0.22 to 0.15 per day (p = .001), while the regular medical floor subgroup had a reduction from 0.21 to 0.09 per day (p < .001). CLABSIs were similar in both groups (0.6% vs 0.8%; p = 1.00) in pre- and post-intervention groups, respectively. Discussion: Procedural kits for central line dressing changes are effective in reducing unscheduled dressing changes and may have a role in reducing CLABSI. Further studies assessing the impact of dressing change kits on cost, procedural compliance, and the precise impact on CLABSI are needed.

The effect of taurolidine on the time-to-positivity of blood cultures.

Background: Taurolidine containing lock solutions (TL) are a promising method for the prevention of central line associated bloodstream infections. Per accident, the TL may not always be aspirated from the central venous catheter (CVC) before blood cultures are obtained. The TL could, unintentionally, end up in a blood culture vial, possibly altering the results. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the TLs on the detection of microbial growth in blood culture vials. Methods: Different lock solutions (taurolidine-citrate-heparin (TCHL), taurolidine, heparin, citrate or NaCl) were added to BD BACTECTM blood culture vials (Plus Aerobic/F, Lytic/10 Anaerobic/F or Peds Plus/F) before spiking with Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 29213 or a clinical strain) or Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922 or a clinical strain) in the presence and absence of blood. Subsequently, blood culture vials were incubated in the BD BACTEC FX instrument with Time-to-positivity (TTP) as primary outcome. In addition, the effect of the TCHL on a variety of other micro-organisms was tested. Discussion: In the presence of taurolidine, the TTP was considerably delayed or vials even remained negative as compared to vials containing heparin, citrate or NaCl. This effect was dose-dependent. The delayed TTP was much less pronounced in the presence of blood, but still notable. Conclusion: This study stresses the clinical importance of discarding TLs from the CVC before obtaining a blood culture.

Catheter-related gas-forming suppurative thrombophlebitis.

Catheter-related suppurative thrombophlebitis (CRST) is a complication of catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI). The microbiology of CRST is similar with the microbiology of CRBSI, but Clostridium perfringens that causes gas gangrene is a rare pathogen of CRBSI and CRST. We present a case of catheter-related gas-forming suppurative thrombophlebitis due to Clostridium perfringens infection. Gas-forming thrombus around the catheter can be useful findings for the early diagnosis of catheter-related clostridial thrombophlebitis.

The applicability of the central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) criteria for the evaluation of bacteremia episodes in pediatric oncology patients.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the applicability of the central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) criteria of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in pediatric oncology patients. METHODS: Bacteremia episodes from 2020 to 2022 from a prospective cohort of pediatric oncology patients with a central venous catheter were included. Episodes were classified by three medical experts following the CLABSI criteria as either a CLABSI or non-CLABSI (i.e., contamination, other infection source, or mucosal barrier injury-laboratory confirmed bloodstream infection (MBI-LCBI)). Subsequently, they were asked if and why they (dis)agreed with this diagnosis following the criteria. The primary outcome was the percentage of episodes where the experts clinically disagreed with the diagnosis given following the CLABSI criteria. RESULTS: Overall, 84 bacteremia episodes in 71 patients were evaluated. Following the CLABSI criteria, 34 (40%) episodes were classified as CLABSIs and 50 (60%) as non-CLABSIs. In 11 (13%) cases the experts clinically disagreed with the diagnosis following the CLABSI criteria. The discrepancy between the CLABSI criteria and clinical diagnosis was significant; McNemar's test p < .01. Disagreement by the experts with the CLABSI criteria mostly occurred when the experts found an MBI-LCBI a more plausible cause of the bacteremia than a CLABSI due to the presence of a gram negative bacteremia (Pseudomonas aeruginosa n = 3) and/or mucositis. CONCLUSIONS: A discrepancy between the CLABSI criteria and the evaluation of the experts was observed. Adding Pseudomonas aeruginosa as an MBI pathogen and incorporating the presence of mucositis in the MBI-LCBI criteria, might increase the applicability.

Pilot validation of central line-associated bloodstream infection data in a voluntary surveillance system in Taiwan between October and December 2021.

Background: Central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) surveillance data are voluntarily submitted to the Taiwan Healthcare-associated Infection and Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance (THAS) System. Validation of the CLABSI data is important to ensure the quality of surveillance data. We aimed to validate the CLABSI surveillance data reported to the THAS system. Methods: This study was a retrospective medical record review of patients with positive blood cultures admitted to the intensive care units (ICUs) of 13 participating hospitals between October and December 2021. An external validation team was convened to perform the validation process according to the standardised protocol and to record the reasons for misclassification. Discussion: During the study period, 688 patients with 1,238 positive blood cultures from 59 ICUs at 13 hospitals were evaluated. Among the 185 potential CLABSI events which met the THAS definition by either the external reviewers or the hospital reviewers, 24 (13.0%) events were identified by only the external reviewers, and six (3.2%) were identified by only the hospital reviewers, with an agreement rate of 83.8%. Using external reviewers as the gold standard, the pooled mean sensitivity and positive predictive value of CLABSI reporting were 86.6% (155/179) and 96.3% (155/161), respectively. Among the 37 misclassification episodes, missed case findings were the most common reason for misclassification (N=16, 43.2%). Conclusions: The CLABSI data reported to the THAS system are generally reliable. This study showed the need for ongoing validation processes and quality improvement to maintain the accuracy and validity of the surveillance data.

First report of Central-line-associated bloodstream infection (CLAB- SI) due to Enterococcus raffinosus (ER) in a cancer patient.

Abstract: Despite the advances made by therapeutic technologies, healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are currently still a worldwide problem. Central-line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) are one of the most common causes of HAIs. The cost of CLABSIs is considerable, both for the increase in morbidity and financial resources expenses. Coagulase-negative staphylococci are the common pathogens responsible for CLABSIs, followed by Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococci, and Candida spp. The Enterococcus genus comprises of more than 50 species but E. faecalis and E. faecium are the most common causes of infections in humans. Enterococcus Raffinosus (ER) is a non-faecalis and non-faecium enterococcus even if ER has rarely been proven to be a human pathogen, recent reports of infections caused by enterococci that are relatively resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics by non-p-lactamase mechanisms have included strains of ER. Here we describe a first report of CLABSI due to Enterococcus Raffinosus in a cancer patient.

Patterns and outcomes of health-care associated infections in the medical wards at Bugando medical centre: a longitudinal cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The burden of healthcare associated infections (HCAIs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) remains underestimated due to diagnostic complexity and lack of quality surveillance systems. We designed this study to determine clinical diagnosis, laboratory-confirmed, associated factors and risks of HCAIs. METHODS: This hospital-based longitudinal cohort study was conducted between March and June 2022 among adults (≥ 18 years) admitted in medical wards at BMC in Mwanza, Tanzania. Patients who were negative for HCAIs by clinical evaluations and laboratory investigations during admission were enrolled and followed-up until discharge or death. Clinical samples were collected from patients with clinical diagnosis of HCAIs for conventional culture and antimicrobial sensitivity testing. RESULTS: A total of 350 adult patients with a median [IQR] age of 54 [38-68] years were enrolled in the study. Males accounted for 54.6% (n = 191). The prevalence of clinically diagnosed HCAIs was 8.6% (30/350) of which 26.7% (8/30) had laboratory-confirmed HCAIs by a positive culture. Central-line-associated bloodstream infection (43.3%; 13/30) and catheter-associated urinary tract infection (36.7%; 11/30) were the most common HCAIs. Older age was the only factor associated with development of HCAIs [mean (± SD); [95%CI]: 58.9(± 12.5); [54.2-63.5] vs. 51.5(± 19.1); [49.4-53.6] years; p = 0.0391) and HCAIs increased the length of hospital stay [mean (± SD); [95%CI]: 13.8 (± 3.4); [12.5-15.1] vs. 4.5 (± 1.7); [4.3-4.7] days; p < 0.0001]. CONCLUSION: We observed a low prevalence of HCAIs among adult patients admitted to medical wards in our setting. Central-line-associated bloodstream infections and catheter-associated urinary tract infections are common HCAIs. Significantly, older patients are at higher risk of acquiring HCAIs as well as patients with HCAIs had long duration of hospital stays.

Adapting lean management to prevent healthcare-associated infections: a low-cost strategy involving Kamishibai cards to sustain bundles' compliance.

Lean healthcare visual management has been successfully integrated into infection control programs, leading to lower healthcare-associated infection (HAI) rates and greater provider compliance with evidence-based prevention practices; however, its implementation during quality improvement (QI) initiatives in limited-resource settings has not yet been well exploited. We aimed to describe a low-cost strategy involving Kamishibai cards to sustain bundles' adherence to prevent HAIs in a middle-income country. This descriptive case study evaluated the implementation of a lean healthcare visual management tool-Kamishibai board (K-board)-during a nationwide QI collaborative preventing three critical HAIs in 189 adult and pediatric/neonatal intensive care units (ICUs) from September 2021 to January 2023. Considering a limited-resource setting, our team adapted a K-board using simple, cheap, and easy-to-handle materials for routine monitoring of QI procedures, including safety bundles' compliance. After test prototypes, the final K-board version was implemented. The chart materials and assembly cost BRL 80.00 (USD 15.48). Before launching, expert working group meetings were held to shape the contents, refine technical issues, and prepare the ICU teams for implementation. After starting, plan-do-study-act cycles were conducted according to the Breakthrough Series model. Participating ICU teams, including leaders and front-line health workers, performed bedside audits following a weekly chronogram. Two indicators were calculated: the percentage of ICUs in which K-boards were being implemented and whether bundles' compliance was addressed in the K-board. Audit data were recorded in 'SimpleQI'. After 17 months of this initiative, 177 (93.7%) participating ICUs had included this visual management tool in their daily care routines. When more than 94 (>50%) ICUs posted K-board data, the mean compliance for the bundles for each HAI was sustained above 85%. A lean healthcare visual management tool can be adapted to local settings, including healthcare facilities with limited resources. K-board seems to be a feasible method for auditing evidence-based practices in medical care, including safety bundles to simultaneously prevent three types of HAIs.

Surveillance of health-care associated infections in an intensive care unit at a tertiary care hospital in Central India.

Introduction: Because the risk of health-care associated infections (HAIs) is high in intensive care units, and HAIs are one of the causes of morbidity and mortality and affects the overall quality of health care, the continuous monitoring of HAIs in intensive care patients is essential. Aim and objectives: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out over a period of five years in a tertiary-care teaching hospital. The aim of the study was to investigate the main and specific types of health-care associated Infections and determine the microbiological profile and antimicrobial susceptibility rates of isolates in patients with HAI. Methods: : The active surveillance method was used to detect HAIs in patients who spent over 48 hr in a targeted ICU. Patients with blood stream infections (BSI), central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI), catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) and ventilator-associated events (VAE) were included in the study. HAI were diagnosed based on the Centre for Disease Control (CDC)'s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) updated definitions of HAIs. Results: A total of 121,051 patient days, including 7,989 central line days, 64,557 urinary catheter days, and 18,443 ventilator days, were recorded in the study population and 832 HAIs were diagnosed (incidence rate 6.9%). The overall rates of BSI, CLABSI, CAUTI and possible ventilator-associated pneumonia (p-VAP) were 3.7, 10.6, 2.1 and 13.4/1,000 device days, respectively. The most common organism isolated from BSI was Acinetobacter baumanii (n=322, 29%), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae 225 (n=225, 20.3%). 79.8% of Acinetobacter baumanii strains were resistant to imipenem, 77.1% to ciprofloxacin and 76.4% to ampicillin. The most common organisms isolated from CAUTI were non-albicans Candida species (n=38, 18%), followed by E. coli and Citrobacter spp. (each n=33, each 15.7%). Conclusions: A trend of increasing resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii to carbapenems was observed. Risk factor analysis showed invasive procedures during sepsis and organophosphorous poisoning as significant factors.

Surveillance of central line associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) - comparison of current (CDC/NHSN) and modified criteria: A prospective study.

Background and Aims: There is a huge load of central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) being reported in developing countries, with increased mortality and healthcare costs. Effective surveillance is a must to reduce the incidence of CLABSI. The current criteria (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention/National Healthcare Safety Network [CDC/NHSN]) for CLABSI surveillance have their own shortcomings. For diagnosing CLABSI, current CDC/NHSN CLABSI surveillance criteria are laborious and time consuming with low predictive power. Hence, modified criteria have been postulated, which are simple and implementable at resource-constrained setups. The primary objective was to compare modified criteria with CDC criteria. The secondary objective was to determine the prevalence of CRBSI. Material and Methods: A total of 98 patients with central line in situ or having the central venous line removed ≤24 hrs prior to the date of the event were enrolled. Paired blood cultures were obtained and results were analyzed using differential time to positivity. Results: The incidence of CLBSI was 8.16% and the device utilization rate was 11.6%. The negative predictive value of both the surveillance criteria was found to be excellent and comparable (96.2% for modified criteria and 97.1% for CDC criteria), therefore both can be used for screening purposes. AUC for current CDC/NHSN criteria was better than modified criteria (0.76 versus 0.66, P < 0.0001), suggesting it to be a better criterion for surveillance of CLABSI. Conclusion: Modified criteria were not superior to CDC/NHSN criteria for surveillance. Thus, there is a scope of improving the modified criteria for the purpose of surveillance. CLBSI load was higher; CLABSI bundle for prevention is thus highly recommended.

Peripheral vascular access as exclusive access mode in pediatric intensive care unit.

Introduction: The type of vascular access (central or peripheral) in pediatric critical care depends on several factors, including the duration of treatment, the properties of the medication (osmolarity or vesicant), and the need for central pressure monitoring. The utilization of peripheral intravascular catheters (PIVCs) has shown a notable increase in the number of patients being treated. Extended dwell or midline catheters are another peripheral access option in addition to PIVCs. However, there are currently no established guidelines on their placement. Objectives: The aim of this study is to estimate the duration of dwell time for PIVCs, analyze the specific parameters affecting it, and develop recommendations for switching to extended dwell and midline catheter placement as an alternative to peripheral access. Methods: The study enrolled patients aged 0-18 years admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) for over 24 h and managed with peripheral access only over 2 years (2019-2021). Measurements and main results: A total of 484 patients met the specified criteria. Patients who had peripheral access exhibited a lower PRISM score and a shorter length of stay in the PICU, with mean values of 18 (SD: 8.5) and 9.5 (SD: 6.4) days, respectively, compared with patients who had central access with mean values of 8.9 (SD: 5.9) and 5.7 (SD: 3.6) days, respectively. The PIVC dwell time was found to be 50.1 h (SD: 65.3) and required an average of 1.6 insertion attempts. Patients with three or more insertions exhibited an increased odds ratio of 5.2 (95% CI: 3.1-8.5) for receiving an extended dwell or midline insertion. Increased dwell time was associated with female gender, 59.5 h (P < 0.001), first attempt insertion, 53.5 h (P < 0.001), use of 24 Ga bore, 56.3 h (P = 0.04), left-sided insertions, 54.9 (P = 0.07), less agitation, 54.8 h (P = 0.02), and less edema, 61.6 (P < 0.001). Decreased dwell time was associated with the use of vancomycin infusion at 24.2 h (P < 0.001) and blood transfusions at 29.3 h (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Extended catheters last longer than PIVCs in PICU patients. Extended catheter placement requires consideration of the length of treatment, as well as the overall body edema, the level of the patient's restlessness, and the need for vancomycin infusion or blood transfusions, as these factors reduce PIVC dwell time and expose the patients to painful insertions. For such cases, an extended dwell catheter may be a better option, even if the projected treatment time is less than 6 days.

Incidence of Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infection in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Northern India: A Prospective Study.

Background Central line-associated bloodstream infection is the most common hospital-acquired infection and is associated with high morbidity and mortality along with increased healthcare cost. However, studies on the incidence of nosocomial infections are very limited in India. Aims To determine the incidence of central line-associate bloodstream infection (CLABSI), microorganisms associated and their antimicrobial sensitivity profile in the medical ICU of a tertiary care hospital. Material and methods A total of 186 patients who were admitted to the medical ICU and had a non-tunneled central venous catheter (CVC) implanted at admission in the emergency department or in the medical ICU for longer than 48 hours were monitored. By examining the blood culture reports, the patients were monitored every day for the emergence of new-onset sepsis after 48 hours following CVC insertion. The data were evaluated statistically using Microsoft Excel and SPSS version 22.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Result Out of 186 catheterized patients, 37 developed CLABSI. The incidence of CLABSI was 9.3 per 1000 catheter days and 6.7 per 1000 inpatient days with a 0.7 device utilization ratio. The most common organism isolated was Acinetobacter species (22%) followed by K. pneumoniae (16%) and E. aerogenes (16%). The highest sensitivity was displayed by polymyxin B (100%) followed by tigecycline (85.48%) and minocycline (50.82%) in Gram-negative organisms. In Gram-positive organisms, the highest sensitivity was observed in S. aureus (100%) for vancomycin, linezolid and teicoplanin whereas Enterococcus species showed linezolid (100%) followed by vancomycin (93.75%) and teicoplanin (93.75%). Conclusion The prevention of CLABSI requires knowledge of the infection rates and of the sources, the pathogens involved as well as their antimicrobial profile. Due to rising antimicrobial resistance, surveillance programs are crucial in establishing the species distribution and resistance patterns of bacteria causing BSIs and thus providing the basis for appropriate empirical therapy.

A Two-Year Surveillance of Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections in the Trauma ICU of a Tertiary Care Hospital in India.

Aim The aim of the study is to identify the risk factors and mortality associated with central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) and to investigate the incidence and associated etiology in trauma patients admitted to the trauma ICU (TICU) of a tertiary care teaching hospital in Northern India. Materials and methods The study was a prospective study conducted in the trauma ICU of a tertiary care teaching hospital in India from November 2020 to October 2022. Adult patients >18 years of age who were on central line for >48 hours were included in the study. The automated blood culture system BacT/ALERT 3D (bioMérieux, Durham, NC) was used for microbial detection from blood samples. We recorded patients' daily progress, and catheter-related data was collected and used as variables. All the data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0 (IBM SPSS Statistics, Armonk, NY) to evaluate the risk factors associated with CLABSI. Result A total of 516 admissions occurred during the surveillance period, out of which 352 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were enrolled in the study. Out of these 352 patients, a total of 74 patients developed central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI). Thus, the incidence of CLABSI was 16.4 per 1000 central line days and 13.2 per 1000 inpatient days with a 0.8 device utilization ratio (DUR). The most common organisms isolated from these CLABSI cases were Acinetobacter species (23%), followed by Escherichia coli (16.5%) and Staphylococcus aureus (15.6%). The independent healthcare-associated risk factors for CLABSI were longer length of ICU stay and prolonged duration of central venous catheterization. The most common comorbidity associated with CLABSI was diabetes mellitus (20.3%), followed by hypertension (14.8%), and the mortality rate was 41.9%. Conclusion The healthcare-associated risk factors such as longer length of ICU stay and prolonged duration of central venous catheterization are the risk factors for developing central line-associated bloodstream infections (BSI).

A helping hand: The impact of a central line insertion support team.

As part of a central line-associated bloodstream infections prevention initiative, our academic medical center formed a dedicated nursing team to assist with central line insertions and provide support with caring for difficult lines and dressings. During the program's first 3 years, the proportion of insertion-related central line-associated bloodstream infections occurring in areas within the team's scope declined overall by 47%.

A Review of Pediatric Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections Reported to the National Healthcare Safety Network: United States, 2016-2022.

Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) are common healthcare-associated infections in pediatrics. Children's hospital CLABSI standardized infection ratios decreased when comparing 2016-2019 (-26%, 95% CI [-31%, -20%]), and increased from 2019 to 2022 (18%, 95% CI [9%, 26%]). Resilient pediatric CLABSI prevention initiatives are needed.