Ultraviolet-C Light Evaluation as Adjunct Disinfection to Remove Multidrug-Resistant Organisms.

BACKGROUND: Our objective was to determine if the addition of ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light to daily and discharge patient room cleaning reduces healthcare-associated infection rates of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and Clostridioides difficile in immunocompromised adults. METHODS: We performed a cluster randomized crossover control trial in 4 cancer and 1 solid organ transplant in-patient units at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland. For study year 1, each unit was randomized to intervention of UV-C light plus standard environmental cleaning or control of standard environmental cleaning, followed by a 5-week washout period. In study year 2, units switched assignments. The outcomes were healthcare-associated rates of VRE or C. difficile. Statistical inference used a two-stage approach recommended for cluster-randomized trials with <15 clusters/arm. RESULTS: In total, 302 new VRE infections were observed during 45787 at risk patient-days. The incidence in control and intervention groups was 6.68 and 6.52 per 1000 patient-days respectively; the unadjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) was 0.98 (95% confidence interval [CI], .78 - 1.22; P = .54). There were 84 new C. difficile infections observed during 26118 at risk patient-days. The incidence in control and intervention periods was 2.64 and 3.78 per 1000 patient-days respectively; the unadjusted IRR was 1.43 (95% CI, .93 - 2.21; P = .98). CONCLUSIONS: When used daily and at post discharge in addition to standard environmental cleaning, UV-C disinfection did not reduce VRE or C. difficile infection rates in cancer and solid organ transplant units.

Impact of Statewide Prevention and Reduction of Clostridioides difficile (SPARC), a Maryland public health-academic collaborative: an evaluation of a quality improvement intervention.

To evaluate changes in Clostridioides difficile incidence rates for Maryland hospitals that participated in the Statewide Prevention and Reduction of C. difficile (SPARC) collaborative. Pre-post, difference-in-difference analysis of non-randomised intervention using four quarters of preintervention and six quarters of postintervention National Healthcare Safety Network data for SPARC hospitals (April 2017 to March 2020) and 10 quarters for control hospitals (October 2017 to March 2020). Mixed-effects negative binomial models were used to assess changes over time. Process evaluation using hospital intervention implementation plans, assessments and interviews with staff at eight SPARC hospitals. Maryland, USA. All Maryland acute care hospitals; 12 intervention and 36 control hospitals. Participation in SPARC, a public health-academic collaborative made available to Maryland hospitals, with staggered enrolment between June 2018 and August 2019. Hospitals with higher C. difficile rates were recruited via email and phone. SPARC included assessments, feedback reports and ongoing technical assistance. Primary outcomes were C. difficile incidence rate measured as the quarterly number of C. difficile infections per 10 000 patient-days (outcome measure) and SPARC intervention hospitals' experiences participating in the collaborative (process measures). SPARC invited 13 hospitals to participate in the intervention, with 92% (n=12) participating. The 36 hospitals that did not participate served as control hospitals. SPARC hospitals were associated with 45% greater C. difficile reduction as compared with control hospitals (incidence rate ratio=0.55, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.88, p=0.012). Key SPARC activities, including access to trusted external experts, technical assistance, multidisciplinary collaboration, an accountability structure, peer-to-peer learning opportunities and educational resources, were associated with hospitals reporting positive experiences with SPARC. SPARC intervention hospitals experienced 45% greater reduction in C. difficile rates than control hospitals. A public health-academic collaborative might help reduce C. difficile and other hospital-acquired infections in individual hospitals and at state or regional levels.

Infection surveillance and prevention strategies to detect and prevent postaccess breast tissue expander infections.

No standardized surveillance criteria exist for surgical site infection after breast tissue expander (BTE) access. This report provides a framework for defining postaccess BTE infections and identifies contributing factors to infection during the expansion period. Implementing infection prevention guidelines for BTE access may reduce postaccess BTE infections.

Preoperative Staphylococcus Aureus Screening and Targeted Decolonization in Cardiac Surgery.

BACKGROUND: We assessed the impact of preoperative Staphylococcus aureus screening and targeted decolonization on the incidence of postoperative methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA) colonization, intensive care unit MRSA transmission, and surgical site infections in cardiac surgery patients. METHODS: We reviewed medical records for all adult patients during two periods: preintervention (January 2007 to April 2010) and intervention (January 2011 to December 2014). In the intervention period, we performed nasal screening for methicillin-sensitive S aureus and MRSA using polymerase chain reaction within 30 days of the operation. Colonized patients received intranasal mupirocin twice daily and chlorhexidine baths daily for 5 days; patients colonized with MRSA also received prophylactic vancomycin plus cefazolin with contact isolation precautions. Nasal surveillance for MRSA was performed on intensive care unit admission and weekly thereafter. Multivariable logistic regression models were constructed to determine risk factors for postoperative MRSA colonization, and surgical site infections and the impact of our screening program was assessed in these models. Poisson regression was used to assess MRSA transmission. RESULTS: Comparing 2,826 preintervention and 4,038 intervention patients, cases differed in age, diabetes mellitus, preoperative infection, preoperative length of stay, and bypass time (all p ≤ 0.03). Intervention patients had risk-adjusted reductions in MRSA colonization (odds ratio 0.53, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.37 to 0.76, p < 0.001), transmission (incidence rate ratio 0.29, 95% CI: 0.13 to 0.65, p = 0.002), and surgical site infections (odds ratio 0.58, 95% CI: 0.40 to 0.86, p = 0.007). Increased duration of preoperative decolonization therapy was associated with decreased postoperative MRSA colonization (odds ratio 0.73, 95% CI: 0.53 to 1.00, p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative S aureus screening with targeted decolonization was associated with reduced MRSA colonization, transmission, and surgical site infections. Duration of preoperative therapy correlated with decreased frequency of postoperative MRSA colonization.

Detection and prevalence of adenoviral conjunctivitis among hospital employees using real-time polymerase chain reaction as an infection prevention tool.

Hospital employees with suspected adenoviral conjunctivitis underwent evaluation and testing with real-time polymerase chain reaction. Viral conjunctivitis was suspected in 307 (59%) of 518 employees with eye complaints; adenovirus was detected in 4% (22 of 518). Four employees had genotypes consistent with epidemic keratoconjunctivitis. This algorithm minimizes productivity loss compared with clinical diagnosis.

Caveat emptor: the role of suboptimal bronchoscope repair practices by a third-party vendor in a pseudo-outbreak of pseudomonas in bronchoalveolar lavage specimens.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a pseudo-outbreak associated with loose bronchoscope biopsy ports caused by inadequate bronchoscope repair practices by third-party vendors and to alert healthcare personnel to assess bronchoscope repair practices. DESIGN: Outbreak investigation. SETTING: A 925-bed tertiary care hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. PATIENTS: Patients who underwent bronchoscopy with certain bronchoscopes after they had been repaired by a third-party vendor. METHODS: An epidemiologic investigation was conducted to determine the cause of Pseudomonas putida growth in 4 bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) specimens within a 3-day period in May 2008. All bronchoscopes were inspected, and cultures were obtained from bronchoscopes and the environment. Bronchoscope cleaning and maintenance practices were reviewed. Microbiologic results from BAL specimens and medical records were reviewed to find additional cases. RESULTS: All 4 case patients had undergone bronchoscopy with one of 2 bronchoscopes, both of which had loose biopsy ports. Bronchoscope cultures grew P. putida, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Stenotrophomonas. The P. putida strains from the bronchoscopes matched those from the patients. Specimens from 12 additional patients who underwent bronchoscopy with these bronchoscopes grew P. putida, P. aeruginosa, or Stenotrophomonas. No patients developed clinical signs or symptoms of infection, but 7 were treated with antibiotics. Investigation revealed that the implicated bronchoscopes had been sent to an external vendor for repair; examination by the manufacturer revealed irregularities in repairs and nonstandard part replacements. CONCLUSIONS: Third-party vendors without access to proprietary information may contribute to mechanical malfunction of medical devices, which can lead to contamination and incomplete disinfection.

Antimicrobial prescribing practices in response to different Clostridium difficile diagnostic methodologies.

We evaluated treatment decisions and antimicrobial use related to 2 testing algorithms for Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). Our findings suggest that a 2-step testing algorithm using rapid polymerase chain reaction confirmatory testing leads to decreased unnecessary anti-CDI antimicrobial use. In addition, a significant proportion of patients with confirmed CDI were not treated according to recommended guidelines.

Targeted surveillance to identify children colonized with vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus in the pediatric intensive care unit.

Performing admission surveillance cultures is a resource-intensive strategy to identify asymptomatic patients with vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) colonization. We measured VRE prevalence among children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit. Targeted surveillance captured 94% of VRE-colonized children and may be an effective strategy to identify VRE carriers and facilitate pediatric infection prevention strategies.

Intraoperative fraction of inspired oxygen is a modifiable risk factor for surgical site infection after spinal surgery.

BACKGROUND: Surgical site infections (SSI) after spinal surgery increase morbidity, mortality, length of hospital stay, and costs. Most previously identified risk factors for these infections, such as severity of illness and procedure duration, are not amenable to intervention. This study sought to identify modifiable risk factors associated with SSI after spinal surgery. METHODS: This is a case-control study including case identification and review of medical records. A total of 104 patients with SSI after spinal surgery were compared to 104 randomly selected control patients without SSI after spinal surgery in a 926-bed tertiary care hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, between April 1, 2001 and December 31, 2004. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis identified independent risk factors for SSI after spinal surgery including prolonged procedure duration (odds ratio [OR], 4.7; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.6-14; P < 0.001), American Society of Anesthesiologists score of 3 or greater (OR, 9.7; 95% CI, 3.7-25; P < 0.001), lumbar-sacral operative level (OR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.2-7.1; P = 0.02), posterior approach (OR, 3.5; 95% CI, 1.2-9.7; P = 0.02), instrumentation (OR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.1-6.0; P = 0.03), obesity (OR, 4.0; 94% CI, 1.6-10; P < 0.01), razor shaving before surgery (OR, 3.6; 95% CI, 1.2-11; P = 0.02), and intraoperative administered fraction of inspired oxygen of less than 50% (OR, 12; 94% CI, 4.5-33; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In addition to previously reported risk factors, this study identified intraoperative administered fraction of inspired oxygen of less than 50% as an independent, modifiable risk factor for SSI after spinal surgery. Intraoperative administration of at least 50% fraction of inspired oxygen should be tested prospectively as an intervention to prevent SSI after spinal surgery.

Timing of preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis: a modifiable risk factor for deep surgical site infections after pediatric spinal fusion.

BACKGROUND: Deep surgical site infections (SSI) after spinal fusion are healthcare-associated infections that result in increased morbidity, hospital stay, and health care costs. Risk factors for these infections among children are poorly characterized. METHODS: We performed a case-control study nested within a cohort of all children, from birth to 18 years of age, who underwent spinal fusion at Johns Hopkins Hospital between July 1, 2000 and June 30, 2006. RESULTS: Thirty-six deep SSI were identified. The incidence of deep SSI was 3.4%. Infection was diagnosed a median of 15 days after surgery (interquartile range, 9-28). Significant risk factors for deep SSI included inappropriate timing of preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis, previous spine surgery, presence of a complex underlying medical condition, age, >10 vertebrae fused, and an increased estimated blood loss per kilogram body weight. After controlling for previous spine surgery, number of vertebrae fused, and complex underlying medical condition, inappropriate timing of preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis administration was a significant independent risk factor for deep SSI (odds ratio: 3.5; 95% confidence interval: 1.7-7.3; P = 0.001). DISCUSSION: Timing of preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis is an independent and modifiable risk factor for deep SSI after pediatric spinal fusion. Our findings suggest that all pediatric patients undergoing pediatric spinal fusion should have preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis given within 60 minutes before incision to reduce the risk of SSI and the morbidity and costs associated with hardware removal and repeat spinal fusion.