[Preventive measures for avoiding transmission of microorganisms between hospitalised patients. Hand hygiene]. / Medidas de prevención de la transmisión de microorganismos entre pacientes hospitalizados. Higiene de manos.

Health-care associated infections are an important public health problem worldwide. The rates of health-care associated infections are indicators of the quality of health care. The infection control activities related to prevention of transmission of hospital microorganisms can be grouped in 4 mayor areas: standard precautions, specific precautions (including isolation if appropriate), environmental cleaning and disinfection, and surveillance activities (including providing infection rates and monitoring procedures). Hand hygiene and the correct use of gloves are the most important measures to prevent health-care associated infections and to avoid the dissemination of multidrug-resistant microorganisms. Continuous educational activities aimed at improving adherence to hand hygiene are needed. Periodical assessment of adherence to hand hygiene recommendations with feed-back have been shown to provide sustained improvement. Several complementary activities are being evaluated, including skin decolonization prior to certain surgeries, a package of measures in patients with central venous catheters or mechanical ventilation, and universal body hygiene with chlorhexidine. The present area of discussion concerns in which situations and in which groups would such measures be effective and efficient.

Control measures for Acinetobacter baumannii: a survey of Spanish hospitals.

INTRODUCTION: Control of Acinetobacter baumannii is a challenge. METHODS: A survey was conducted on the control measures introduced against A baumannii in 30 Spanish hospitals. RESULTS: We found significant differences in the application of contact precautions, active surveillance, hygiene of colonised patients, environmental cleaning, and educational activities. Hospitals with a written control program for A. baumannii had a lower incidence of colonisation/infection due to this organism. CONCLUSION: A multidisciplinary consensus document for the control of A. baumannii is needed in Spain.

Assessment of a semi-automated enrichment system (Uroquattro HB&L) for detection of faecal carriers of ESBL-/AmpC-producing Enterobacterales.

INTRODUCTION: Early detection of patients carrying multiresistant bacteria is an effective implement in surveillance programs. Our objective was to compare the semi-automatic Uroquattro HB&L "ESBL/AmpC Screening" (Alifax®) system with the routine culture on selective media to detect ESBL/pAmpC-producing microorganisms (3CGRE). METHODS: A total of 201 rectal swabs samples were processed by inoculating them into the Uroquattro HB&L system, performing growth curve measurements at 6.5 and 10h, and into direct culture medium. RESULTS: Thirty-five samples yielded 3CGRE. Measurements at 10h incremented the positive 3GCRE detection 5.7% in comparison with routine culture medium. In negative rectal swabs, the overall percent agreement at 6.5h and 10h versus routine culture medium was 93% and 90%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The Uroquattro HB&L system increased the detection of ESBL/pAmpC-producing bacteria compared to direct plating with an incubation time of 10h and shortens the time to report a negative sample.

Targeted simplification versus antipseudomonal broad-spectrum beta-lactams in patients with bloodstream infections due to Enterobacteriaceae (SIMPLIFY): a study protocol for a multicentre, open-label, phase III randomised, controlled, non-inferiority clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION: Within the context of antimicrobial stewardship programmes, de-escalation of antimicrobial therapy is one of the proposed strategies for reducing the unnecessary use of broad-spectrum antibiotics (BSA). The empirical treatment of nosocomial and some healthcare-associated bloodstream infections (BSI) frequently includes a beta-lactam with antipseudomonal activity as monotherapy or in combination with other drugs, so there is a great opportunity to optimise the empirical therapy based on microbiological data. De-escalation is assumed as standard of care for experts in infectious diseases. However, it is less frequent than it would desirable. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The SIMPLIFY trial is a multicentre, open-label, non-inferiority phase III randomised controlled clinical trial, designed as a pragmatic 'real-practice' trial. The aim of this trial is to demonstrate the non-inferiority of de-escalation from an empirical beta-lactam with antipseudomonal activity to a targeted narrow-spectrum antimicrobial in patients with BSI due to Enterobacteriaceae. The primary outcome is clinical cure, which will be assessed at the test of cure visit. It will be conducted at 19 Spanish public and university hospitals. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Each participating centre has obtained the approval of the ethics review committee, the agreement of the directors of the institutions and authorisation from the Spanish Regulatory Agency (Agencia Española del Medicamento y Productos Sanitarios). Data will be presented at international conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals. DISCUSSION: Strategies to reduce the use of BSA should be a priority. Most of the studies that support de-escalation are observational, retrospective and heterogeneous. A recent Cochrane review stated that well-designed clinical trials should be conducted to assess the safety and efficacy of de-escalation. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: The European Union Clinical Trials Register: EudraCT number 2015-004219-19. Clinical trials.gov: NCT02795949. Protocol version: V.2.0, dated 16 May 2016. All items from the WHO Trial Registration Data Set are included in the registry.

Long-term control of endemic hospital-wide methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA): the impact of targeted active surveillance for MRSA in patients and healthcare workers.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the long-term impact of successive interventions on rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization or infection and MRSA bacteremia in an endemic hospital-wide situation. DESIGN: Quasi-experimental, interrupted time-series analysis. The impact of the interventions was analyzed by use of segmented regression. Representative MRSA isolates were typed by use of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. SETTING: A 950-bed teaching hospital in Seville, Spain. PATIENTS: All patients admitted to the hospital during the period from 1995 through 2008. METHODS: Three successive interventions were studied: (1) contact precautions, with no active surveillance for MRSA; (2) targeted active surveillance for MRSA in patients and healthcare workers in specific wards, prioritized according to clinical epidemiology data; and (3) targeted active surveillance for MRSA in patients admitted from other medical centers. RESULTS: Neither the preintervention rate of MRSA colonization or infection (0.56 cases per 1,000 patient-days [95% confidence interval {CI}, 0.49-0.62 cases per 1,000 patient-days]) nor the slope for the rate of MRSA colonization or infection changed significantly after the first intervention. The rate decreased significantly to 0.28 cases per 1,000 patient-days (95% CI, 0.17-0.40 cases per 1,000 patient-days) after the second intervention and to 0.07 cases per 1,000 patient-days (95% CI, 0.06-0.08 cases per 1,000 patient-days) after the third intervention, and the rate remained at a similar level for 8 years. The MRSA bacteremia rate decreased by 80%, whereas the rate of bacteremia due to methicillin-susceptible S. aureus did not change. Eighty-three percent of the MRSA isolates identified were clonally related. All MRSA isolates obtained from healthcare workers were clonally related to those recovered from patients who were in their care. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that long-term control of endemic MRSA is feasible in tertiary care centers. The use of targeted active surveillance for MRSA in patients and healthcare workers in specific wards (identified by means of analysis of clinical epidemiology data) and the use of decolonization were key to the success of the program.

[Arthroplasty-related infection: incidence, risk factors, clinical features, and outcome]. / Infecciones relacionadas con las prótesis articulares: incidencia, factores de riesgo, características clínicas y pronóstico.

INTRODUCTION: There is little information about the overall incidence, risk factors, and clinical management of arthroplasty-related infection in Spain. METHODS: The incidence of surgical site infection (SSI) in hip and knee arthroplasty from 2001 to 2005 was determined. Risk factors for SSI were investigated in 435 patients using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Clinical features and treatment were examined in a cohort of 58 consecutive patients with joint arthroplasty infection. RESULTS: The percentages of SSI in hip and knee arthroplasty stratified according to the National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance (NNIS) index were 1.86% and 1.62% (NNIS=0), 3.72% and 2.02% (NNIS=1), and 7.20% and 6.71% (NNIS=2-3), respectively. The risk factors identified for developing SSI included secondary arthroplasty, duration of urinary catheterization, and hip arthroplasty. Fifty percent of patients with arthroplasty infection had type I (early) or III (hematogenous) infection. Gram-positive cocci were the most frequent causes. Initial therapy consisted in debridement with preservation of the prosthesis (10 patients) or removal of the prosthesis (40 patients); surgery was not performed in 8 patients. After one year of follow up, 39 patients (67%) were considered cured, 12 (21%) had a recurrence or were under chronic suppressive antimicrobial therapy, and 7 (12%) had died. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of SSI in our center is similar to that of other Spanish hospitals, but is higher than the notified incidence in the NNIS system. A modifiable risk factor (urinary catheterization) has been identified. Greater consensus for the management of these patients is desirable.