Health Care-Associated Infections in a Neurocritical Care Unit of a Developing Country.

BACKGROUND: Health care-associated infections (HAIs) in intensive care units (ICUs) specialized for neurocritical care (neurocritical care units [NCCUs]) are serious yet preventable complications that contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality worldwide. However, reliable data are scarcely available from the developing world. We aimed to analyze the incidence, epidemiology, microbial etiology, and outcomes of HAIs in an NCCU of a tertiary care teaching hospital in a high-income, developing country. METHODS: In this 3-year retrospective cohort study, all patients admitted to the NCCU at the Ibn Sina Hospital in Kuwait for ≥ 2 calendar days were included. Patient demographics, hospitalization, and details of ICU-acquired infections were evaluated. Patient-related outcomes included hospital and ICU length of stay (LOS) and in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: Among 913 patients with a total of 4921 ICU days, 79 patients had 109 episodes of HAIs. The overall incidence rate and incidence density of HAIs were 11.9/100 patients and 22.1/1000 ICU days, respectively. Multiple episodes of infection were documented in 29% of patients. The most prevalent infections were urinary tract infections (UTIs; 40/109 [37%]), bloodstream infections (30/109 [28%]), and pneumonia (16/109 [15%]). Seventy-six percent of infections were device-associated infections. A total of 158 pathogens were isolated, of which 109 were Gram-negative bacteria. Of the 40 Gram-positive bacteria, 22 were staphylococci. Seven infections were due to Clostridium difficile. There were 15 Staphylococcus aureus isolates, 47% of which were methicillin resistant. Two episodes of UTIs were due to Candida species. There were 84 Enterobacteriaceae isolates, 24% of which were extended-spectrum ß-lactamase producers. All Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates were susceptible to aminoglycosides and carbapenems. Klebsiella species were the most common pathogen (45/158 [28%]), causing pneumonia (11/33 isolates [33%]), bloodstream infections (12/37 isolates [32%]), and UTIs (16/52 isolates [31%]). One episode of bloodstream infection was due to multidrug resistant Acinetobacter baumanii which was susceptible only to colistin. Only pneumonia was independently associated with mortality, while all HAIs that occurred were significantly associated with a prolonged ICU LOS. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first HAI surveillance study in an NCCU in Kuwait, and our results demonstrate the burden of HAIs on the neurologically injured patient, regardless of the site of infection. The high prevalence and resistant profile of HAIs in an NCCU in a developing country relative to a developed country has important implications for patient safety and emphasizes the need to strengthen collaboration between NCCU teams and infection control teams to prevent serious complications in this setting.

A Retrospective Analysis of Dialysis Events over a 3-Year Period in an Outpatient Dialysis Unit in the State of Kuwait.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the difference in the rates of dialysis events stratified by vascular access type and to describe the microbiological profile and sensitivity patterns of positive blood cultures over a 3-year period. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The dialysis event data of 10,751 chronic hemodialysis patients collected from March 2013 to February 2016 at an outpatient dialysis unit in Kuwait were reviewed. The dialysis events studied were: intravenous (IV) antimicrobial use, a positive blood culture, and signs of inflammation at the vascular access site. Dialysis event rates were stratified by the type of vascular access used for the dialysis, i.e., fistula, graft, and tunneled/nontunneled central line. Rates were expressed per 100 patient-months. RESULTS: The overall dialysis event rate was (10.7/100 patient-months). The rate of IV antimicrobial use was higher (12.53/100 patient-months) in patients with tunneled central lines than in all other vascular access types (10.29/100 patient-months). Positive blood culture and inflammation at the vascular access site were highest in patients with nontunneled central lines (1.65 and 1.54/100 patient-months, respectively) when compared to those with other types of vascular access. Gram-negative rod isolates were predominant in patients with central lines (n = 35; 46.67%); however, common skin commensals and gram-negative rods were also identified in patients with fistula or graft (n = 4; 44.45%). CONCLUSION: Dialysis event rates were higher among patients with tunneled or nontunneled central lines than in patients with fistula or graft. Gram-negative rods were the most commonly isolated microbial group.

Assessment of safe injection practices in health facilities in Oman.

BACKGROUND: Unsafe injection practices put patients and providers at risk of infectious and noninfectious adverse events. A 2001 Ministry of Health survey on injection practices in Oman indicated that, while overall standards were good, in some areas there was a need for improvement. AIM: We aimed to evaluate injection safety practices to determine whether facilities meet the requirements for practices, equipment, supplies and waste disposal, and to identify unsafe practices. METHODS: We conducted a national cross-sectional survey in 2007 using the World Health Organization tool to evaluate injection safety practices. Using 2-stage cluster sampling, 80 government and 61 private health facilities were randomly selected and evaluated. RESULTS: There was no shortage of injection equipment nor evidence of attempts to sterilize disposable devices. Care providers immediately disposed of the used needle/syringe in sharps containers. Phlebotomy devices were taken from sealed packets in 96% of facilities. In private facilities, 66.3% of the care providers were fully immunized against hepatitis B. Wearing a new pair of gloves for phlebotomy was observed in only 46% of government and 38% of private health facilities. Many health facilities lacked alcohol-based handrub. CONCLUSIONS: Many injection safety aspects were satisfactory. However there are still opportunities for improvement. Actions are required to make alcohol-based handrub and appropriate sharps containers available and to provide hepatitis B vaccine and training to health care workers in all facilities.

Self-practice among patients with psoriasis: University hospital experience.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the self-care practices of patients with psoriasis and factors affecting them. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 110 adult patients with confirmed diagnosis of psoriasis. Each patient underwent a personal structured interview with the physician using two predetermined questionnaires, one for assessing self-care practices and another for evaluating patients' knowledge of their disease and sociodemographic and clinical features. RESULTS: Most studied patients had poor level of self-care practices and knowledge. Patients' level of self-care was positively associated with the level of the knowledge of their disease. Poor level of self-care practice was significantly associated with low level of education, disease severity, and Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score. CONCLUSION: Patients with low level of education or disease knowledge will mostly have poor self-care behavior.

A multidisciplinary intervention to reduce central line-associated bloodstream infection in pediatrics and neonatal intensive care units.

BACKGROUND: To date, central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) are the most common healthcare-associated infections in high-risk neonates and children. These infections are associated with significantly longer hospital stays, increased health care cost, and mortality in the health care systems. Application of evidence-based preventive interventions has proven to decrease CLABSI rate. The purpose of this study is to reduce the undesired relative high CLABSI rate through the adoption of standardized quality improvement interventions. METHODS: and Methods: The study employed a pre-post-intervention design. Phase one is a retrospective calculation of 12 months of surveillance period as a baseline. Phase 2 establishes a multidisciplinary quality improvement intervention, which includes the formation of a dedicated central line insertion team, provision of central line kit at the bedside, training and educating the team, and selecting bundle checklist. In the third phase, we performed auditing and calculating the checklist compliance and monthly feedback for 12 consecutive post-intervention months. During phase 1 and 3, we calculated the following measures; CLABSI per 1000 catheter-days, duration of central line use, and device utilization ratio. RESULTS: During the post-intervention phase the CLABSI rate significantly reduced by 59.5% from 7.5 to 3.0 per 1000 central line day, and the duration of use of the central line decreased from 21.3 ± 9.9 to 11.0 ± 3.2 days (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Implementation of quality improvement multidisciplinary intervention; central line insertion and maintenance care bundle, dedicated IV team, education and feedback effectively reduced the rate of CLABSI within our pediatrics and neonatal ICUs.

Risk factors and distribution of MDROs among patients with healthcare associated burn wound infection.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with burn wounds are more susceptible to develop healthcare associated (HA) infection. Bacterial isolates from HA burn wound infection vary from one place to the other and also differ in terms of antimicrobial susceptibility pattern. The aim of our study was to assess the incidence of HA burn wound infection, risk factors and to determine the microbiological profile and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of isolated pathogens. METHODS: This was a one-year retrospective descriptive study conducted between January 2017 and December 2017, in Al-Babtain Burn and Plastic Surgery center, Kuwait. The identification of bacterial isolates was conducted by conventional biochemical methods according to standard microbiological techniques and commercially available kits using analytical profile index procedure. RESULTS: Total body surface area >35% affected and length of stay more than 14 days were statistically significant risk factors for HA burn infection (RR of 10.057 and 5.912, respectively). Analysis of microbiological profile of these positive cultures indicated that the most common isolated organism was Acinetobacter baumannii followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae. Multidrug resistant organisms composed 65.85% of the positive isolates. Vancomycin, tigecycline, teicoplanin and linezolid showed 100% effectiveness for all Gram positive isolates. For Gram negative organisms, imipenem and meropenem showed 38.71% and 41.93% efficacy, respectively. CONCLUSION: Identification of antimicrobial susceptibility patterns helps to tailor the required antibiotic policy to minimize the acquired infections among these vulnerable patients.