Surveillance of device associated infections in intensive care units at a Saudi Arabian Hospital, 2017-2020.

BACKGROUND: Device-associated infections (DAIs) are important components of healthcare associated infection and are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. This study describes DAIs across different intensive care units (ICUs) in a hospital in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: The study was conducted between 2017 and 2020 and followed the definitions of National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) for DAIs. The calculated the rates of ventilator-associated events (VAE), catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) and central line-associated blood stream infections (CLABSI) followed NHSN definitions. RESULTS: During the study period, there were 82 DAIs in adult ICUs and of these 16 (19.5%) were CLABSI, 26 (31.7%) were CAUTI and 40 (48.7%) were VAE. The overall rates for adult ICUs were 1.6, 1.9, 3.8 per 1000 device-days for CAUTI, CLABSI and VAE, respectively. The device-utilization ratio was 0.5, 0.6, and 0.48 for urinary catheters, central lines, and ventilators, respectively. VAE rates for medical and surgical ICU were about 2.8 times the rate in the coronary care unit and the rates were high in 2020 corresponding with the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the adult ICUS, medical ICU had a CLABSI rate of 2.13/1000 device-days and was about double the rate in surgical and cardiac ICU. For CAUTI, the rates per 1000 device-days were 2.19, 1.73, and 1.65 for medical, surgical, and coronary ICUs, respectively. The rate of CLABSI per 1000 device-days for pediatric and neonatal ICUs were 3.38 and 2.28, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: CAUTI was the most common infections among adult ICUs and medical ICU had higher rates than other adult ICUs. VAE rate was higher in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, indicating increased device-use, change in patients characteristics as well as possible change in practices across the ICUs.

Changes in healthcare managing COVID and non-COVID-19 patients during the pandemic: striking the balance.

Following the emergence of the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic, healthcare organizations began concentrating on the preparation for and management of the surge of COVID-19 cases while trying to protect the healthcare workers and other patients from getting COVID-19. Changing the way people work requires innovative approaches and questioning some long-held medical practices. There are multiple factors contributing to the apparent reduced utilization of healthcare services to non-COVID-19 patients. The current world crisis is highlighting the need of re-engineering the way we deliver inpatient and outpatient health care, including bolstering social support, in order to be prepared when the next calamity will present itself.

Traumatic subhyaloid macular hemorrhage with complete resolution following Neodymium-Doped Yttrium Aluminium Garnet Laser.

PURPOSE: To report a case of traumatic subhyaloid macular hemorrhage with severe sudden vision loss treated successfully with Neodymium-Doped Yttrium Aluminium Garnet Laser (Nd:YAG laser). OBSERVATIONS: A 16-year-old boy presented to the eye clinic with acute vision loss secondary to blunt trauma by a stone to his left eye 3 days prior to consultation that caused subhyaloid macular hemorrhage. Nd:YAG laser was performed to open the hyaloid membrane and allow the blood to diffuse into the vitreous cavity and be absorbed. The patient demonstrated complete recovery as his visual acuity went from counting fingers to 20/20 within 20 days. No complications due to the treatment were reported. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPORTANCE: To the best of our knowledge, there have been no reported cases of subhyaloid macular hemorrhage treated with Nd:YAG laser in which the etiology was trauma and showed full, rapid recovery with no sequelae.