Changes in hand hygiene compliance after a multimodal intervention and seasonality variation.

BACKGROUND: Hand hygiene is the most important measure to reduce health care-related infections and colonization with multiresistant micro-organisms. We sought to determine the rate and seasonality of handwashing compliance in a university-affiliated hospital. METHODS: In January 2006 (baseline period), handwashing observation was first made in an intensive care unit. From March to May 2006, there was an intervention period; and, from June 2006 to August 2009, we followed hand hygiene compliance. Seasonality curves for handwashing compliance were made during follow-up period. RESULTS: During baseline period, a total of 166 observations was made. During follow-up, 17,664 opportunities for hand hygiene were observed. Compliance improved from 30.0% to a mean of 56.7% after the intervention (P < .001). The highest mean rate of compliance was 77.9% for nurses, compared with 52.6% for technicians (P < .001) and 44.6% for physicians (P < .001). Compliance was lower during summer days (first trimester of the year) and increased after March and April and slowly decreased through the end of the year. CONCLUSION: One of the reasons for the lower handwashing compliance in the first 3 months of the year is that, in Brazil, this is the summer vacation time; and, because of that, the staff's workload and the number of less well-trained personnel are higher. We emphasize the importance of continuously monitoring hand hygiene to determine the seasonal aspects of compliance.

Hand hygiene, and not ertapenem use, contributed to reduction of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa rates.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of ertapenem use in Pseudomonas aeruginosa carbapenem resistance, taking into account the volume of antimicrobial consumption, the consumption by the entire hospital of alcohol-based antiseptic hand rub, and the density rate of invasive practices. DESIGN: Before-and-after trial. SETTING: A tertiary care university hospital in southern Brazil. METHODS: Ertapenem was first added to the hospital formulary in June 2006, and it was excluded in February 2009. We evaluated Pseudomonas aeruginosa resistance rates through 3 study periods: period 1, before ertapenem use (17 months); period 2, during ertapenem use (33 months); and period 3, after exclusion of ertapenem (15 months). RESULTS: After introduction of ertapenem, there was a significant decrease in median consumption of imipenem or meropenem, from 2.6 to 2.2 defined daily doses (DDDs) per 100 patient-days (level change from 0.04 to -1.08; P < .01), and an increase in the use of these medications after ertapenem exclusion, from 2.2 to 3.3 DDDs per 100 patient-days (level change from -0.14 to 0.91; P < .01), by segmented regression analysis. There was no difference in the incidence density of carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa infection related to ertapenem use throughout the study periods. However, by multiple regression analysis, the reduction in the rate of carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa infection correlated significantly with the increase in the volume of alcohol used as hand sanitizer, which was from 660.7 mL per 100 patient-days in period 1 to 2,955.1 mL per 100 patient-days in period 3 (P = .04). Ertapenem use did not impact the rate of carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa infection. CONCLUSIONS: Use of alcohol-based hand gel, rather than ertapenem, was associated with a reduction in the rates of carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa infection. Measures to reduce resistance must include factors other than just antimicrobial stewardship programs alone.

Avaliação do uso de cefazolina como profilaxia antibiótica em procedimentos cirúrgicos / Evaluation of cephazolin use as surgical-site infection prophylaxis in Hospital de Clínicas de Porto

Introdução: Infecções cirúrgicas são o segundo tipo mais frequente de infecção relacionada à assistência de saúde e tem sua incidência reduzida com a administração de antibioticoprofilaxia cirúrgica. Materiais e métodos: Foi realizado estudo transversal, de 01 de março a 30 de abril de 2010, observando-se a adequação do uso da cefazolina na profilaxia cirúrgica. A adequação foi avaliada conforme: 1. O tempo da primeira dose, 2. A dose utilizada, 3. Doses adicionais durante a cirurgia e 4. O tempo de manutenção do antimicrobiano após o procedimento. Resultados: Foram avaliadas 264 cirurgias com uso de cefazolina como antibioticoprofilaxia cirúrgica. Cirurgias limpas foram 85,6% da amostra, dessas 43,4% tinham implante de prótese. Todas as quatro etapas avaliadas estavam adequadas em 33,7% das cirurgias, e todas as etapas foram inadequadas em 2,3% das cirurgias. O tempo para a primeira dose estava correto em 66,3% dos procedimentos. Apenas um paciente teve administrada dose inadequada do antibiótico. Das cirurgias com mais de 3h de duração, em 46,5% foram realizadas doses adicionais da cefazolina. Quarenta e oito por cento dos pacientes receberam o antimicrobiano por mais de 24h. Em 6,1% destes pacientes foi feito o diagnóstico de infecção associada ao procedimento cirúrgico. Conclusão: Há uma baixa taxa de adequação da profilaxia cirúrgica com cefazolina no hospital. É necessária uma padronização desta profilaxia, com a instituição de um protocolo assistencial visando uniformizar as condutas para a prevenção da infecção de sítio cirúrgico no HCPA.

Aims: Surgical site infections are the second most frequent cause of healthcare associated infections, and their incidence is reduced with the administration of antimicrobial prophylaxis. Methods: This cross-sectional study, conducted from March 1 to April 30, 2010, evaluated adequacy and timeliness of cefazolin administration as surgical prophylaxis. Adequacy parameters were: (1) time to first dose; (2) cefazolin dose infused; (3) additional dose during surgery; and (4) duration of antimicrobial therapy after surgery. Results: Of a total of 264 surgeries evaluated, 85.6% were classified as clean, and prostheses were implanted in 43.4%. All steps of antimicrobial prophylaxis were adequate in 33.7% of the surgeries, and all steps were inadequate in 2.3%. Time to first dose was correct in 66.3% of the cases. Only one patient received an inadequate dose of the antimicrobial. Additional doses of cefazolin were administered in 46.5% of the surgeries that lasted more than 3 hours, and 48% of the patients received antimicrobial therapy for more than 24 hours. Surgical site infection was diagnosed in 6.1% of the patients. Conclusion: The rate of adequacy of surgical prophylaxis in the hospital was low. Standardized protocols and practices should be established to ensure adequate prevention of surgical site Infection in hospitals.

Política de prevenção da disseminação de germes multirresistentes no Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre / Policy for prevention of transmission of multidrug-resistant organisms at Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre

O aumento da incidência de germes multirresistentes (GMR) e a falta de opções terapêuticas a curto ou médio prazo representam um grande desafio aos hospitais no que se refere à prevenção da disseminação destas bactérias. Para a prevenção da transmissão de agentes infecciosos no ambiente hospitalar é preconizada a adoção de medidas de bloqueio epidemiológico. Essas políticas de bloqueio devem estar claramente estabelecidas, divulgadas aos profissionais de saúde e adotadas por estes a fim de minimizar a incidência de GMR. Revisamos aqui a política de prevenção da disseminação de germes multirresistentes no Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre.

The increasing incidence of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) and the lack of therapeutic options in the short and medium term pose a major challenge to hospitals with regard to preventing the spread of these bacteria. Infection control measures are recommended to prevent transmission of infectious agents in hospital settings. These infection control policies should be clearly established and disseminated among health professionals in order to minimize the incidence of MDROs. We reviewed a hospital policy for prevention of transmission of MDROs at Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, southern Brazil.

Política de antimicrobianos do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre: 2010 Comissão de Controle de Infecção Hospitalar / Antimicrobial stewardship program Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre: 2010 Infection Control Committee

Programas de controle de antimicrobianos (PCAs) têm o objetivo de promover o uso racional de antibióticos. O uso racional de antimicrobianos melhora a eficácia do tratamento, reduz os custos relacionados aos medicamentos, minimiza eventos adversos, e reduz o potencial surgimento de resistência bacteriana. A estrutura destes PCAs foi publicada pela Sociedade Americana de Doenças Infecciosas. Uma combinação de educação, formulários de restrição de prescrição, auditoria prospectiva em antimicrobianos, feedback ao corpo clínico, são formas de estabelecer um programa de sucesso. A adesão por parte dos médicos da instituição é fundamental para o bom andamento do programa. Os PCAs devem atingir a todos os médicos na instituição independentemente da função ou experiência do profissional. Para tanto, uma diretriz de uso de antimicrobianos deve ser criada para servir de embasamento para as condutas estabelecidas e os médicos devem ter acesso a estas diretrizes. Descreveremos, a seguir, a política de antimicrobianos do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre para o ano de 2010.

Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) promote the appropriate use of antimicrobials. The appropriate use of antimicrobials has the potential to improve efficacy, reduce treatment-related costs, minimize drug-related adverse events, and limit the potential for emergence of antimicrobial resistance. The structure for antimicrobial stewardship programs has been published by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. A combination of education, formulary restriction and pre-authorization, prospective audit with intervention and feedback are forms of establishing a successful program. Gaining physicians acceptance is crucial and ASPs must apply to all physicians irrespective of experience or function in the hospital. An evidence based antimicrobial guideline must be constructed with hospital leaders and accessed by all physicians to help to disseminated antimicrobial policies. We describe Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre antibiotic policies for the year of 2010.