Effect of Glove Decontamination on Bacterial Contamination of Healthcare Personnel Hands.

We examined the effect of glove decontamination prior to removal on bacterial contamination of healthcare personnel hands in a laboratory simulation study. Glove decontamination reduced bacterial contamination of hands following removal. However, hand contamination still occurred with all decontamination methods, reinforcing the need for hand hygiene following glove removal.

Preventing Viral Contamination: Effects of Wipe and Spray-based Decontamination of Gloves and Gowns.

We conducted a laboratory simulation to evaluate the contamination of environmental surfaces when using wipe vs spray methods of personal protective equipment (PPE) decontamination. We did not observe any environmental contamination with the bacteriophage MS-2 when bleach solution spray or wipes were used for PPE disinfection.

Carbapenem MICs in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella Species Producing Extended-Spectrum ß-Lactamases in Critical Care Patients from 2001 to 2009.

Extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae strains are increasing in prevalence worldwide. Carbapenem antibiotics are used as a first line of therapy against ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae We examined a cohort of critical care patients for gastrointestinal colonization with carbapenem-resistant ESBL-producing strains (CR-ESBL strains). We cultured samples from this cohort of patients for ESBL-producing Klebsiella spp. and Escherichia coli and then tested the first isolate from each patient for susceptibility to imipenem, doripenem, meropenem, and ertapenem. Multilocus sequence typing was performed on isolates that produced an ESBL and that were carbapenem resistant. Among all patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU), 4% were positive for an ESBL-producing isolate and 0.64% were positive for a CR-ESBL strain on surveillance culture. Among the first ESBL-producing E. coli and Klebsiella isolates from the patients' surveillance cultures, 11.2% were carbapenem resistant. Sequence type 14 (ST14), ST15, ST42, and ST258 were the dominant sequence types detected in this cohort of patients, with ST15 and ST258 steadily increasing in prevalence from 2006 to 2009. Patients colonized by a CR-ESBL strain were significantly more likely to receive antipseudomonal and anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (anti-MRSA) therapy prior to ICU admission than patients colonized by carbapenem-susceptible ESBL-producing strains. They were also significantly more likely to have received a cephalosporin or a carbapenem antibiotic than patients colonized by carbapenem-susceptible ESBL-producing strains. In conclusion, in a cohort of patients residing in intensive care units within the United States, we found that 10% of the isolates were resistant to at least one carbapenem antibiotic. The continued emergence of carbapenem-resistant ESBL-producing strains is of significant concern, as infections due to these organisms are notoriously difficult to treat.

Evaluation of the FilmArray Blood Culture Identification Panel: Results of a Multicenter Controlled Trial.

Sepsis is a major cause of morbidity, mortality, and increased medical expense. Rapid diagnosis improves outcomes and reduces costs. The FilmArray blood culture identification panel (BioFire Diagnostics LLC, Salt Lake City, UT), a highly multiplexed PCR assay, can identify 24 etiologic agents of sepsis (8 Gram-positive, 11 Gram-negative, and 5 yeast species) and three antimicrobial resistance genes (mecA, vanA/B, and blaKPC) from positive blood culture bottles. It provides results in about 1 h with 2 min for assay setup. We present the results of an eight-center trial comparing the sensitivity and specificity of the panel with those of the laboratories' standard phenotypic identification techniques, as well as with molecular methods used to distinguish Acinetobacter baumannii from other members of the A. calcoaceticus-A. baumannii complex and to detect antimicrobial resistance genes. Testing included 2,207 positive aerobic blood culture samples, 1,568 clinical and 639 seeded. Samples were tested fresh or were frozen for later testing within 8 h after the bottles were flagged as positive by an automated blood culture system. At least one organism was detected by the panel in 1,382 (88.1%) of the positive clinical specimens. The others contained primarily off-panel organisms. The panel reported multiple organisms in 81 (5.86%) positive clinical specimens. The unresolved blood culture identification sensitivity for all target detections exceeded 96%, except for Klebsiella oxytoca (92.2%), which achieved 98.3% sensitivity after resolution of an unavoidable phenotypic error. The sensitivity and specificity for vanA/B and blaKPC were 100%; those for mecA were 98.4 and 98.3%, respectively.

Comparative genomics of an IncA/C multidrug resistance plasmid from Escherichia coli and Klebsiella isolates from intensive care unit patients and the utility of whole-genome sequencing in health care settings.

The IncA/C plasmids have been implicated for their role in the dissemination of ß-lactamases, including gene variants that confer resistance to expanded-spectrum cephalosporins, which are often the treatment of last resort against multidrug-resistant, hospital-associated pathogens. A bla(FOX-5) gene was detected in 14 Escherichia coli and 16 Klebsiella isolates that were cultured from perianal swabs of patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) of the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) in Baltimore, MD, over a span of 3 years. Four of the FOX-encoding isolates were obtained from subsequent samples of patients that were initially negative for an AmpC ß-lactamase upon admission to the ICU, suggesting that the AmpC ß-lactamase-encoding plasmid was acquired while the patient was in the ICU. The genomes of five E. coli isolates and six Klebsiella isolates containing bla(FOX-5) were selected for sequencing based on their plasmid profiles. An ∼ 167-kb IncA/C plasmid encoding the FOX-5 ß-lactamase, a CARB-2 ß-lactamase, additional antimicrobial resistance genes, and heavy metal resistance genes was identified. Another FOX-5-encoding IncA/C plasmid that was nearly identical except for a variable region associated with the resistance genes was also identified. To our knowledge, these plasmids represent the first FOX-5-encoding plasmids sequenced. We used comparative genomics to describe the genetic diversity of a plasmid encoding a FOX-5 ß-lactamase relative to the whole-genome diversity of 11 E. coli and Klebsiella isolates that carry this plasmid. Our findings demonstrate the utility of whole-genome sequencing for tracking of plasmid and antibiotic resistance gene distribution in health care settings.

Characterization of Klebsiella sp. strain 10982, a colonizer of humans that contains novel antibiotic resistance alleles and exhibits genetic similarities to plant and clinical Klebsiella isolates.

A unique Klebsiella species strain, 10982, was cultured from a perianal swab specimen obtained from a patient in the University of Maryland Medical Center intensive care unit. Klebsiella sp. 10982 possesses a large IncA/C multidrug resistance plasmid encoding a novel FOX AmpC ß-lactamase designated FOX-10. A novel variant of the LEN ß-lactamase was also identified. Genome sequencing and bioinformatic analysis demonstrated that this isolate contains genes associated with nitrogen fixation, allantoin metabolism, and citrate fermentation. These three gene regions are typically present in either Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates or Klebsiella nitrogen-fixing endophytes but usually not in the same organism. Phylogenomic analysis of Klebsiella sp. 10982 and sequenced Klebsiella genomes demonstrated that Klebsiella sp. 10982 is present on a branch that is located intermediate between the genomes of nitrogen-fixing endophytes and K. pneumoniae clinical isolates. Metabolic features identified in the genome of Klebsiella sp. 10982 distinguish this isolate from other Klebsiella clinical isolates. These features include the nitrogen fixation (nif) gene cluster, which is typically present in endophytic Klebsiella isolates and is absent from Klebsiella clinical isolates. Additionally, the Klebsiella sp. 10982 genome contains genes associated with allantoin metabolism, which have been detected primarily in K. pneumoniae isolates from liver abscesses. Comparative genomic analysis of Klebsiella sp. 10982 demonstrated that this organism has acquired genes conferring new metabolic strategies and novel antibiotic resistance alleles, both of which may enhance its ability to colonize the human body.

Alcohol-based decontamination of gloved hands: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: The gold standard for hand hygiene (HH) while wearing gloves requires removing gloves, performing HH, and donning new gloves between WHO moments. The novel strategy of applying alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) directly to gloved hands might be effective and efficient. DESIGN: A mixed-method, multicenter, 3-arm, randomized trial. SETTING: Adult and pediatric medical-surgical, intermediate, and intensive care units at 4 hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: Healthcare personnel (HCP). INTERVENTIONS: HCP were randomized to 3 groups: ABHR applied directly to gloved hands, the current standard, or usual care. METHODS: Gloved hands were sampled via direct imprint. Gold-standard and usual-care arms were compared with the ABHR intervention. RESULTS: Bacteria were identified on gloved hands after 432 (67.4%) of 641 observations in the gold-standard arm versus 548 (82.8%) of 662 observations in the intervention arm (P < .01). HH required a mean of 14 seconds in the intervention and a mean of 28.7 seconds in the gold-standard arm (P < .01). Bacteria were identified on gloved hands after 133 (98.5%) of 135 observations in the usual-care arm versus 173 (76.6%) of 226 observations in the intervention arm (P < .01). Of 331 gloves tested 6 (1.8%) were found to have microperforations; all were identified in the intervention arm [6 (2.9%) of 205]. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with usual care, contamination of gloved hands was significantly reduced by applying ABHR directly to gloved hands but statistically higher than the gold standard. Given time savings and microbiological benefit over usual care and lack of feasibility of adhering to the gold standard, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization should consider advising HCP to decontaminate gloved hands with ABHR when HH moments arise during single-patient encounters.Trial Registration: NCT03445676.

Factors associated with patient-to-healthcare personnel (HCP) and HCP-to-subsequent patient transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

BACKGROUND: Transient acquisition of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on healthcare personnel (HCP) gloves and gowns following patient care has been examined. However, the potential for transmission to the subsequent patient has not been studied. We explored the frequency of MRSA transmission from patient to HCP, and then in separate encounters from contaminated HCP gloves and gowns to a subsequent simulated patient as well as the factors associated with these 2 transmission pathways. METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study with 2 parts. In objective 1, we studied MRSA transmission from random MRSA-positive patients to HCP gloves and gowns after specific routine patient care activities. In objective 2, we simulated subsequent transmission from random HCP gloves and gowns without hand hygiene to the next patient using a manikin proxy. RESULTS: For the first objective, among 98 MRSA-positive patients with 333 randomly selected individual patient-HCP interactions, HCP gloves or gowns were contaminated in 54 interactions (16.2%). In a multivariable analysis, performing endotracheal tube care had the greatest odds of glove or gown contamination (OR, 4.06; 95% CI, 1.3-12.6 relative to physical examination). For the second objective, after 147 simulated HCP-patient interactions, the subsequent transmission of MRSA to the manikin proxy occurred 15 times (10.2%). CONCLUSION: After caring for a patient with MRSA, contamination of HCP gloves and gown and transmission to subsequent patients following HCP-patient interactions occurs frequently if contact precautions are not used. Proper infection control practices, including the use of gloves and gown, can prevent this potential subsequent transmission.

Evaluation of hospital-onset bacteraemia and fungaemia in the USA as a potential healthcare quality measure: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Hospital-onset bacteraemia and fungaemia (HOB) is being explored as a surveillance and quality metric. The objectives of the current study were to determine sources and preventability of HOB in hospitalised patients in the USA and to identify factors associated with perceived preventability. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of HOB events at 10 academic and three community hospitals using structured chart review. HOB was defined as a blood culture on or after hospital day 4 with growth of one or more bacterial or fungal organisms. HOB events were stratified by commensal and non-commensal organisms. Medical resident physicians, infectious disease fellows or infection preventionists reviewed charts to determine HOB source, and infectious disease physicians with training in infection prevention/hospital epidemiology rated preventability from 1 to 6 (1=definitely preventable to 6=definitely not preventable) using a structured guide. Ratings of 1-3 were collectively considered 'potentially preventable' and 4-6 'potentially not preventable'. RESULTS: Among 1789 HOB events with non-commensal organisms, gastrointestinal (including neutropenic translocation) (35%) and endovascular (32%) were the most common sources. Overall, 636/1789 (36%) non-commensal and 238/320 (74%) commensal HOB events were rated potentially preventable. In logistic regression analysis among non-commensal HOB events, events attributed to intravascular catheter-related infection, indwelling urinary catheter-related infection and surgical site infection had higher odds of being rated preventable while events with neutropenia, immunosuppression, gastrointestinal sources, polymicrobial cultures and previous positive blood culture in the same admission had lower odds of being rated preventable, compared with events without those attributes. Of 636 potentially preventable non-commensal HOB events, 47% were endovascular in origin, followed by gastrointestinal, respiratory and urinary sources; approximately 40% of those events would not be captured through existing healthcare-associated infection surveillance. DISCUSSION: Factors identified as associated with higher or lower preventability should be used to guide inclusion, exclusion and risk adjustment for an HOB-related quality metric.

Direct Gloving vs Hand Hygiene Before Donning Gloves in Adherence to Hospital Infection Control Practices: A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Current guidelines require hand hygiene before donning nonsterile gloves, but evidence to support this requirement is lacking. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a direct-gloving policy on adherence to infection prevention practices in a hospital setting. Design, Setting, and Participants: This mixed-method, multicenter, cluster randomized clinical trial was conducted at 4 academic centers in Baltimore, Maryland, or Iowa City, Iowa, from January 1, 2016, to November 30, 2017. Data analysis was completed April 25, 2019. Participants were 3790 health care personnel (HCP) across 13 hospital units. Intervention: Hospital units were randomly assigned to direct gloving, with hand hygiene not required before donning gloves (intervention), or to usual care (hand hygiene before donning nonsterile gloves). Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was adherence to the expected practice at room entry and exit. A random sample of HCPs' gloved hands were imprinted on agar plates at entry to contact precautions rooms. The intention-to-treat approach was followed, and all analyses were conducted at the level of the participating unit. Primary and secondary outcomes between treatment groups were assessed using generalized estimating equations with an unstructured working correlation matrix to adjust for clustering; multivariate analysis using generalized estimating equations was conducted to adjust for covariates, including baseline adherence. Results: In total, 13 hospital units participated in the trial, and 3790 HCP were observed. Adherence to expected practice was greater in the 6 units with the direct-gloving intervention than in the 7 usual care units (1297 of 1491 [87%] vs 954 of 2299 [41%]; P < .001) even when controlling for baseline hand hygiene rates, unit type, and universal gloving policies (risk ratio [RR], 1.76; 95% CI, 1.58-1.97). Glove use on entry to contact precautions rooms was also higher in the direct-gloving units (1297 of 1491 [87%] vs 1530 of 2299 [67%]; P = .008. The intervention had no effect on hand hygiene adherence measured at entry to non-contact precautions rooms (951 of 1315 [72%] for usual care vs 1111 of 1688 [66%] for direct gloving; RR, 1.00 [95% CI, 0.91-1.10]) or at room exit (1587 of 1897 [84%] for usual care vs 1525 of 1785 [85%] for direct gloving; RR, 0.98 [95% CI, 0.91-1.07]). The intervention was associated with increased total bacteria colony counts (adjusted incidence RR, 7.13; 95% CI, 3.95-12.85) and greater detection of pathogenic bacteria (adjusted incidence RR, 10.18; 95% CI, 2.13-44.94) on gloves in the emergency department and reduced colony counts in pediatrics units (adjusted incidence RR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.19-0.63), with no change in either total colony count (RR, 0.87 [95% CI, 0.60 to 1.25] for adult intensive care unit; RR, 0.59 [95% CI, 0.31-1.10] for hemodialysis unit) or presence of pathogenic bacteria (RR, 0.93 [95% CI, 0.40-2.14] for adult intensive care unit; RR, 0.55 [95% CI, 0.15-2.04] for hemodialysis unit) in the other units. Conclusions and Relevance: Current guidelines require hand hygiene before donning nonsterile gloves, but evidence to support this requirement is lacking. The findings from this cluster randomized clinical trial indicate that a direct-gloving strategy without prior hand hygiene should be considered by health care facilities. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03119389.

Genome sequence of Klebsiella oxytoca 11492-1, a nosocomial isolate possessing a FOX-5 AmpC ß-lactamase.

Klebsiella oxytoca strain 11492-1 was isolated from a perianal swab culture from a patient at the University of Maryland Medical Center in 2005. The K. oxytoca 11492-1 draft genome contains multiple antibiotic resistance genes, including a FOX-5 AmpC ß-lactamase encoded on a large IncA/C plasmid.

Survival of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus spp. for an extended period of transport.

This study determined the survivability of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) for extended periods of time and temperatures using a standard swab for assessment. Our study showed that transportation in Liquid Amies medium could be performed at room temperature or 4°C for up to 14 days without a decrease in recovery of MRSA or VRE.

Development and evaluation of a structured guide to assess the preventability of hospital-onset bacteremia and fungemia.

OBJECTIVE: To assess preventability of hospital-onset bacteremia and fungemia (HOB), we developed and evaluated a structured rating guide accounting for intrinsic patient and extrinsic healthcare-related risks. DESIGN: HOB preventability rating guide was compared against a reference standard expert panel. PARTICIPANTS: A 10-member panel of clinical experts was assembled as the standard of preventability assessment, and 2 physician reviewers applied the rating guide for comparison. METHODS: The expert panel independently rated 82 hypothetical HOB scenarios using a 6-point Likert scale collapsed into 3 categories: preventable, uncertain, or not preventable. Consensus was defined as concurrence on the same category among ≥70% experts. Scenarios without consensus were deliberated and followed by a second round of rating.Two reviewers independently applied the rating guide to adjudicate the same 82 scenarios in 2 rounds, with interim revisions. Interrater reliability was evaluated using the κ (kappa) statistic. RESULTS: Expert panel consensus criteria were met for 52 scenarios (63%) after 2 rounds.After 2 rounds, guide-based rating matched expert panel consensus in 40 of 52 (77%) and 39 of 52 (75%) cases for reviewers 1 and 2, respectively. Agreement rates between the 2 reviewers were 84% overall (κ, 0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.64-0.88]) and 87% (κ, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.65-0.94) for the 52 scenarios with expert consensus. CONCLUSIONS: Preventability ratings of HOB scenarios by 2 reviewers using a rating guide matched expert consensus in most cases with moderately high interreviewer reliability. Although diversity of expert opinions and uncertainty of preventability merit further exploration, this is a step toward standardized assessment of HOB preventability.

Impact of a C. difficile infection (CDI) reduction bundle and its components on CDI diagnosis and prevention.

BACKGROUND: Published bundles to reduce Clostridioides difficile Infection (CDI) frequently lack information on compliance with individual elements. We piloted a computerized clinical decision support-based intervention bundle and conducted detailed evaluation of several intervention-related measures. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study of a bundled intervention was performed at 2 acute care community hospitals in Maryland. The bundle had five components: (1) timely placement in enteric precautions, (2) appropriate CDI testing, (3) reducing proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) use, (4) reducing high-CDI risk antibiotic use, and (5) optimizing use of a sporicidal agent for environmental cleaning. Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare measure differences. An interrupted time series analysis was used to evaluate impact on hospital-onset (HO)-CDI. RESULTS: Placement of CDI suspects in enteric precautions before test results did not change. Only hospital B decreased the frequency of CDI testing and reduced inappropriate testing related to laxative use. Both hospitals reduced the use of PPI and high-risk antibiotics. A 75% decrease in HO-CDI immediately postimplementation was observed for hospital B only. CONCLUSION: A CDI reduction bundle showed variable impact on relevant measures. Hospital-specific differential uptake of bundle elements may explain differences in effectiveness, and emphasizes the importance of measuring processes and intermediate outcomes.

Hand hygiene before donning nonsterile gloves: Healthcareworkers' beliefs and practices.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the perceptions and beliefs of health care workers (HCWs) regarding glove use and associated hand hygiene (HH) may be informative and ultimately improve practice. Research in this area is limited. This study examined the practices and beliefs of HCWs surrounding the use of nonsterile gloves and HH before gloving. METHODS: The study was conducted at 3 large academic US hospitals using a parallel convergent mixed-method design. To estimate compliance rates, the gloving and HH practices of HCWs were observed at entry to patient rooms for 6 months. Interviews were conducted with 25 providers, nurses, and nursing assistants to investigate their beliefs and perceptions of these practices. RESULTS: Observed HH compliance rates before gloving were 42%, yet in the interviews most HCWs reported 100% compliance. Observed compliance with gloving before entering contact precaution rooms was 78%, although all HCWs reported always gloving for standard and contact precautions. Most HCWs described using gloves more often than necessary. HCWs generally use gloves for their own safety and sanitize hands before gloving for patient safety. Numerous barriers to compliance with HH before gloving were discussed, including beliefs that gloves provide enough protection. CONCLUSIONS: HH and glove use are highly intertwined in clinical practice and should be considered jointly in infection prevention improvement efforts.

Comparing brief, covert, directly observed hand hygiene compliance monitoring to standard methods: A multicenter cohort study.

Hand hygiene compliance is subject to the Hawthorne effect, which may be attenuated by covert observers and brief observation periods. This study demonstrated that hand hygiene compliance rates were between 8% and 29% greater when reported by infection prevention programs than when reported by covert observers over brief observation periods.

Health care worker perceptions toward computerized clinical decision support tools for Clostridium difficile infection reduction: A qualitative study at 2 hospitals.

BACKGROUND: Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Computerized clinical decision support (CCDS) tools can aid process improvement in infection prevention and antibiotic stewardship, but implementation and health care workers (HCWs) uptake of these tools is often variable. The objective of this study was to describe HCWs' perceptions of barriers and facilitators related to uptake of CCDS tools as part of a CDI reduction bundle. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative study among HCWs at 2 acute care hospitals in Maryland. Semi-structured interviews and structured surveys were completed by HCWs to evaluate their perception to CCDS tools at 2 different stages: predevelopment and preimplementation. Emergent themes and patterns in the data were identified and condensed. RESULTS: Gaps in CDI-related knowledge and in communication between HCWs were identified throughout the evaluation. HCWs agreed on the potential of the tools to improve CDI diagnosis, prevention, and control. An important barrier for uptake was the perceived loss of autonomy and clinical judgment, whereas standardization and error reduction were perceived advantages. CONCLUSIONS: These observations shaped the development and implementation of the CDI reduction bundle. Qualitative findings can provide valuable contextual information during the development stages of CCDS tools in infection prevention and antibiotic stewardship.

Effect of meteorological factors and geographic location on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant enterococci colonization in the US.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the effect of meteorological conditions and geographical location on bacterial colonization rates particularly of antibiotic-resistant Gram-positive bacteria. We aimed to evaluate the effect of season, meteorological factors, and geographic location on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) colonization. METHODS: The prospective cohort included all adults admitted to 20 geographically-dispersed ICUs across the US from September 1, 2011 to October 4, 2012. Nasal and perianal swabs were collected at admission and tested for MRSA and VRE colonization respectively. Poisson regression models using monthly aggregated colonization counts as the outcome and mean temperature, relative humidity, total precipitation, season, and/or latitude as predictors were constructed for each pathogen. RESULTS: A total of 24,704 ICU-admitted patients were tested for MRSA and 24,468 for VRE. On admission, 10% of patients were colonized with MRSA and 12% with VRE. For MRSA and VRE, a 10% increase in relative humidity was associated with approximately a 9% increase in prevalence rate. Southerly latitudes in the US were associated with higher MRSA colonization, while northerly latitudes were associated with higher VRE colonization. In contrast to MRSA, the association between VRE colonization and latitude was observed only after adjusting for relative humidity, which demonstrates how this effect is highly driven by this meteorological factor. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, we are the first to study the effect of meteorological factors and geographical location/latitude on MRSA and VRE colonization in adults. Increasing humidity was associated with greater MRSA and VRE colonization. Southerly latitudes in the US were associated with greater MRSA and less VRE. The effect of these factors on MRSA and VRE rates has the potential not only to inform patient management and treatment, but also infection prevention interventions.

Comparison of molecular typing methods for the analyses of Acinetobacter baumannii from ICU patients.

Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as an important cause of healthcare-associated infections causing great morbidity and mortality. Despite its clinical importance, it is still unknown which molecular typing method is the best to determine or confirm institutional outbreaks as well as to identify epidemiologically related isolates from different geographical areas. To determine the most discriminatory molecular typing method, we isolated A. baumannii from perianal swabs collected from intensive care unit (ICU) patients in a cohort study during 2002 and 2008. Strains from each year were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), multi-locus sequence typing (MLST), and multi-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA). Genetic relatedness of the isolates was consistent between PFGE and MLST as well as between analyses of loci containing MLVA and MLST. Our data show that PFGE and MLVA are similar when discriminating between isolates and are both good methods to use when questioning whether two isolates are indistinguishable.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa Colonization in the Intensive Care Unit: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Clinical Outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonization on intensive care unit (ICU) admission, risk factors for P. aeruginosa colonization, and the incidence of subsequent clinical culture with P. aeruginosa among those colonized and not colonized. METHODS: We conducted a cohort study of patients admitted to a medical or surgical intensive care unit of a tertiary care hospital. Patients had admission perirectal surveillance cultures performed. Risk factors analyzed included comorbidities at admission, age, sex, antibiotics received during current hospitalization before ICU admission, and type of ICU. RESULTS: Of 1,840 patients, 213 (11.6%) were colonized with P. aeruginosa on ICU admission. Significant risk factors in the multivariable analysis for colonization were age (odds ratio, 1.02 [95% CI, 1.01-1.03]), anemia (1.90 [1.05-3.42]), and neurologic disorder (1.80 [1.27-2.54]). Of the 213 patients colonized with P. aeruginosa on admission, 41 (19.2%) had a subsequent clinical culture positive for P. aeruginosa on ICU admission and 60 (28.2%) had a subsequent clinical culture positive for P. aeruginosa in the current hospitalization (ICU period and post-ICU period). Of these 60 patients, 49 (81.7%) had clinical infections. Of the 1,627 patients not colonized on admission, only 68 (4.2%) had a subsequent clinical culture positive for P. aeruginosa in the current hospitalization. Patients colonized with P. aeruginosa were more likely to have a subsequent positive clinical culture than patients not colonized (incidence rate ratio, 6.74 [95% CI, 4.91-9.25]). CONCLUSIONS: Prediction rules or rapid diagnostic testing will help clinicians more appropriately choose empirical antibiotic therapy for subsequent infections.