ABSTRACT
Background: Multidrug-resistant pathogens are a major health problem in many countries. In Germany, in accordance with the German Antibiotic Resistance Strategy (DART), the surveillance of antibiotic consumption in acute care hospitals and rehabilitation facilities was made mandatory by the Infection Protection Act in 2011 and 2017. Whereas comparable reference data for acute care hospitals are available, such data is lacking for rehabilitation facilities. Therefore, the Rhine-Main network on MDRO (Multi Drug Resistant Organisms) has offered to evaluate the antibiotic consumption of the network's rehabilitation facilities. Antimicrobial consumption (if possible already given as daily defined doses, DDD) and patient days from 2016-2018 were requested. Materials and methods: By October 31, 2019, nine clinics, including a facility for early neurological rehabilitation, reported their consumption of antibiotics (mostly already as DDD) and patient days from 2016-2018. The information from the clinics was entered in an Excel table and the DDD calculated if necessary. In order to compare the facilities, the DDD/100 patient days (pd) were calculated for the individual active substances. Results: Antibiotic consumption in general rehabilitation facilities decreased slightly from 4.8 DDD/100 pd to 4.4 DDD/100 pd from 2016 to 2018. In early neurological rehabilitation, antibiotic consumption increased from 10.2 DDD/100 pd to 13.1 DDD/100 pd in the same period. Among the most commonly used antibiotics, cefuroxime came first, followed by ciprofloxacin and amoxicillin in third place. Discussion: To our knowledge, this is the first antimicrobial consumption data from rehabilitation facilities in Germany. Antibiotic consumption in general rehabilitation facilities is less than 10% of the consumption in normal/regular wards of acute care clinics, and the consumption in neurological early rehabilitation was approximately 10% of the consumption in intensive care wards within acute care clinics. Reserve or broad-spectrum antibiotics were rarely or not used at all in the rehabilitation facilities. Despite this overall positive situation, antibiotic stewardship should also be introduced in rehabilitation facilities, possibly with the support of the regional MDRO networks.
ABSTRACT
As of August 30, 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported 24,822,800 COVID-19 infections world wide. Severe disease and deaths occur especially in older people with chronic illnesses. Residents of nursing homes are considered to be the most vulnerable group. In this paper, the experiences with COVID-19 in nursing homes in Frankfurt will be presented and discussed. Materials and methods: Based on the data of the statutory reporting obligation, the reported COVID-19 cases are presented and incidences are calculated in different age groups and among residents of nursing homes. Outbreaks in various homes are described in detail based on the documentation from the public health department. Results: By August 28, 2020, 2,665 COVID-19 infections were reported in Frankfurt am Main (incidence 351/100,000 inhabitants), including 116 (4.3%) residents of nursing homes (2,416/100,000 residents). Almost half (39%) of all deaths in Frankfurt (n=69; incidence 9.1/100,000) were among nursing home residents (n=27; incidence 558/100,000 nursing home residents), with 22 of them in just one long-term care facility (LTCF). Compared to previous years, the mortality rate in nursing homes did not increase in the first half of 2020. In one home, 75% of residents tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and 25% died; in two other homes, 6.7% and 14.1% of the residents became infected, and the mortality rate was 0.5% and 1%, resp. In the other 42 homes in the city (3,906 beds), the infection rate remained below 1% and the death rate was 0.1%. Discussion: In many countries, 30-70% of all deaths occur among nursing home residents, including Frankfurt (39%). An increase in overall mortality compared to previous years was not observed in Frankfurt as a whole or in the nursing homes in the city specifically. Due to the measures taken (monitoring of residents and staff, nursing care in protective clothing, prohibition or restriction of visits, physical distancing, isolation of infected people and quarantining of contact persons), only individual cases of COVID-19 illnesses occurred in nursing home residents in most homes and the outbreaks in the three homes could be stopped. We do not recommend regular nontargeted testing in nursing homes, but rather vigilance and the implementation of good hygiene as well as immediate targeted testing if COVID-19 is suspected in residents or staff. In order to mitigate the considerable negative effects of these measures on the residents, a good balance should be sought between infection prevention and the goal of ensuring self-determination and the residents' quality of life.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: After a first large-scale study on multi-drug resistant organisms (MDRO) in rehabilitation facilities in 2014, the Rhine-Main network on MDRO carried out another investigation in 2019. With regard to the recently published KRINKO recommendations on multidrug resistant enterococci, now vancomycin -resistant enterococci (VRE) and multi-drug resistant gram-negative pathogens (3MRGN and 4MRGN, i. e. gramnegative organisms resistant against 3 resp. 4 groups of antiinfectiva) were investigated. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 16 hospitals took part, including one clinic for early neurological rehabilitation (ENR). Patient participation was voluntary. Rectal swabs were analyzed in a medical-microbiological laboratory (certified according to DIN ISO 15189) using standard methods (including MALDI-TOF-MS and VITEK 2 resistance testing according to EUCAST). By using the standardized questionnaire of the Europe-wide HALT examination (healthcare associated infections in long-term care facilities), patient characteristics (age, gender, hospital, surgical and MDRO medical history, Medical devices, current antibiotic therapy etc.) were collected. RESULTS: 928 patients took part in the study, 895 from general rehabilitation facilities (GR) and 33 from early neurological rehabilitation (ENR). 65% of GR patients (ENR 100%) had been hospitalized in the previous 6 months, 29% (ENR 100%) of the patients had been admitted directly from a hospital, 22% (ENR 64%) had received antibiotic therapy in the last 3 months. Medical devices were rarely used in GR patients with 1% overall, but often in the ENR with 61% urinary catheters and 36% vascular catheters. 2.2% (ENR 33.3%) of GR patients were colonized with VRE and 6.7% (ENR 18.2%) with 3MRGN; one patient exhibited a 4MRGN (ENR 0). DISCUSSION: Compared to our previous study, there were no significant changes in the patient characteristics. The VRE prevalence was low at 3.3%, the prevalence of 3MRGN was higher compared to 2014 (7.1% vs. 3.6%). Risk factors for VRE and 3MRGN colonization (significant increased odds ratio) were: history of hospital treatment and an increased need for care due to restricted mobility, incontinence and disorientation. In addition, previous antibiotic treatment and skin barrier injuries due to Medical devices or wounds were detected as further risk factors for VRE colonization.
