The laboratory investigation, management, and infection prevention and control of Candida auris: a narrative review to inform the 2024 national guidance update in England.

The emergent fungal pathogen Candida auris is increasingly recognised as an important cause of healthcare-associated infections globally. It is highly transmissible, adaptable, and persistent, resulting in an organism with significant outbreak potential that risks devastating consequences. Progress in the ability to identify C. auris in clinical specimens is encouraging, but laboratory diagnostic capacity and surveillance systems are lacking in many countries. Intrinsic resistance to commonly used antifungals, combined with the ability to rapidly acquire resistance to therapy, substantially restricts treatment options and novel agents are desperately needed. Despite this, outbreaks can be interrupted, and mortality avoided or minimised, through the application of rigorous infection prevention and control measures with an increasing evidence base. This review provides an update on epidemiology, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, risk factors, identification and typing, resistance profiles, treatment, detection of colonisation, and infection prevention and control measures for C. auris. This review has informed a planned 2024 update to the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) guidance on the laboratory investigation, management, and infection prevention and control of Candida auris. A multidisciplinary response is needed to control C. auris transmission in a healthcare setting and should emphasise outbreak preparedness and response, rapid contact tracing and isolation or cohorting of patients and staff, strict hand hygiene and other infection prevention and control measures, dedicated or single-use equipment, appropriate disinfection, and effective communication concerning patient transfers and discharge.

Revised Infection Prevention Society (IPS) Competences 2018.

Competences for infection prevention and control (IPC) practitioners were first introduced by the Infection Control Nurses Association (ICNA) in 2000. In recent years, they have been revised by the Education and Professional Development Committee of the Infection Prevention Society (IPS). The competences are a multi-purpose tool to support and inform service and workforce development and management at an operational and strategic level. They can assist in designing education programmes, help with staff appraisal, personal development plans and support revalidation alongside developing team structures and requirements. They enable the practitioner to review their own current position of progression and clinical standing from the position of assisted, supervised and independent. These terms are designed to assist the user to express the level of competence at which they work. This may differ depending on the competences that are being explored. This current version of the IPS competences (2018) have been designed to reflect the current structures and practices within the health and social care economy. They have been redeveloped within an electronic interactive framework to encourage usability and assist with manageability and record keeping. The competency framework tool is intended as a guide; the idea is for the practitioner to focus on relevant aspects of the competences and combine with organisational and individual goals and revalidation where applicable.

The Control of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Blood Stream Infections in England.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) blood stream infection (BSI) is a major healthcare burden in some but not all healthcare settings, and it is associated with 10%-20% mortality. The introduction of mandatory reporting in England of MRSA BSI in 2001 was followed in 2004 by the setting of target reductions for all National Health Service hospitals. The original national target of a 50% reduction in MRSA BSI was considered by many experts to be unattainable, and yet this goal has been far exceeded (∼80% reduction with rates still declining). The transformation from endemic to sporadic MRSA BSI involved the implementation of serial national infection prevention directives, and the deployment of expert improvement teams in organizations failed to meet their improvement trajectory targets. We describe and appraise the components of the major public health infection prevention campaign that yielded major reductions in MRSA infection. There are important lessons and opportunities for other healthcare systems where MRSA infection remains endemic.

Longitudinal trends and cross-sectional analysis of English national hospital antibacterial use over 5 years (2008-13): working towards hospital prescribing quality measures.

OBJECTIVES: There is global concern that antimicrobial resistance is a major threat to healthcare. Antimicrobial use is a primary driver of resistance but little information exists about the variation in antimicrobial use in individual hospitals in England over time or comparative use between hospitals. The objective of this study was to collate, analyse and report issue data from pharmacy records of 158 National Health Service (NHS) acute hospitals. METHODS: This was a cohort study of inpatient antibacterial use in acute hospitals in England analysed over 5 years through a data warehouse from IMS Health, a leading provider of information, services and technology for the healthcare industry. Around 98% of NHS hospitals were included in a country with a population of 50 million residents. RESULTS: There was a dramatic change in the usage of different groups of antibacterials between 2009 and 2013 with a marked reduction in the use of first-generation cephalosporins by 24.7% and second-generation cephalosporins by 41%, but little change in the use of third-generation cephalosporins (+5.7%) and fluoroquinolones (+1.6%). In contrast, use of co-amoxiclav, carbapenems and piperacillin/tazobactam increased by 60.1%, 61.4% and 94.8%, respectively. There was wide variation in the total and relative amounts of antibacterials used between individual hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: Longitudinal analysis of antibacterial use demonstrated remarkable changes in NHS hospitals, probably reflecting governmental and professional guidance to mitigate the risk of Clostridium difficile infection. The wide variation in usage between individual hospitals suggests potential for quality improvement and benchmarking. Quality measures of optimal hospital antimicrobial prescribing need urgent development and validation to support antimicrobial stewardship initiatives.

Use of respiratory and facial protection.

Infectious microorganisms can be transmitted by various routes. Respiratory and facial protection is needed to prevent infection with organisms that are usually transmitted through the droplet/airborne route, or when airborne particles have been artificially created, for example during aerosol-generating procedures. Recent experiences with severe acute respiratory syndrome and pandemic (H1N1) influenza in 2009 highlighted that health professionals may have difficulty in choosing the correct facial and respiratory protection. The Scientific Development Committee of the Healthcare Infection HealtSociety established a working group to develop guidance addressing this issue.

Managing and preventing outbreaks of Gram-negative infections in UK neonatal units.

De novo guidance on the management of Gram-negative bacteria outbreaks in UK neonatal units was developed in 2012 by a Department of Health, England Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection working group. The recommendations included activation of an organisational response and establishing a control team when an outbreak is suspected; screening for the specific organism only during an outbreak; undertaking multidisciplinary reviews of cleaning routines, hand hygiene and Gram-negative bacteria transmission risks; considering deep-cleaning; cohorting colonised and infected babies preferably but not necessarily in isolation cubicles; and considering reducing beds or closing a unit to new admissions as a way of improving spacing and staff:patient ratios until the outbreak is under control. The group advised establishing mechanisms to communicate effectively across the network; informing parents of the outbreak as early as possible, and providing prewritten 'infection outbreak' information sheets. For prevention of outbreaks, the group advised meeting national staffing and cot-spacing requirements; following a Water Action Plan; using infection reduction care bundles and benchmarking; and introducing breast milk early and limiting antibiotic use.

Guidelines for prevention and control of group A streptococcal infection in acute healthcare and maternity settings in the UK.

Hospital outbreaks of group A streptococcal (GAS) infection can be devastating and occasionally result in the death of previously well patients. Approximately one in ten cases of severe GAS infection is healthcare-associated. This guidance, produced by a multidisciplinary working group, provides an evidence-based systematic approach to the investigation of single cases or outbreaks of healthcare-associated GAS infection in acute care or maternity settings. The guideline recommends that all cases of GAS infection potentially acquired in hospital or through contact with healthcare or maternity services should be investigated. Healthcare workers, the environment, and other patients are possible sources of transmission. Screening of epidemiologically linked healthcare workers should be considered for healthcare-associated cases of GAS infection where no alternative source is readily identified. Communal facilities, such as baths, bidets and showers, should be cleaned and decontaminated between all patients especially on delivery suites, post-natal wards and other high risk areas. Continuous surveillance is required to identify outbreaks which arise over long periods of time. GAS isolates from in-patients, peri-partum patients, neonates, and post-operative wounds should be saved for six months to facilitate outbreak investigation. These guidelines do not cover diagnosis and treatment of GAS infection which should be discussed with an infection specialist.

Letters.

WHO HAS UPDATE ON RESEARCH EDUCATING DOCTORS A NATIONAL RESOURCE? A HOLISTIC APPROACH MORE SAMPLES NEEDED A USEFUL RESOURCE THE APPLIANCE OF SCIENCE WILL THE PRICE BE RIGHT? COMMUNITY NEEDS DISPARITY IN CARE BACK TO BASICS INFECTION MATTERS PREACHING TO THE CONVERTED? SUPPORT FOR STAFF A NURSE-LED DISCIPLINE INNOVATION NEEDED PRESCRIBING IMPLICATIONS.