Acute kidney injury during treatment for latent tuberculous infection with rifampin.

Treatment for latent tuberculous infection (LTBI) is a key strategy for the elimination of tuberculosis. Rare adverse reactions associated with LTBI treatment have been reported. We report the only case of acute kidney injury reported to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveillance for LTBI treatment-related adverse events. The patient experienced rapid intravascular hemolysis, resulting in heme pigment nephropathy; he was hospitalized and received three hemodialysis treatments, but recovered without sequelae. While LTBI treatment-related adverse events are rare, health care providers should maintain clinical vigilance and regularly counsel patients to facilitate prompt diagnoses and effective clinical management of affected patients.

Disparities in tuberculosis between Asian/Pacific Islanders and non-Hispanic Whites, United States, 1993-2006.

SETTING: The United States (US) National Tuberculosis Surveillance System (NTSS), including 50 states, District of Columbia, and New York City. OBJECTIVE: To examine disparities in characteristics and rates of Asian/Pacific Islander (API) and non-Hispanic White tuberculosis (TB) patients. DESIGN: Descriptive analysis and logistic regression of selected 1993-2006 NTSS data. US Census Bureau Zip Code Tabulation Areas and geographic information system were used to compare API and non-Hispanic White TB patients by population density. RESULT: Of 253,299 TB cases, 19.8% were APIs and 23.2% were Whites; 94.2% APIs and 11.9% Whites were foreign-born. Factors that were most often associated with APIs were being female, age 15-24 years, extra-pulmonary TB, and drug resistance. APIs were less likely than Whites to be human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive, homeless, substance abusers, or on directly observed therapy. From 1993 to 2006, the API TB case rate declined by 42.9% vs. 66.6% in Whites (P < 0.01). Being foreign-born was the strongest risk factor for TB, regardless of population densities, but APIs were more likely to have TB than foreign-born Whites at lower population densities. CONCLUSION: Disparities in TB exist among US APIs and non-Hispanic Whites. TB program officials should allocate programs appropriately for foreign-born APIs in lower population density areas.

Infection control dogma: top 10 suspects.

As infection control evolved into an art and science through the years, many infection control practices have become infection control dogmas (principles, beliefs, ideas, or opinions). In this "Reality Check" session of the 4th Decennial International Conference on Nosocomial and Healthcare-Associated Infections, we assessed participants' perceptions of prevalent infection control dogmas. The majority of participants agreed with all dogmas having evidence of efficacy, except for the dogma on the frequency of changing mechanical-ventilator tubing. In contrast, the majority of participants disagreed with dogmas not having evidence of efficacy, except for the dogma on perineal care, umbilical cord care, and reminder signs for isolation precaution. As for controversial dogmas, many of the responses were almost evenly distributed between "agree" and "disagree." Infection control professionals were knowledgeable about evidence-based infection control practices. However, many of the respondents still believe in some of the non-evidence-based dogmas.

Association between implementation of CDC recommendations and ventilator-associated pneumonia at selected US hospitals.

BACKGROUND: To assess whether selected recommendations in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "Guideline for Prevention of Nosocomial Pneumonia" were being implemented and having an impact on the occurrence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) at US hospitals, we surveyed hospitals participating in the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (NNIS) system. METHODS: We mailed a questionnaire to the infection control practitioner of each NNIS hospital in 1995 and used data from the NNIS system to calculate annual rates of VAP. RESULTS: Of the 188 hospitals surveyed, 179 (95%) returned completed questionnaires. Of these, 175 (98%) had implemented the recommended change of mechanical-ventilator breathing circuits at 48-hour or greater intervals. Of 110 hospitals using the hygroscopic condenser-humidifiers or heat-moisture exchangers with ventilators, 102 (93%) changed the hygroscopic condenser-humidifiers or heat-moisture exchangers routinely, and of 98 hospitals using bubbling humidifiers, 96 (98%) used sterile water to fill these humidifiers. Other practices for which the guideline provides no recommendation and their frequency of use by NNIS hospitals include use of hygroscopic condenser-humidifiers or heat-moisture exchangers (110/179 [61%]) and use of bacterial filters in anesthesia machines (128/171 [61%]). There was a significant decrease in the VAP rate from 1987 to 1998. CONCLUSION: Most NNIS hospitals had implemented selected recommendations in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "Guideline for Prevention of Nosocomial Pneumonia" before the final publication of the revised guideline. Further studies are needed to assess the impact of these recommendations on the occurrence of VAP.

Nosocomial tuberculosis prevention measures among two groups of US hospitals, 1992 to 1996.

OBJECTIVE: To compare trends in nosocomial tuberculosis (TB) prevention measures and health-care worker (HCW) tuberculin skin test (TST) conversion of hospitals with HIV-related Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) patients and other US hospitals from 1992 through 1996. DESIGN AND SETTING: Surveys in 1992 and 1996 of 38 hospitals with PCP patients in four high-HIV-incidence cities and 136 other US hospitals from the American Hospital Association membership list. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-seven hospitals with PCP patients and 103 other US hospitals. RESULTS: In 1992, 63% of PCP hospitals and other US hospitals had rooms meeting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria (ie, negative air pressure, six or more air exchanges per hour, and air directly vented to the outside) for acid-fast bacilli isolation; in 1996, almost 100% had such isolation rooms. Similarly, in 1992, nonfitted surgical masks were used by HCWs at 60% of PCP hospitals and 68% at other US hospitals, while N95 respirators were used at 90% of PCP hospitals and 83% of other US hospitals in 1996. There was a significant decreasing trend in TST conversion rates among HCWs at both PCP and other US hospitals; however, this trend varied among all hospitals. HCWs at PCP hospitals had a higher risk of TST conversion than those at other US hospitals (relative risk, 1.71; p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: From 1992 through 1996, PCP and other US hospitals have made similar improvements in their nosocomial TB prevention measures and decreased their HCW TST conversion rate. These data show that most hospitals are compliant with CDC TB guidelines even before the enactment of an Occupational Safety and Health Administration TB standard.

Trends in compliance with the guidelines for preventing the transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis among New Jersey hospitals, 1989 to 1996.

OBJECTIVE: To determine trends in compliance with the guidelines for preventing the transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in healthcare facilities among New Jersey hospitals from 1989 through 1996. DESIGN: A voluntary questionnaire was sent to all 96 New Jersey hospitals in 1992. The 53 that responded were resurveyed in 1996. RESULTS: Of the 96 hospitals surveyed in 1992, 53 (55%) returned a completed questionnaire; 33 (64%) were community, nonteaching hospitals. In 1991, patients with tuberculosis (TB) were admitted at 38 (72%) of 53 hospitals, and from 1989 through 1991, patients with multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB were admitted at 15 (29%) of 52 hospitals. Twenty-nine (57%) of 51 reported having rooms meeting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) isolation. A nonfitted surgical mask was used as a respiratory protective device by healthcare workers (HCWs) at 28 (55%) of 51 hospitals. Attending physicians were included in tuberculin skin-testing (TST) programs at 5 (11%) of 45 hospitals. In the 1996 resurvey, 48 (94%) of 53 surveyed hospitals returned a completed questionnaire; 34 (81%) of 42 had TB patient admissions, and 4 (9%) of 43 had MDR TB patient admissions in 1996. Forty-five (96%) of 47 reported having rooms that met CDC criteria for AFB isolation. N95 respiratory devices were used by HCWs at 45 (94%) of 48 hospitals. Attending physicians were included in the TST programs at 22 (54%) of 41 hospitals. CONCLUSION: New Jersey hospitals have made improvements in availability of AFB isolation rooms, use of proper respiratory protective devices, and expansion of TST programs for HCWs from 1989 through 1996.

Are US hospitals making progress in implementing guidelines for prevention of Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission?

BACKGROUND: Outbreaks of tuberculosis (TB) in hospitals have occurred when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guideline recommendations for preventing the transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis were not fully implemented. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether US hospitals are making progress in implementing the CDC guidelines for preventing TB. METHODS: In 1992, we surveyed all public (city, county, Veterans Affairs, and primary medical school-affiliated) US hospitals (n = 632) and 444 (20%) random samples of all private hospitals with 100 beds or more. In 1996, we resurveyed 136 random samples (50%) of all 1992 respondent hospitals with 6 or more TB admissions in 1991. RESULTS: Of the 1076 hospitals surveyed in 1992, 763 (71%) respondents returned a completed questionnaire. Among these, 536 (71%) of 755 reported having rooms that met CDC criteria for acid-fast bacilli isolation, ie, negative air pressure, 6 or more air exchanges per hour, and air directly vented to the outside. The predominant respiratory protective device for health care workers was nonfitted surgical mask and attending physicians were infrequently (50%) included in tuberculin skin-testing programs. In the 1996 resurvey, 103 (76%) of 136 respondents returned a completed questionnaire. Of these, 99 (96%) reported having rooms that met CDC criteria for acid-fast bacilli isolation. The N95 respiratory protective devices were predominantly used by health care workers, and attending physicians were increasingly (69%) included in the hospitals' tuberculin skin-testing programs. CONCLUSIONS: Most US hospitals are making progress in the implementation of CDC guidelines for preventing the transmission of M tuberculosis.

Sanitary care and maintenance of ice-storage chests and ice-making machines in health care facilities.

In response to a reported hospital outbreak traced to the use of contaminated ice in 1968, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed an advisory regarding the sanitary care and maintenance of ice-storage chests and ice-making machines. CDC has revised this unpublished advisory several times during the years to respond to requests for guidance from infection control professionals. Because CDC continues to receive inquiries about this topic from infection control professionals, this advisory is being published.

Status of tuberculosis infection control programs at Texas hospitals, 1989 through 1991.

BACKGROUND: Paralleling the resurgence of tuberculosis (TB) in the United States, the reported number of persons with TB in Texas increased by 33% during 1985 through 1992, the third largest rise among all the states. This increase prompted us to survey hospitals in Texas to determine their degree of compliance with recommendations in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention TB guidelines. METHODS: In April 1992, we mailed a voluntary questionnaire about TB infection control practices, health care worker tuberculin skin testing procedures, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis laboratory methods to a convenience sample of hospitals in Texas. RESULTS: Of 180 hospitals surveyed, 151 (83%) returned completed questionnaires. Of these, 90 (60%) were nonteaching community hospitals; 28 (19%) were teaching community hospitals; 13 (9%) were university-affiliated hospitals; and 20 (13%) were other hospitals. The number of hospitals to which patients with TB were admitted increased from 98 (65%) in 1989 to 122 (81%) in 1991. Respondent hospitals had a mean of 183 acute care beds (median 100, range 5 to 999), 6 acid-fast bacillus isolation rooms (median 2, range 0 to 57) and 7.5 admissions/year of patients with TB (median 2, range 0 to 202). Of hospitals responding to specific questions, 20% (27/137) admitted patients with multidrug-resistant TB, 18% (25/140) reported not having any acid-fast bacillus isolation rooms, and 28% (35/125) had no rooms meeting all of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for acid-fast bacillus isolation (negative air pressure, > or = 6 air changes per hour, and air directly vented to the outside). The tuberculin skin test conversions among health care workers rose from 246 (0.6%) in 1989 to 547 (0.9%) in 1991. CONCLUSION: Although the number of Texas hospitals admitting patients with TB increased during 1989 through 1991, many facilities still did not have infection control practices consistent with the 1992 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention TB guidelines.

The infection control information system of the Hospital Infections Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In December 1990 the Investigation and Prevention Branch, Hospital Infections Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), developed the Hospital Infections Program infection control information system (HIP ICIS) to respond more efficiently to more than 200 public inquiries (telephone or written) that HIP receives daily. The HIP ICIS allows anyone with a Touch-Tone telephone, fax machine, or computer to access CDC information that answers the most commonly asked questions from infection control practitioners and other health care workers. The HIP ICIS has received approximately 56,608 inquiries; of these, 33% were about CDC guidelines on prevention and control of nosocomial infections, 25% about issues related to HIV, 16% about sterilization and disinfection of medical devices, 8% about methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, 3% about long-term care facilities, and 17% miscellaneous topics (e.g., nosocomial infection rates, infection control courses, and ventilation, construction, and renovation of hospitals). The HIP ICIS is an efficient method of providing infection control guidance to the infection control community. In this article, we a) review the history of the HIP ICIS, b) present data on HIP ICIS usage, c) summarize the current HIP ICIS contents, and d) present step-by-step instructions on how to access the HIP ICIS.

Status of tuberculosis infection control programs at United States hospitals, 1989 to 1992. APIC. Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

BACKGROUND: Recent nosocomial outbreaks have raised concern about the risk of Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission in United States hospitals. METHODS: To determine current tuberculosis (TB) infection control practices, we surveyed a sample of approximately 3000 acute care facilities about the number of patients with drug-susceptible or multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), health care worker (HCW) tuberculin skin test (TST) results, and compliance with the 1990 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) TB guidelines. Analyses were restricted to one response per hospital. RESULTS: Personnel at 1494 (49.8%) hospitals returned a completed survey. Respondent hospitals had a mean of 881 HCWs (range 8 to 10,000) and 196 (range 6 to 2450) beds; 62% percent were community nonteaching hospitals. Of respondent hospitals providing data for 1989 through 1992, the proportion that cared for patients with TB or MDR-TB increased from 46.4% to 56.6% and 0.8% to 4.5%, respectively. The pooled mean HCW TST positivity rate at hire rose from 0.95% to 1.14%, and the pooled mean HCW TST conversion rate increased from 0.40% to 0.51%. In 1992, when we compared hospitals with zero, one to five, or six or greater patients with TB, the risk of a positive HCW TST result at hire or at routine testing significantly increased with increasing number of patients with TB. From 1989 through 1992, the number of hospitals reporting the use of surgical masks for HCW respiratory protection decreased from 96.8% to 66.8%. In 1992, 66% of the hospitals reported compliance with four or more of the AFB isolation room criteria specified in the 1990 CDC TB guidelines. CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to prior surveys, this study shows that many U.S. community hospitals admit patients with TB less frequently than do teaching hospitals, and infrequently admit patients with MDR-TB. Because the risk of HCW TST conversion varies with hospital characteristics, these data show the importance of performing a risk assessment, as recommended in the CDC TB guidelines, for each ward and hospital so that TB control measures can be individualized.

U.S. hospital mycobacteriology laboratories: status and comparison with state public health department laboratories.

In response to the resurgence of tuberculosis, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the use of certain mycobacteriology laboratory methods to improve the accuracy of diagnosis and/or minimize times to complete specimen processing. A study to determine the extent to which these recommended methods were being used in hospital laboratories was needed. In 1992, a survey was mailed to infection control and laboratory personnel at 1,076 hospitals with > or = 100 beds to determine the mycobacterial laboratory services being performed, the methods being used, the number of specimens being processed, and the times to completion during 1991. In 1995, a 20% sample of hospital laboratories that responded to the initial questionnaire was resurveyed. Responses to the 1992 survey were received from personnel at 756 (70%) hospitals representing 750 laboratories. Among laboratories performing the services, the use of recommended methods was as follows: fluorochrome stain for acid-fast bacillus microscopy (47%); radiometric methods for primary culture (29%); rapid (radiometric methods, use of nucleic acid probes, high-performance liquid chromatography, or gas-liquid chromatography) methods for identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (59%); and radiometric methods for drug susceptibility testing (55%). Reported times to complete specimen processing were shortest for laboratories that used recommended methods and longest for hospitals that referred specimens to outside laboratories. Only 46% of surveyed laboratories performed at least the minimal number of mycobacterial cultures (20/week) deemed necessary to maintain competence. Among 145 laboratories that performed the services and were resurveyed in 1995, use of recommended techniques increased from 44 to 73% for acid-fast bacillus microscopy, from 27 to 37% for primary culture, from 59 to 88% for M. tuberculosis identification, and from 55 to 75% for drug susceptibility testing. These changes were associated with reductions in reported specimen turnaround times. Use of the methods recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention increased at the resurveyed hospital mycobacteriology laboratories between 1991 and 1995. However, continued efforts are needed to increase the use of recommended methods at moderate- and high-volume laboratories, encourage referral of specimens from low-volume laboratories, and transmit results rapidly from all laboratories.

SHEA-CDC TB survey, Part I: Status of TB infection control programs at member hospitals, 1989-1992. Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

OBJECTIVE: To determine trends in Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in healthcare workers, tuberculosis (TB) control measures, and compliance with the 1990 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guideline for preventing transmission of TB in healthcare facilities. DESIGN: Voluntary questionnaire sent to all members of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, representing 359 hospitals. RESULTS: Respondents' hospitals (210 [58%]) had a median of 2,400 healthcare workers (range, 396 to 13,745), 437 beds (range, 48 to 1,250), 5.6 patients with TB per year (range, 0 to 492), and 0 multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB patients per year (range, 0 to 33). Of 166 respondents' hospitals for which data were provided for 1989 through 1992, the number caring for MDR-TB patients increased from 10 (6%) in 1989 to 49 (30%) in 1992. Reported policies for routine healthcare worker tuberculin skin testing varied. The median skin-test positivity rate for healthcare workers at the time of hire increased from 0.54% in 1989 to 0.81% in 1992, but the median conversion rate during routine testing remained similar: 0.35% in 1989 and 0.33% in 1992. Among 196 hospitals with reported data on respiratory protection use for 1989 through 1992, the use of either surgical submicron, dust-mist, or dust-fume-mist respirators for healthcare workers increased from 9 (5%) in 1989 to 85 (43%) in 1992. Of 181 hospitals with reported data, 113 (62%) had acid-fast bacilli isolation facilities consistent with the 1990 CDC guideline (ie, a single patient room, negative air pressure relative to the hallway, air exhausted directly outside, and > or = 6 air exchanges per hour). CONCLUSIONS: While the number of surveyed hospitals caring for TB and MDR-TB patients increased during 1989 through 1992, TB infection control measures at many hospitals still did not meet the 1990 CDC guideline recommendations.

SHEA-CDC TB survey, Part II: Efficacy of TB infection control programs at member hospitals, 1992. Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of current Mycobacterium tuberculosis control measures. DESIGN: Voluntary questionnaire to members of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. RESULTS: Healthcare worker (HCW) tuberculin skin-test (TST) conversion rates were significantly higher in larger hospitals (> or = 437 beds) (0.9% versus 0.6%; P < 0.05), or in hospitals reporting > or = 6 TB patients in 1992 (1.2% versus 0.6%; P < 0.05). Among larger hospitals or those hospitals surveyed reporting > or = 6 TB patients, those without at least three of the four criteria suggested in the 1990 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) TB guidelines for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) isolation (specifically, a single-patient room; negative pressure; and air exhausted directly outside) had significantly higher annual TST conversion rates than those with these criteria (1.8% versus 0.6%; P < 0.05). Respiratory therapist or bronchoscopist TST conversion rates were significantly lower in hospitals compliant with the exhaust criteria (1.2% versus 2.8%; P < 0.05). Regardless of hospital characteristic, HCW TST conversion rates did not differ between hospitals in which HCWs used surgical masks or used disposable particulate respirators. CONCLUSION: Among larger hospitals or hospitals reporting > or = 6 TB patients per year, failure to comply with the 1990 CDC TB recommendations for AFB isolation room guidelines was associated with higher HCW TST conversion rates. These data suggest that complete implementation of the 1990 CDC TB guidelines would decrease HCWs' risk of nosocomial transmission of TB in larger hospitals or those reporting more TB patients. However, in nonoutbreak situations, disposable particulate respirators or submicron surgical masks may not offer significantly greater protection to HCWs than surgical masks.

Infectious diseases and death among nursing home residents: results of surveillance in 13 nursing homes.

An increasing proportion of the U.S. population resides in nursing homes (NHs). No surveillance system exists for infections in these facilities. To determine the incidence and types of infections in NH residents, and to identify predictors of death among residents with infections, we initiated a surveillance system at 13 NHs in California during a 6-month period from October 1989 through March 1990. The study included 1754 residents, among whom 835 infections were identified during the study period. The most common infections were urinary tract infections (UTIs; 286, 34.2%), respiratory tract infections (RTIs; 259, 31%), and skin infections (150, 17.9%). Of the 259 residents with respiratory tract infections, 69 (27%) had pneumonia. Antimicrobials were prescribed for 646 (77%) of the infectious episodes. Residents with pneumonia were more likely to die than residents with other infections (4 of 69 versus 12 of 766; P = 0.04). Symptoms of altered body temperature (fever, hypothermia, chills) and change in mental status also were associated with an increased risk of a fatal outcome (10 of 260 versus 6 of 575; P = 0.01) and (7 of 127 versus 9 of 708; P = 0.004). This study suggests that the most common infections among NH residents are UTIs, RTIs, and skin infections. Pneumonia, symptoms of fever, and mental status changes all were associated with increased mortality. The frequency of infections among NH residents and their impact on resident outcome highlights the need for infectious disease surveillance in this population.