COVID-19 clusters in a teaching hospital during the second wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in France: A descriptive study and lessons learned for waves to come.

A total of 92 coronavirus disease 2019 clusters involving 1,156 individuals (729 patients and 427 healthcare workers) occurred in Lyon University Hospital between September 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021, mostly on medical and geriatric wards. The number of clusters was closely correlated to the trend in coronavirus disease 2019 community incidence over time; in-hospital clusters did not persist when community incidence decreased. Recommended preventive measures were not fully applicable due to specific ward-associated determinants and patient characteristics.

Trends in the proportion of resistant bacteria involved in ventilator-associated pneumonia as the first hospital-acquired infection in intensive care units between 2003 and 2016 in Lyon, France.

The aim of this study was to describe the proportion of multidrug-resistant microorganisms (MDROs) involved in ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) as the first hospital-acquired infection in 536 adults with restricted risk factors for MDRO-related infection. We found a significant decrease in the percentage of MDROs involved in VAP between 2003 and 2016 and this percentage increased when VAP occurred after day 10.

How to save time in surveillance without losing quality: comparison of two methods of surgical site infection surveillance in orthopaedic prosthetics in a French university hospital.

Surgical site infection (SSI) surveillance methods are not standardised and are often time-consuming. We compared an active method, based on orthopaedic department staff reporting suspected SSI, with a semi-automated method, based on computerised extraction of surgical revisions, after total hip and knee arthroplasty. Both methods allowed finding the same SSI cases. We found the same sensitivity but higher specificity with a straightforward time gain using the passive method. This represents an added value for the organisation of an effective SSI surveillance, based on existing hospital databases.

Definition of healthcare-associated influenza: A review and results from an international survey.

AIM: To describe definitions of healthcare-associated influenza (HAI) in recent literature and in hospitals participating in a survey of Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) Research Network (SRN) members. METHOD: A review with PubMed search was undertaken to retrieve articles published between 2008 and 2016, focusing on the subject headings "influenza, human" and "cross infection." Definitions of clinical influenza-like illness (ILI) and HAI were identified. An invitation to participate in the survey was sent to 218 SRN members via email. RESULTS: Of 75 articles on HAI included in the review, 30 presented a standardized definition of clinical ILI based on fever (100%), cough (80%), and sore throat (70%). Forty studies (53%) contained a standardized HAI definition, grounded on threshold delay from admission in 29 of them, this delay ranging from 48 to 196 hour (median: 72 hour). Fifty-five SRN members responded to the survey, with a standardized definition of HAI adopted by 76% of them. This definition was based on clinical features for 24%, virological features for 31%, and both for 45%. Fever (mean threshold: 38.0°C) was part of the definition for 82%. The features required most frequently in the clinical definition were cough (46%) and sore throat (26%). Median threshold delay between admission and symptoms onset adopted for HAI definition was 48 hour (range: 24-96 hour). CONCLUSION: This work underlined the heterogeneity of HAI definitions in different countries. A standardized definition would be helpful to evaluate HAI spread, outcomes in patients and healthcare systems, and the impact of prevention measures, including vaccination.

Outbreaks of health care-associated influenza-like illness in France: Impact of electronic notification.

BACKGROUND: Mandatory notification of health care-associated (HA) infections, including influenza-like illness (ILI) outbreaks, has been implemented in France since 2001. In 2012, the system moved to online electronic notification of HA infections (e-SIN). The objectives of this study are to describe ILI outbreak notifications to Santé publique France (SPF), the French national public health agency, and to evaluate the impact of notification dematerialization. METHODS: All notifications of HA ILI outbreaks between July 2001 and June 2015 were included. Notifications before and after e-SIN implementation were compared regarding notification delay and information exhaustiveness. RESULTS: Overall, 506 HA ILI outbreaks were reported, accounting for 7,861 patients and health care professionals. Median delay between occurrence of the first case and notification was, respectively, 32 and 13 days before and after e-SIN utilization (P < .001). Information exhaustiveness was improved by electronic notification regarding HA status (8.5% of missing data before and 2.3% after e-SIN, P = .003), hypotheses of cause (25.4% of missing data before vs 8.0% after e-SIN, P < .001), and level of event control (23.7% of missing data before vs 7.5% after e-SIN, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: HA influenza notifications, including HA ILI or influenza, to health authorities are essential to guide decisional instances and health care practices. Electronic notifications have improved the timeliness and quality of information transmitted.

Nosocomial influenza: encouraging insights and future challenges.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The prevalence and incidence of viral nosocomial influenza infections in healthcare settings are underestimated. Nosocomial influenza outbreaks are frequent, and control remains challenging in acute care and long-term healthcare settings. This review examines recent publications on the determinants of nosocomial influenza prevention and control. RECENT FINDINGS: Nosocomial influenza outbreaks occur in various healthcare settings, especially among the frail and elderly. The correct diagnosis is commonly missed because a substantial proportion of asymptomatic cases can transmit infections. Rapid diagnosis will facilitate rapid identification of cases and the implementation of control measures but needs confirmation in some circumstances, such as the description of transmission chains. Links between patients and healthcare personnel (HCP) have been well explored by phylogenetic virus characterization and need additional refinement and study. The preventive role of HCP vaccination in influenza incidence among patients should be investigated further in various settings to take into account different strategies for vaccination (i.e. voluntary or mandatory vaccination policies). Indeed, in Europe, influenza vaccination remains modest, whereas in North America hospitals and some states and provinces are now mandating influenza vaccination among HCP. The variability of vaccine effectiveness by seasonal epidemics is also an important consideration for control strategies. SUMMARY: When influenza cases occur in the community, the risk of transmission and nosocomial cases increase in healthcare settings requiring vigilance among staff. Surveillance and early warning systems should be encouraged. Outbreak control needs appropriate identification of cases and transmission chains, and rapid implementation of control measures. Vaccination policies in conjunction with appropriate infection control measures could reduce virus spreading in hospitals. HCP vaccination coverage must be improved.