ABSTRACT
The Preparedness and Resilience for Emerging Threats (PRET) initiative takes an innovative mode-of-transmission approach to pandemic planning by advocating for integrated preparedness and response systems and capacities for groups of pathogens with common transmission pathways. The World Health Organization (WHO) launched this initiative in 2023 with the publication of PRET Module 1 addressing respiratory pathogens. Exercise PanPRET-1 is a customizable tabletop simulation exercise (TTX) package developed to complement PRET Module 1. The exercise scenario focuses on strengthening capacities for multisectoral coordination, risk communication and community engagement, and the triggers for operational decision-making. This article reports on the experiences of the first four countries to implement Exercise PanPRET-1: Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Lebanon and Mongolia. Exercise outcomes demonstrated that PanPRET-1 can be an effective tool for testing pandemic plans in a multisectoral forum and identifying opportunities to improve preparedness and response in key domains. In quantitative evaluations in Cook Islands, Costa Rica and Mongolia, high proportions of exercise participants indicated that multiple aspects of the exercise were well-designed and were beneficial for improving health emergency preparedness. Exercise participants in Lebanon provided qualitative feedback indicating that they found the exercise to be beneficial. Conducting a TTX and monitoring the implementation of action plans based on exercise findings facilitates a country-owned whole-of-society vision for pandemic planning. Countries are encouraged to incorporate TTX such as Exercise PanPRET-1 into a continuous cycle of activity to improve pandemic preparedness.
Subject(s)
Pandemics , Humans , Lebanon/epidemiology , Costa Rica/epidemiology , Pandemics/prevention & control , Mongolia/epidemiology , Simulation Training , Disaster Planning , Respiratory Tract Infections/prevention & control , Respiratory Tract Infections/epidemiology , COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19/prevention & controlABSTRACT
Introducción. Prevenir las infecciones adquiridas en los hospitales, en especial las causadas por microorganismos resistentes, es una prioridad. Por esta razón, Colombia inició la vigilancia nacional de estos eventos realizando una prueba piloto. Objetivo. Describir el comportamiento de las infecciones asociadas a dispositivos, resistencia bacteriana y consumo de antibióticos en instituciones con unidades de cuidados intensivos durante el 2011. Materiales y métodos. Se llevó a cabo un estudio observacional descriptivo en 10 instituciones de salud de Antioquia, Valle del Cauca y Bogotá. Se diseñaron protocolos de vigilancia para cada evento, implementados por profesionales de salud entrenados. Se diseñó una herramienta en línea para la notificación y análisis de tasas de infección, porcentajes de utilización de dispositivos y dosis diarias definidas de antibióticos. Mediante el software Whonet 5.6 se reportaron y analizaron los perfiles y fenotipos de resistencia bacteriana. Resultados. La infección del torrente sanguíneo fue la más frecuente (tasa mayor de 4,8 por 1.000 días-catéter), seguida de la neumonía asociada al respirador e infección urinaria asociada a catéter, con amplia variación entre instituciones. Se observó un mayor consumo de meropenem en las unidades de cuidados intensivos (dosis diarias definidas, 22,5 por 100 camas-día), resistencia elevada a carbapenémicos (>11,6 %) y cefalosporinas de tercera generación (>25,6 %) en enterobacterias en las unidades de cuidados intensivos y en otras áreas de hospitalización. El porcentaje de Staphylococcus aureus resistente a la meticilina fue mayor en otras áreas de hospitalización (34,3 %). Conclusiones. Se trata de la primera aproximación integral a la problemática de estos eventos en Colombia. Es necesario implementar la vigilancia nacional que permita orientar acciones gubernamentales e institucionales para la prevención y control de infecciones, contención de la resistencia y promoción del uso prudente de antibióticos acompañados de un proceso de seguimiento y supervisión.
Introduction: Preventing healthcare associated infections, especially for resistant microorganisms, is a priority. In Colombia, the surveillance of such events was started through a national pilot study. Objective: To describe the epidemiology of device-associated infections, bacterial resistance and antibiotic consumption patterns in institutions with intensive care units (ICU), 2011. Materials and methods: Descriptive observational study in 10 health institutions from three Colombian provinces: Antioquia, Valle del Cauca, and Bogotá. Surveillance protocols were designed and implemented by trained health professionals in each hospital. A web tool was designed for data reporting and analysis. Infection rates, device-use percentages and antibiotics defined daily dose (DDD) were calculated. Bacterial resistance phenotypes and profiles were reported and analyzed using Whonet 5.6. Results: The most common event was bloodstream infection (rate > 4.8/1000 catheter-days) followed by ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and catheter-related urinary tract infection, showing a wide variability among institutions. A high consumption of meropenem in the ICU (DDD 22.5/100 beds-day) was observed, as well as a high carbapenem resistance (> 11.6%) and a high frequency of third generation cephalosporins resistance (> 25.6%) in Enterobacteriaceae in ICUs and hospitalization wards. The percentage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was higher in hospitalization wards (34.3%). Conclusions: This is the first experience in measuring these events in Colombia. It is necessary to implement a national surveillance system aimed at guiding governmental and institutional actions oriented to infection prevention and control, to resistance management and to the promotion of antibiotics rational use, along with a follow-up and monitoring process.