A survey of infection prevention and animal-assisted activity policies in health care facilities-United States, 2023.

In a survey of 104 US infectious disease specialists, 88% reported working in facilities that allow animal-assisted activities or pet visitation. Variability existed in the species of animals allowed, restricted areas, and veterinary assessments, demonstrating a need to standardize infection prevention approaches across health care facilities to mitigate potential risks.

Assessing past versus present severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection: A survey of criteria for discontinuing precautions in asymptomatic patients testing positive on admission.

Infection prevention program leaders report frequent use of criteria to distinguish recently recovered coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases from actively infectious cases when incidentally positive asymptomatic patients were identified on routine severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. Guidance on appropriate interpretation of high-sensitivity molecular tests can prevent harm from unnecessary precautions that delay admission and impede medical care.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection prevention practices that exceed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance: Balancing extra caution against impediments to care.

In a survey of infection prevention programs, leaders reported frequent clinical and infection prevention practice modifications to avoid coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) exposure that exceeded national guidance. Future pandemic responses should emphasize balanced approaches to precautions, prioritize educational campaigns to manage safety concerns, and generate an evidence-base that can guide appropriate infection prevention practices.

Characterizing the relationship between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and central-line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) and assessing the impact of a nursing-focused CLABSI reduction intervention during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on CLABSI rate and characterize the patients who developed a CLABSI. We also examined the impact of a CLABSI-reduction quality-improvement project in patients with and without COVID-19. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort analysis. SETTING: Academic 889-bed tertiary-care teaching hospital in urban Los Angeles. PATIENTS OR PARTICIPANTS: Inpatients 18 years and older with CLABSI as defined by the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). INTERVENTION(S): CLABSI rate and patient characteristics were analyzed for 2 cohorts during the pandemic era (March 2020-August 2021): COVID-19 CLABSI patients and non-COVID-19 CLABSI patients, based on diagnosis of COVID-19 during admission. Secondary analyses were non-COVID-19 CLABSI rate versus a historical control period (2019), ICU CLABSI rate in COVID-19 versus non-COVID-19 patients, and CLABSI rates before and after a quality- improvement initiative. RESULTS: The rate of COVID-19 CLABSI was significantly higher than non-COVID-19 CLABSI. We did not detect a difference between the non-COVID-19 CLABSI rate and the historical control. COVID-19 CLABSIs occurred predominantly in the ICU, and the ICU COVID-19 CLABSI rate was significantly higher than the ICU non-COVID-19 CLABSI rate. A hospital-wide quality-improvement initiative reduced the rate of non-COVID-19 CLABSI but not COVID-19 CLABSI. CONCLUSIONS: Patients hospitalized for COVID-19 have a significantly higher CLABSI rate, particularly in the ICU setting. Reasons for this increase are likely multifactorial, including both patient-specific and process-related issues. Focused quality-improvement efforts were effective in reducing CLABSI rates in non-COVID-19 patients but were less effective in COVID-19 patients.

Transmission risk of severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to healthcare personnel following unanticipated exposure to aerosol-generating procedures: Experience from epidemiologic investigations at an academic medical center.

Healthcare personnel (HCP) with unprotected exposures to aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) on patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are at risk of infection with severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). A retrospective review at an academic medical center demonstrated an infection rate of <1% among HCP involved in AGPs without a respirator and/or eye protection.

Developing a Rapid Response Single IRB Model for Conducting Research During a Public Health Emergency.

Research is foundational for evidence-based management of patients. Clinical research, however, takes time to plan, conduct, and disseminate-a luxury that is rarely available during a public health emergency. The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) developed a single institutional review board (IRB), with a vision to establish a rapid review resource for a network focused on clinical research of emerging pathogens in the United States. A core aspect of successful initiation of research during a pandemic or epidemic is the ability to operationalize an approach for rapid ethical review of human subject research and conduct those reviews at multiple sites-without losing any of the substantive aspects of ethics review. This process must be cultivated in anticipation of a public health emergency. US guidance for operationalizing IRB review for multisite research in a public health emergency is not well studied and processes are not well established. UNMC sought to address operational gaps and identify the unique procedural needs of rapid response single IRB (RR-sIRB) review of multisite research by conducting a series of preparedness exercises to develop and test the RR-sIRB model. For decades, emergency responder, healthcare, and public health organizations have conducted emergency preparedness exercises to test requirements for emergency response. In this article, we describe 2 types of simulation exercises conducted by UNMC: workshops and tabletops. This effort represents a unique use of emergency preparedness exercises to develop, refine, and test rapid review functions for an sIRB and to validate readiness of regulatory research processes. Such processes are crucial for conducting rapid, ethical, and sound clinical research in public health emergencies.

Contributions of the Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Centers to the US COVID-19 Pandemic Response.

The National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC) was established in 2015 to improve the capabilities of healthcare facilities to provide safe and effective care to patients with Ebola and other special pathogens in the United States. Through NETEC, a collaborative network of 10 Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Centers (RESPTCs) undertook readiness activities that included potential respiratory pathogens. These preparations, which took place before the COVID-19 pandemic, established a foundation of readiness that enabled RESPTCs to play a pivotal role in the US COVID-19 pandemic response. As initial COVID-19 cases were detected in the United States, RESPTCs provided essential isolation capacity, supplies, and subject matter expertise that allowed for additional time for healthcare systems to prepare. Through the Special Pathogen Research Network, RESPTCs rapidly enrolled patients into early clinical trials. During periods of high community transmission, RESPTCs provided educational, clinical, and logistical support to a wide range of healthcare and nonhealthcare settings. In this article, we describe how NETEC and the RESPTC network leveraged this foundation of special pathogen readiness to strengthen the national healthcare system's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. NETEC and the RESPTC network have proven to be an effective model that can support the national response to future emerging special pathogens.

A novel intervention: Implementation of a neutropenic infection-prevention bundle and audit tool in an oncology unit.

Infectious complications are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. Specific infection control practices targeting this patient population are widely endorsed, but little guidance exists on how to implement and monitor compliance with these practices. At our institution, we increased compliance with infection control measures by using a bundled neutropenic precaution (NP) audit and feedback tool.

Economic evaluation of quality improvement interventions to prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infections in the hospital setting: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Hospitals have implemented diverse quality improvement (QI) interventions to reduce rates of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs). The economic value of these QI interventions is uncertain. OBJECTIVE: To systematically review economic evaluations of QI interventions designed to prevent CAUTI in acute care hospitals. METHODS: A search of Ovid MEDLINE, Econlit, Centre for Reviews & Dissemination, New York Academy of Medicine's Grey Literature Report, WorldCat, IDWeek conference abstracts and prior systematic reviews was conducted from January 2000 to October 2020.We included English-language studies of any design that evaluated organisational or structural changes to prevent CAUTI in acute care hospitals, and reported programme and infection-related costs.Dual reviewers assessed study design, effectiveness, costs and study quality. For each eligible study, we performed a cost-consequences analysis from the hospital perspective, estimating the incidence rate ratio (IRR) and incremental net cost/savings per hospital over 3 years. Unadjusted weighted regression analyses tested predictors of these measures, weighted by catheter days per study. RESULTS: Fifteen unique economic evaluations were eligible, encompassing 74 hospitals. Across 12 studies amenable to standardisation, QI interventions were associated with a 43% decline in infections (mean IRR 0.57, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.70) and wide ranges of net costs (mean US$52 000, 95% CI -$288 000 to $392 000), relative to usual care. CONCLUSIONS: QI interventions were associated with large declines in infection rates and net costs to hospitals that varied greatly but that, on average, were not significantly different from zero over 3 years. Future research should examine specific practices associated with cost-savings and clinical effectiveness, and examine whether or not more comprehensive interventions offer hospitals and patients the best value.

Seroprevalence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in healthcare workers: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the extent of SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and the factors associated with seroprevalence across a diverse cohort of healthcare workers. DESIGN: Observational cohort study of healthcare workers, including SARS-CoV-2 serology testing and participant questionnaires. SETTINGS: A multisite healthcare delivery system located in Los Angeles County. PARTICIPANTS: A diverse and unselected population of adults (n=6062) employed in a multisite healthcare delivery system located in Los Angeles County, including individuals with direct patient contact and others with non-patient-oriented work functions. MAIN OUTCOMES: Using Bayesian and multivariate analyses, we estimated seroprevalence and factors associated with seropositivity and antibody levels, including pre-existing demographic and clinical characteristics; potential COVID-19 illness-related exposures; and symptoms consistent with COVID-19 infection. RESULTS: We observed a seroprevalence rate of 4.1%, with anosmia as the most prominently associated self-reported symptom (OR 11.04, p<0.001) in addition to fever (OR 2.02, p=0.002) and myalgias (OR 1.65, p=0.035). After adjusting for potential confounders, seroprevalence was also associated with Hispanic ethnicity (OR 1.98, p=0.001) and African-American race (OR 2.02, p=0.027) as well as contact with a COVID-19-diagnosed individual in the household (OR 5.73, p<0.001) or clinical work setting (OR 1.76, p=0.002). Importantly, African-American race and Hispanic ethnicity were associated with antibody positivity even after adjusting for personal COVID-19 diagnosis status, suggesting the contribution of unmeasured structural or societal factors. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: The demographic factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence among our healthcare workers underscore the importance of exposure sources beyond the workplace. The size and diversity of our study population, combined with robust survey and modelling techniques, provide a vibrant picture of the demographic factors, exposures and symptoms that can identify individuals with susceptibility as well as potential to mount an immune response to COVID-19.

Pre-existing traits associated with Covid-19 illness severity.

IMPORTANCE: Certain individuals, when infected by SARS-CoV-2, tend to develop the more severe forms of Covid-19 illness for reasons that remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: To determine the demographic and clinical characteristics associated with increased severity of Covid-19 infection. DESIGN: Retrospective observational study. We curated data from the electronic health record, and used multivariable logistic regression to examine the association of pre-existing traits with a Covid-19 illness severity defined by level of required care: need for hospital admission, need for intensive care, and need for intubation. SETTING: A large, multihospital healthcare system in Southern California. PARTICIPANTS: All patients with confirmed Covid-19 infection (N = 442). RESULTS: Of all patients studied, 48% required hospitalization, 17% required intensive care, and 12% required intubation. In multivariable-adjusted analyses, patients requiring a higher levels of care were more likely to be older (OR 1.5 per 10 years, P<0.001), male (OR 2.0, P = 0.001), African American (OR 2.1, P = 0.011), obese (OR 2.0, P = 0.021), with diabetes mellitus (OR 1.8, P = 0.037), and with a higher comorbidity index (OR 1.8 per SD, P<0.001). Several clinical associations were more pronounced in younger compared to older patients (Pinteraction<0.05). Of all hospitalized patients, males required higher levels of care (OR 2.5, P = 0.003) irrespective of age, race, or morbidity profile. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In our healthcare system, greater Covid-19 illness severity is seen in patients who are older, male, African American, obese, with diabetes, and with greater overall comorbidity burden. Certain comorbidities paradoxically augment risk to a greater extent in younger patients. In hospitalized patients, male sex is the main determinant of needing more intensive care. Further investigation is needed to understand the mechanisms underlying these findings.

Compassionate Use of Remdesivir for Patients with Severe Covid-19.

BACKGROUND: Remdesivir, a nucleotide analogue prodrug that inhibits viral RNA polymerases, has shown in vitro activity against SARS-CoV-2. METHODS: We provided remdesivir on a compassionate-use basis to patients hospitalized with Covid-19, the illness caused by infection with SARS-CoV-2. Patients were those with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection who had an oxygen saturation of 94% or less while they were breathing ambient air or who were receiving oxygen support. Patients received a 10-day course of remdesivir, consisting of 200 mg administered intravenously on day 1, followed by 100 mg daily for the remaining 9 days of treatment. This report is based on data from patients who received remdesivir during the period from January 25, 2020, through March 7, 2020, and have clinical data for at least 1 subsequent day. RESULTS: Of the 61 patients who received at least one dose of remdesivir, data from 8 could not be analyzed (including 7 patients with no post-treatment data and 1 with a dosing error). Of the 53 patients whose data were analyzed, 22 were in the United States, 22 in Europe or Canada, and 9 in Japan. At baseline, 30 patients (57%) were receiving mechanical ventilation and 4 (8%) were receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. During a median follow-up of 18 days, 36 patients (68%) had an improvement in oxygen-support class, including 17 of 30 patients (57%) receiving mechanical ventilation who were extubated. A total of 25 patients (47%) were discharged, and 7 patients (13%) died; mortality was 18% (6 of 34) among patients receiving invasive ventilation and 5% (1 of 19) among those not receiving invasive ventilation. CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort of patients hospitalized for severe Covid-19 who were treated with compassionate-use remdesivir, clinical improvement was observed in 36 of 53 patients (68%). Measurement of efficacy will require ongoing randomized, placebo-controlled trials of remdesivir therapy. (Funded by Gilead Sciences.).

Evaluation of the National Healthcare Safety Network standardized infection ratio risk adjustment for healthcare-facility-onset Clostridioides difficile infection in intensive care, oncology, and hematopoietic cell transplant units in general acute-care hospitals.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the National Health Safety Network (NHSN) hospital-onset Clostridioides difficile infection (HO-CDI) standardized infection ratio (SIR) risk adjustment for general acute-care hospitals with large numbers of intensive care unit (ICU), oncology unit, and hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) patients. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Eight tertiary-care referral general hospitals in California. METHODS: We used FY 2016 data and the published 2015 rebaseline NHSN HO-CDI SIR. We compared facility-wide inpatient HO-CDI events and SIRs, with and without ICU data, oncology and/or HCT unit data, and ICU bed adjustment. RESULTS: For these hospitals, the median unmodified HO-CDI SIR was 1.24 (interquartile range [IQR], 1.15-1.34); 7 hospitals qualified for the highest ICU bed adjustment; 1 hospital received the second highest ICU bed adjustment; and all had oncology-HCT units with no additional adjustment per the NHSN. Removal of ICU data and the ICU bed adjustment decreased HO-CDI events (median, -25%; IQR, -20% to -29%) but increased the SIR at all hospitals (median, 104%; IQR, 90%-105%). Removal of oncology-HCT unit data decreased HO-CDI events (median, -15%; IQR, -14% to -21%) and decreased the SIR at all hospitals (median, -8%; IQR, -4% to -11%). CONCLUSIONS: For tertiary-care referral hospitals with specialized ICUs and a large number of ICU beds, the ICU bed adjustor functions as a global adjustment in the SIR calculation, accounting for the increased complexity of patients in ICUs and non-ICUs at these facilities. However, the SIR decrease with removal of oncology and HCT unit data, even with the ICU bed adjustment, suggests that an additional adjustment should be considered for oncology and HCT units within general hospitals, perhaps similar to what is done for ICU beds in the current SIR.

Introducing a nursing maintenance bundle for patients with pulmonary arterial catheters.

We undertook a quality improvement project to address challenges with pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) line maintenance in a setting of low-baseline central-line infection rates. We observed a subsequent reduction in Staphylococcal PAC line infections and a trend toward a reduction in overall PAC infection rates over 1 year.

Optimizing utilization of beta-lactam surgical prophylaxis through implementation of a structured allergy assessment tool in a presurgical clinic.

In patients with ß-lactam allergies, administration of non-ß-lactam surgical prophylaxis is associated with increased risk of infection. Although many patients self-report ß-lactam allergies, most are unconfirmed or mislabeled. A quality improvement process, utilizing a structured ß-lactam allergy tool, was implemented to improve the utilization of preferred ß-lactam surgical prophylaxis.

The Special Pathogens Research Network: Enabling Research Readiness.

The 2013-2016 epidemic of Ebola virus disease (EVD) that originated in West Africa underscored many of the challenges to conducting clinical research during an ongoing infectious disease epidemic, both in the most affected countries of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, as well as in the United States and Europe, where a total of 27 patients with EVD received care in biocontainment units. The Special Pathogens Research Network (SPRN) was established in the United States in November 2016 to provide an organizational structure to leverage the expertise of the 10 Regional Ebola and Other Special Pathogen Treatment Centers (RESPTCs); it was intended to develop and support infrastructure to improve readiness to conduct clinical research in the United States. The network enables the rapid activation and coordination of clinical research in the event of an epidemic and facilitates opportunities for multicenter research when the RESPTCs are actively caring for patients requiring a biocontainment unit. Here we provide an overview of opportunities identified in the clinical research infrastructure during the West Africa EVD epidemic and the SPRN activities to meet the ongoing challenges in the context of Ebola virus and other special pathogens.

A Novel Approach to Infectious Disease Preparedness: Incorporating Investigational Therapeutics and Research Objectives into Full-Scale Exercises.

The use of investigational therapeutics in the care of patients with Ebola virus disease was documented in the literature following the 2013-2016 outbreak. In order to access these types of therapeutics, facilities must have processes in place to quickly and efficiently activate study protocols, obtain the medications, and administer them in a timely manner. Testing these procedures in advance of a real-world event is crucial to ensuring successful implementation and execution. Drills and exercises are routinely used as part of the emergency preparedness planning process, as they provide a low-risk environment in which to test plans and procedures. Including research activities in full-scale emergency preparedness exercises is a novel approach that should be considered when creating a comprehensive special pathogen program. One important aspect of creating an agile response program is developing and sustaining strong relationships with key collaborators. Including departments not previously engaged in infectious disease preparedness exercises provides a forum to strengthen these relationships, clarify roles, and identify gaps. This article describes the process used to incorporate research-centric objectives focused on the use of investigational therapeutics for Ebola virus disease into a full-scale exercise, the evaluation process used to measure the identified objectives, and the results of the exercise.

New Developments in the Prevention of Gastrointestinal Scope-Related Infections.

Gastrointestinal endoscopes are used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes and are the most common medical device implicated in health care-associated outbreaks. Infections can be divided into endogenous or exogenous. Exogenous infections were associated with lapses in reprocessing. Recent outbreaks have occurred despite compliance with reprocessing guidelines and highlight the challenges with clearance of all organisms from the duodenoscopes and the potential role of biofilms in hindering adequate reprocessing. This review provides an overview of recent developments and the current understanding of the key contributing factors related to gastrointestinal endoscope-related infections and current approaches to identify and prevent these complications.

A Roadmap to Implementing Antimicrobial Stewardship Principles in Long-term Care Facilities (LTCFs): Collaboration Between an Acute-Care Hospital and LTCFs.

Effective 28 November 2017, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) mandated long-term care facilities (LTCFs) to have antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) in place. Although guidance exists for establishing ASPs in LTCFs, limited data exist on the "how." As comprehensive ASPs already exist in many acute-care hospitals (ACHs) and with the known "sharing of patients" between both settings, extending ACH ASP expertise to LTCFs will not only aid LTCFs in complying with the CMS mandate but will likely also facilitate in decreasing multidrug-resistant organisms and Clostridium difficile infection rates in patients at both organizations. Here, we provide a roadmap on how to implement ASPs in LTCFs, using examples from our own ACH's collaboration with local LTCFs to develop and sustain LTCF ASPs. We discuss critical elements to achieving successful LTCF ASPs, including the potential barriers and how to overcome them.