Pilot study to evaluate the need and implementation of a multifaceted nurse-led antimicrobial stewardship intervention in residential aged care.

Objectives: To evaluate the need and feasibility of a nurse-led antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programme in two Australian residential aged care homes (RACHs) to inform a stepped-wedged, cluster randomized controlled trial (SW-cRCT). Methods: A mixed-methods pilot study of a nurse-led AMS programme was performed in two RACHs in Victoria, Australia (July-December 2019). The AMS programme comprised education, infection assessment and management guidelines, and documentation to support appropriate antimicrobial use in urinary, lower respiratory and skin/soft tissue infections. The programme was implemented over three phases: (i) pre-implementation education and integration (1 month); (ii) implementation of the intervention (3 months); and (iii) post-intervention evaluation (1 month). Baseline RACH and resident data and weekly infection and antimicrobial usage were collected and analysed descriptively to evaluate the need for AMS strategies. Feedback on intervention resources and implementation barriers were identified from semi-structured interviews, an online staff questionnaire and researcher field notes. Results: Six key barriers to implementation of the intervention were identified and used to refine the intervention: aged care staffing and capacity; access to education; resistance to practice change; role of staff in AMS; leadership and ownership of the intervention at the RACH and organization level; and family expectations. A total of 61 antimicrobials were prescribed for 40 residents over the 3 month intervention. Overall, 48% of antibiotics did not meet minimum criteria for appropriate initiation (respiratory: 73%; urinary: 54%; skin/soft tissue: 0%). Conclusions: Several barriers and opportunities to improve implementation of AMS in RACHs were identified. Findings were used to inform a revised intervention to be evaluated in a larger SW-cRCT.

Evaluation of an Infection surveillance program in residential aged care facilities in Victoria, Australia.

BACKGROUND: Infection surveillance is a key element of infection prevention and control activities in the aged care sector. In 2017, a standardised infection surveillance program was established for public residential aged care services in Victoria, Australia. This program will soon be expanded to a national level for all Australian residential aged care facilities. It has not been evaluated since its inception. METHODS: The current study aimed to evaluate the Victorian Healthcare Associated Infection Surveillance System (VICNISS) Coordinating Centre Aged Care Infection Indicator Program (ACIIP), to understand its performance and functionality. A mixed methods evaluation was performed using the Updated Guidelines for Evaluating Public Health Surveillance Systems developed by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a framework. VICNISS staff who coordinate and manage the ACIIP were invited to participate in interviews. Residential aged care staff who use the program were invited to participate in a survey. Document analysis was also performed. RESULTS: Four VICNISS staff participated in the interviews and 38 aged care staff participated in the survey. The ACIIP is stable and able to be adapted quickly to changing definitions for infections. Users found the system relatively easy to use but have difficulties after the long intervals between data entry year on year. VICNISS staff provide expert guidance which benefits users. Users appreciated the benefit of participating and many use the data for improving local practice. CONCLUSIONS: The ACIIP is a usessful state-wide infection surveillance program for aged care. Further development of data validation, IT system capacity and models for education and user support will be required to support future scalability.

Identifying barriers and enablers to participation in infection surveillance in Australian residential aged care facilities.

BACKGROUND: Infection surveillance is a vital part of infection prevention and control activities for the aged care sector. In Australia there are two currently available infection and antimicrobial use surveillance programs for residential aged care facilities. These programs are not mandated nor available to all facilities. Development of a new surveillance program will provide standardised surveillance for all facilities in Australia. METHODS: This study aimed to assess barriers and enablers to participation in the two existing infection and antimicrobial use surveillance programs, to improve development and implementation of a new program. A mixed-methods study was performed. Aged Care staff involved in infection surveillance were invited to participate in focus groups and complete an online survey comprising 17 items. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using the COM-B framework. RESULTS: Twenty-nine staff took part in the focus groups and two hundred took part in the survey. Barriers to participating in aged care infection surveillance programs were the time needed to collect and enter data, competing priority tasks, limited understanding of surveillance from some staff, difficulty engaging clinicians, and staff fatigue after the COVID-19 pandemic. Factors that enabled participation were previous experience with surveillance, and sharing responsibilities, educational materials and using data for benchmarking and to improve practice. CONCLUSION: Streamlined and simple data entry methods will reduce the burden of surveillance on staff. Education materials will be vital for the implementation of a new surveillance program. These materials must be tailored to different aged care workers, specific to the aged care context and provide guidance on how to use surveillance results to improve practice.

Understanding patient and healthcare worker experiences and perspectives of multidrug-resistant organisms.

Objectives: Transmission of MDR organisms (MROs) such as carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) and VRE in healthcare facilities is a major issue globally. Knowledge gaps exist, including the impact of these microorganisms on patients, and healthcare worker understanding of infection control approaches for MROs. This study aimed to explore patient and healthcare worker experiences and perspectives of MROs. Methods: A sequential exploratory mixed-methods study was performed at a large metropolitan acute and subacute hospital. This involved semi-structured face-to-face interviews with patients with confirmed MROs to explore their understanding of these microorganisms and perceptions of their time in hospital. Healthcare workers participated in an online survey about their understanding of MROs and the care of patients with these microorganisms. Qualitative data were analysed using the COM-B framework, and were triangulated with the descriptive quantitative analysis. Results: The overarching theme from the triangulated data was uncertainty amongst both patients and staff about MROs. Insufficient explanations from staff left patients lacking a proper understanding of their diagnosis, and patients felt that staff did not always follow isolation protocols. Staff felt they did not receive enough education on MROs. However, patients felt that the overall care they received was very good, and most valued the privacy gained from being in isolation. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that there is a need to focus on new strategies of communication with patients and staff education to improve understanding of MROs and increase adherence to protocols.

An evaluation of influenza, pneumococcal and herpes zoster vaccination coverage in Australian aged care residents, 2018 to 2022.

BACKGROUND: For older persons, vaccination mitigates the harmful impact of vaccine preventable infections. Our study objectives were to evaluate in the Victorian public sector residential aged care services (PSRACS) (1) the existence of local vaccination policies and admission assessment practices, (2) the current documented status of resident influenza, pneumococcal and herpes zoster vaccination uptake and (3) changes in documented resident vaccination uptake over time. METHODS: Standardised data were annually reported by all PSRACS between 2018 and 2022. The influenza, pneumococcal and herpes zoster vaccination status of each resident was classified as vaccinated, declined, contraindicated or unknown. Annual trends in vaccination status were assessed using Spearman's correlation. RESULTS: In 2022, most PSRACS reported an influenza immunisation policy existed (87.1%) and new residents were assessed for their influenza vaccination status (97.2%); fewer PSRACS reported the same for pneumococcal disease (73.1% and 78.9%) and herpes zoster (69.3% and 75.6%). The median resident influenza, pneumococcal and herpes zoster (70-79 years old) vaccination uptake was 86.8%, 32.8% and 19.3% respectively. The median unknown status was 6.9%, 63.0% and 76.0% respectively. Statistical evidence of an increase in annual uptake was observed for the herpes zoster (all resident) surveillance module (rs = 0.900, p = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed local influenza vaccination policies and practices exist and influenza vaccination uptake was consistently high. Pneumococcal and herpes zoster vaccination uptake were lower. Quality improvement strategies that at least determine the status of those residents classified as unknown are required.

Implementation of an antimicrobial stewardship program in the Australian private hospital system: qualitative study of attitudes to antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial stewardship.

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) is a key method to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In Australia, private hospitals have a higher rate of inappropriate prescribing and non-compliance with antimicrobial guidelines, yet this phenomenon is poorly described. Private hospitals make up 49% of hospitals in Australia, making it vital to understand AMS in this setting. METHODS: This study aimed to explore capabilities, opportunities and motivations for AMR and AMS with stakeholders at an Australian private hospital, and identify barriers and enablers 5 years post-implementation of an AMS program comparing with pre-implementation findings. A mixed-methods study was performed, involving three focus groups with stakeholders. All doctors, nurses and pharmacists at the hospital were invited to complete a survey on their experiences with and awareness of AMR, AMS and antimicrobial prescribing. RESULTS: Thirteen staff took part in the focus groups, 100 staff responded to the survey. Staff understood the importance of the AMS program, but active engagement was low. Staff felt more thorough feedback and monitoring could improve prescribing behaviour, but acknowledged difficulty in private hospitals in changing habits of staff who valued autonomy in making prescribing decisions. Half of respondents felt the current AMS restrictions should continue. Executive engagement may be needed to drive system changes across a complex network. CONCLUSION: AMS awareness increased post-implementation, but staff remained sceptical of its benefits. Engagement and education of medical consultants regarding local benefits of AMS must improve. Enhanced understanding of feedback provision, methods for engagement, and advocacy from leadership will ensure success and longevity for the program.

Randomised Controlled Trials of Alcohol-Based Surgical Site Skin Preparation for the Prevention of Surgical Site Infections: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

(1) Background: Surgical site skin preparation is an important approach to prevent postoperative wound infections. International guidelines recommend that alcohol-based combinations be used, however, the optimal combination remains uncertain. This study compares the effectiveness of alcohol-based chlorhexidine and alcohol-based iodophor for surgical site skin preparation for prevention of surgical site infections (SSIs). (2) Methods: Randomised controlled trials comparing alcohol-based interventions for surgical site skin preparation were included. The proportion of SSIs was compared using risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). The meta-analysis was performed with a fixed effect model using Mantel-Haenszel methods. As an a priori subgroup analysis SSI risk was examined according to different surgical procedural groups. (3) Results: Thirteen studies were included (n = 6023 participants). The use of chlorhexidine-alcohol was associated with a reduction in risk of SSIs compared with iodophor-alcohol (RR 0.790; 95% CI 0.669, 0.932). On sub-group analysis, chlorhexidine-alcohol was associated with a reduction in SSIs in caesarean surgery (RR 0.614; 95% CI 0.453, 0.831) however, chlorhexidine-alcohol was associated with an increased risk of SSI in bone and joint surgery (RR 2.667; 95% CI 1.051, 6.765). When excluding studies at high risk of bias on sensitivity analysis, this difference in alcohol-based combinations for bone and joint surgery was no longer observed (RR 2.636; 95% CI 0.995, 6.983). (4) Conclusions: The use of chlorhexidine-alcohol skin preparations was associated with a reduced risk of SSI compared to iodophor-alcohol agents. However, the efficacy of alcohol-based preparation agents may differ according to the surgical procedure group. This difference must be interpreted with caution given the low number of studies and potential for bias, however, it warrants further investigation into the potential biological and clinical validity of these findings.

Ushering in Antifungal Stewardship: Perspectives of the Hematology Multidisciplinary Team Navigating Competing Demands, Constraints, and Uncertainty.

BACKGROUND: The social, contextual, and behavioral determinants that influence care in patients at risk for invasive fungal diseases (IFD) are poorly understood. This knowledge gap is a barrier to the implementation of emerging antifungal stewardship (AFS) programs. We aimed to understand the barriers and enablers to AFS, opportunities for improvement, and perspectives of AFS for hematology patients at a major medical center in Australia. METHODS: Semistructured, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 35 clinicians from 6 specialties (hematology, infectious diseases, pharmacy, nursing, radiology, respiratory), followed by thematic analysis mapped to a behavioral change framework. RESULTS: Access to fungal diagnostics including bronchoscopy was identified as the key barrier to rational prescribing. Collective decision making was the norm, aided by an embedded stewardship model with on-demand access to infectious diseases expertise. Poor self-efficacy/knowledge among prescribers was actually an enabler of AFS, because clinicians willingly deferred to infectious diseases for advice. A growing outpatient population characterized by frequent care transitions was seen as an opportunity for AFS but neglected by an inpatient focused model, as was keeping pace with emerging fungal risks. Ad hoc surveillance, audit, and feedback practices frustrated population-level quality improvement for all actors. Antifungal stewardship was perceived as a specialized area that should be integrated within antimicrobial stewardship but aligned with the cultural expectations of hematologists. CONCLUSIONS: Antifungal stewardship is multifaceted, with fungal diagnostics a critical gap and outpatients a neglected area. Formal surveillance, audit, and feedback mechanisms are essential for population-level quality improvement. Resourcing is the next challenge because complex immunocompromised patients require personalized attention and audit of clinical outcomes including IFD is difficult.

Perioperative antimicrobial decision making: Focused ethnography study in orthopedic and cardiothoracic surgeries in an Australian hospital.

OBJECTIVE: Antimicrobial use in the surgical setting is common and frequently inappropriate. Understanding the behavioral context of antimicrobial use is a critical step to developing stewardship programs. DESIGN: In this study, we employed qualitative methodologies to describe the phenomenon of antimicrobial use in 2 surgical units: orthopedic surgery and cardiothoracic surgery. SETTING: This study was conducted at a public, quaternary, university-affiliated hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Healthcare professionals from the 2 surgical unit teams participated in the study. METHODS: We used focused ethnographic and face-to-face semi-structured interviews to observe antimicrobial decision-making behaviors across the patient's journey from the preadmission clinic to the operating room to the postoperative ward. RESULTS: We identified 4 key themes influencing decision making in the surgical setting. Compartmentalized communication (theme 1) was observed with demarcated roles and defined pathways for communication (theme 2). Antimicrobial decisions in the operating room were driven by the most senior members of the team. These decisions, however, were delegated to more junior members of staff in the ward and clinic environment (theme 3). Throughout the patient's journey, communication with the patient about antimicrobial use was limited (theme 4). CONCLUSIONS: Approaches to decision making in surgery are highly structured. Although this structure appears to facilitate smooth flow of responsibility, more junior members of the staff may be disempowered. In addition, opportunities for shared decision making with patients were limited. Antimicrobial stewardship programs need to recognize the hierarchal structure as well as opportunities to engage the patient in shared decision making.

Quantification of T-Cell and B-Cell Replication History in Aging, Immunodeficiency, and Newborn Screening.

Quantification of T-cell receptor excision circles (TRECs) has impacted on human T-cell research, but interpretations on T-cell replication have been limited due to the lack of a genomic coding joint. We here overcome this limitation with multiplex TRG rearrangement quantification (detecting ~0.98 alleles per TCRαß+ T cell) and the HSB-2 cell line with a retrovirally introduced TREC construct. We uncovered <5 cell divisions in naive and >10 cell divisions in effector memory T-cell subsets. Furthermore, we show that TREC dilution with age in healthy adults results mainly from increased T cell replication history. This proliferation was significantly increased in patients with predominantly antibody deficiency. Finally, Guthrie cards of neonates with Down syndrome have fewer T and B cells than controls, with similar T-cell and slightly higher B-cell replication. Thus, combined analysis of TRG coding joints and TREC signal joints can be utilized to quantify in vivo T-cell replication, and has direct applications for research into aging, immunodeficiency, and newborn screening.