Medical education during the COVID-19 pandemic: a reflection on the JHUSOM experience.

BACKGROUND: We sought to understand the relative risk of COVID-19 infection and identify risk factors for infection to identify targets for mitigation among medical students. METHODS: An observational cohort study of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine students was conducted from June 2020 to July 2021. Blood samples were collected and tested at three visits to assess for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, a questionnaire was administered at each visit to collect demographic information and assess potential social and behavioral risk factors. RESULTS: 264 students enrolled in the study, and 38 participants completed all study requirements by study end. Roughly 6% of the first- and second-year classes had a reported positive COVID-19 test compared to 5% of third- and fourth-year students. By visit 3, 92% of medical students had detectable antibodies against COVID-19 compared to 4% during the study enrollment period. From study enrollment to visit 3, there was a 10-fold increase in the percentage of students reporting attending large social gatherings and dining in restaurants. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, few COVID-19 cases were found among medical students, even those on clinical rotations. As the study progressed, students reported engaging in higher-risk social behaviors in conjunction with increasing vaccination rates among students.

A Survey of PICU Clinician Practices and Perceptions regarding Respiratory Cultures in the Evaluation of Ventilator-Associated Infections in the BrighT STAR Collaborative.

OBJECTIVES: To characterize respiratory culture practices for mechanically ventilated patients, and to identify drivers of culture use and potential barriers to changing practices across PICUs. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey conducted May 2021-January 2022. SETTING: Sixteen academic pediatric hospitals across the United States participating in the BrighT STAR Collaborative. SUBJECTS: Pediatric critical care medicine physicians, advanced practice providers, respiratory therapists, and nurses. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We summarized the proportion of positive responses for each question within a hospital and calculated the median proportion and IQR across hospitals. We correlated responses with culture rates and compared responses by role. Sixteen invited institutions participated (100%). Five hundred sixty-eight of 1,301 (44%) e-mailed individuals completed the survey (median hospital response rate 60%). Saline lavage was common, but no PICUs had a standardized approach. There was the highest variability in perceived likelihood (median, IQR) to obtain cultures for isolated fever (49%, 38-61%), isolated laboratory changes (49%, 38-57%), fever and laboratory changes without respiratory symptoms (68%, 54-79%), isolated change in secretion characteristics (67%, 54-78%), and isolated increased secretions (55%, 40-65%). Respiratory cultures were likely to be obtained as a "pan culture" (75%, 70-86%). There was a significant correlation between higher culture rates and likelihood to obtain cultures for isolated fever, persistent fever, isolated hypotension, fever, and laboratory changes without respiratory symptoms, and "pan cultures." Respondents across hospitals would find clinical decision support (CDS) helpful (79%) and thought that CDS would help align ICU and/or consulting teams (82%). Anticipated barriers to change included reluctance to change (70%), opinion of consultants (64%), and concern for missing a diagnosis of ventilator-associated infections (62%). CONCLUSIONS: Respiratory culture collection and ordering practices were inconsistent, revealing opportunities for diagnostic stewardship. CDS would be generally well received; however, anticipated conceptual and psychologic barriers to change must be considered.

Medical Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Reflection on the JHUSOM Experience.

Background: We sought to understand the relative risk of COVID-19 infection and identify risk factors for infection to identify targets for mitigation among medical students. Methods: An observational cohort study of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine students was conducted from June 2020 to July 2021. Blood samples were collected and tested at three visits to assess for the presence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, a questionnaire was administered at each visit to collect demographic information and assess potential social and behavioral risk factors. Results: 264 students enrolled in the study, and 38 participants completed all study requirements by study end. Roughly 6% of the first- and second-year classes had a reported positive COVID-19 test compared to 5% of third- and fourth-year students. By visit 3, 92% of medical students had detectable antibodies against COVID-19 compared to 4% during the study enrollment period. From study enrollment to visit 3, there was a 10-fold increase in the percentage of students reporting attending large social gatherings and dining in restaurants. Conclusions: Overall, few COVID-19 cases were found among medical students, even those on clinical rotations. As the study progressed, students reported engaging in higher-risk social behaviors in conjunction with increasing vaccination rates among students.

Sustainability of the Bright STAR Diagnostic Stewardship Program to Reduce Blood Culture Rates Among Critically Ill Children.

This quality improvement study evaluates whether pediatric intensive care units sustained reduced blood culture rates after participation in the Bright STAR collaborative from 2017 to 2020.

Application of Participatory Ergonomics to the Dissemination of a Quality Improvement Program for Optimizing Blood Culture Use.

BACKGROUND: Blood cultures are overused in pediatric ICUs (PICUs), which may lead to unnecessary antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance. Using a participatory ergonomics (PE) approach, the authors disseminated a quality improvement (QI) program for optimizing blood culture use in PICUs to a national 14-hospital collaborative. The objective of this study was to evaluate the dissemination process and its impact on blood culture reduction. METHODS: The PE approach emphasized three key principles (stakeholder participation, application of human factors and ergonomics knowledge and tools, and cross-site collaboration) with a six-step dissemination process. Data on interactions between sites and the coordinating team and site experiences with the dissemination process were collected using site diaries and semiannual surveys with local QI teams, respectively, and correlated with the site-specific change in blood culture rates. RESULTS: Overall, participating sites were able to successfully implement the program and reduced their blood culture rates from 149.4 blood cultures per 1,000 patient-days/month before implementation to 100.5 blood cultures per 1,000 patient-days/month after implementation, corresponding to a 32.7% relative reduction (p < 0.001). Variations in the dissemination process, as well as in local interventions and implementation strategies, were observed across sites. Site-specific changes in blood culture rates were weakly negatively correlated with the number of preintervention interactions with the coordinating team (p = 0.057) but not correlated with their experiences with the six domains of the dissemination process or their interventions. CONCLUSIONS: The authors applied a PE approach to disseminate a QI program for optimizing PICU blood culture use to a multisite collaborative. Working with local stakeholders, participating sites tailored their interventions and implementation processes and achieved the goal of reducing blood culture use.

Comparison of Administrative Database-Derived and Hospital-Derived Data for Monitoring Blood Culture Use in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

BACKGROUND: Optimizing blood culture practices requires monitoring of culture use. Collecting culture data from electronic medical records can be resource intensive. Our objective was to determine whether administrative data could serve as a data source to measure blood culture use in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). METHODS: Using data from a national diagnostic stewardship collaborative to reduce blood culture use in PICUs, we compared the monthly number of blood cultures and patient-days collected from sites (site-derived) and the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS, administrative-derived), an administrative data warehouse, for 11 participating sites. The collaborative's reduction in blood culture use was compared using administrative-derived and site-derived data. RESULTS: Across all sites and months, the median of the monthly relative blood culture rate (ratio of administrative- to site-derived data) was 0.96 (Q1: 0.77, Q3: 1.24). The administrative-derived data produced an estimate of blood culture reduction over time that was attenuated toward the null compared with site-derived data. CONCLUSIONS: Administrative data on blood culture use from the PHIS database correlates unpredictably with hospital-derived PICU data. The limitations of administrative billing data should be carefully considered before use for ICU-specific data.

Association of healthcare worker behaviors with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) risk during four pandemic periods and characteristics associated with high-risk behaviors.

In a large healthcare worker cohort, we quantified the association between behaviors and risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during different pandemic phases, adjusting for prior infection and vaccination. Individual characteristics, including personal concerns, were associated with these behaviors. Public health messaging should target high-risk populations and behaviors as the pandemic evolves.

Association of Diagnostic Stewardship for Blood Cultures in Critically Ill Children With Culture Rates, Antibiotic Use, and Patient Outcomes: Results of the Bright STAR Collaborative.

Importance: Blood culture overuse in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) can lead to unnecessary antibiotic use and contribute to antibiotic resistance. Optimizing blood culture practices through diagnostic stewardship may reduce unnecessary blood cultures and antibiotics. Objective: To evaluate the association of a 14-site multidisciplinary PICU blood culture collaborative with culture rates, antibiotic use, and patient outcomes. Design, Setting, and Participants: This prospective quality improvement (QI) collaborative involved 14 PICUs across the United States from 2017 to 2020 for the Bright STAR (Testing Stewardship for Antibiotic Reduction) collaborative. Data were collected from each participating PICU and from the Children's Hospital Association Pediatric Health Information System for prespecified primary and secondary outcomes. Exposures: A local QI program focusing on blood culture practices in the PICU (facilitated by a larger QI collaborative). Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was blood culture rates (per 1000 patient-days/mo). Secondary outcomes included broad-spectrum antibiotic use (total days of therapy and new initiations of broad-spectrum antibiotics ≥3 days after PICU admission) and PICU rates of central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI), Clostridioides difficile infection, mortality, readmission, length of stay, sepsis, and severe sepsis/septic shock. Results: Across the 14 PICUs, the blood culture rate was 149.4 per 1000 patient-days/mo preimplementation and 100.5 per 1000 patient-days/mo postimplementation, for a 33% relative reduction (95% CI, 26%-39%). Comparing the periods before and after implementation, the rate of broad-spectrum antibiotic use decreased from 506 days to 440 days per 1000 patient-days/mo, respectively, a 13% relative reduction (95% CI, 7%-19%). The broad-spectrum antibiotic initiation rate decreased from 58.1 to 53.6 initiations/1000 patient-days/mo, an 8% relative reduction (95% CI, 4%-11%). Rates of CLABSI decreased from 1.8 to 1.1 per 1000 central venous line days/mo, a 36% relative reduction (95% CI, 20%-49%). Mortality, length of stay, readmission, sepsis, and severe sepsis/septic shock were similar before and after implementation. Conclusions and Relevance: Multidisciplinary diagnostic stewardship interventions can reduce blood culture and antibiotic use in the PICU. Future work will determine optimal strategies for wider-scale dissemination of diagnostic stewardship in this setting while monitoring patient safety and balancing measures.

Trainee-led Engagement of the Care Team Improves Application of an Institutional Blood Culture Clinical Decision Algorithm to Pediatric Oncology Inpatients: A Single-institution Quality Improvement Project.

Meaningful engagement in quality improvement (QI) projects by trainees is often challenging. A fellow-led QI project aimed to improve adherence to a blood culture clinical decision algorithm and reduce unnecessary cultures in pediatric oncology inpatients. Methods: We visualized preintervention rates of blood cultures drawn on pediatric oncology inpatients using a control chart. Following the introduction of the algorithm to our division, an Ishikawa fishbone diagram of cause-and-effect identified two areas for improvement: prescriber education on the algorithm and targeted feedback on its use. We developed two interventions to support algorithm awareness and use: (1) bundled educational interventions and (2) targeted chart review and feedback. Fellows reviewed >750 blood culture episodes and adjudicated each as "adherent" or "nonadherent" to the algorithm. In addition, fellows provided direct feedback to prescribers regarding nonadherent episodes and discussed strategies for algorithm adherence. Results: Blood culture rates in preintervention, intervention, and follow-up periods were 33.35, 25.24, and 22.67 cultures/100 patient-days, respectively. The proportion of nonadherent culture episodes decreased from 47.14% to 11.11%. The use of the algorithm did not prolong the time to cultures drawn on patients with new fever. Seventy-five percent of fellows provided feedback to inpatient teams on algorithm use. Following this project, trainees reported feeling more qualified to apply QI principles to patient care. Conclusions: Implementation of a clinical decision algorithm reduced the rate of cultures drawn on pediatric oncology inpatients. Fellow-led education of the care team decreased the proportion of nonadherent culture episodes and provided active engagement in QI.

Consensus Recommendations for Blood Culture Use in Critically Ill Children Using a Modified Delphi Approach.

OBJECTIVES: Blood cultures are fundamental in evaluating for sepsis, but excessive cultures can lead to false-positive results and unnecessary antibiotics. Our objective was to create consensus recommendations focusing on when to safely avoid blood cultures in PICU patients. DESIGN: A panel of 29 multidisciplinary experts engaged in a two-part modified Delphi process. Round 1 consisted of a literature summary and an electronic survey sent to invited participants. In the survey, participants rated a series of recommendations about when to avoid blood cultures on five-point Likert scale. Consensus was achieved for the recommendation(s) if 75% of respondents chose a score of 4 or 5, and these were included in the final recommendations. Any recommendations that did not meet these a priori criteria for consensus were discussed during the in-person expert panel review (Round 2). Round 2 was facilitated by an independent expert in consensus methodology. After a review of the survey results, comments from round 1, and group discussion, the panelists voted on these recommendations in real-time. SETTING: Experts' institutions; in-person discussion in Baltimore, MD. SUBJECTS: Experts in pediatric critical care, infectious diseases, nephrology, oncology, and laboratory medicine. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of the 27 original recommendations, 18 met criteria for achieving consensus in Round 1; some were modified for clarity or condensed from multiple into single recommendations during Round 2. The remaining nine recommendations were discussed and modified until consensus was achieved during Round 2, which had 26 real-time voting participants. The final document contains 19 recommendations. CONCLUSIONS: Using a modified Delphi process, we created consensus recommendations on when to avoid blood cultures and prevent overuse in the PICU. These recommendations are a critical step in disseminating diagnostic stewardship on a wider scale in critically ill children.

Alcohol-impregnated caps and ambulatory central-line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs): A randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of 70% isopropyl alcohol-impregnated central venous catheter caps on ambulatory central-line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) in pediatric hematology-oncology patients. DESIGN: This study was a 24-month, cluster-randomized, 2 period, crossover clinical trial. SETTING: The study was conducted in 15 pediatric healthcare institutions, including 16 pediatric hematology-oncology clinics. PARTICIPANTS: All patients with an external central line followed at 1 of the 16 hematology-oncology clinics. INTERVENTION: Usual ambulatory central-line care per each institution using 70% isopropyl alcohol-impregnated caps at home compared to usual ambulatory central-line care in each institution without using 70% isopropyl alcohol-impregnated caps. RESULTS: Of the 16 participating clinics, 15 clinics completed both assignment periods. As assigned, there was no reduction in CLABSI incidence in clinics using 70% isopropyl alcohol-impregnated caps (1.23 per 1,000 days) compared with standard practices (1.38 per 1,000 days; adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR], 0.83; 95% CI, 0.63-1.11). In the per-protocol population, there was a reduction in positive blood culture incidence in clinics using 70% isopropyl alcohol-impregnated caps (1.51 per 1,000 days) compared with standard practices (1.88 per 1,000 days; aIRR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.52-0.99). No adverse events were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Isopropyl alcohol-impregnated central-line caps did not lead to a statistically significant reduction in CLABSI rates in ambulatory hematology-oncology patients. In the per-protocol analysis, there was a statistically significant decrease in positive blood cultures. Larger trials are needed to elucidate the impact of 70% isopropyl alcohol-impregnated caps in the ambulatory setting. REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT02351258.

Survey-based Work System Assessment to Facilitate Large-scale Dissemination of Healthcare Quality Improvement Programs.

INTRODUCTION: The dissemination of quality improvement (QI) interventions to a broader range of healthcare settings requires a proactive assessment of local work systems and processes. The objective of this study was to examine the feasibility of using a survey-based work system assessment (WSA) tool to facilitate the dissemination of a program for optimizing blood culture (BC) use. METHODS: Informed by findings from an onsite, interview-based WSA at 2 hospitals, a 50-item WSA survey was devised and administrated to 15 hospitals participating in a QI collaborative. WSA survey data were summarized, shared, and discussed with individual hospitals to inform the adaptation and implementation of the BC program. Physician champions leading the local QI team assessed the use of the WSA survey by completing an 8-item survey. RESULTS: A total of 347 clinicians completed the WSA survey, and physician champions at 12 hospitals evaluated the use of the WSA survey. Both the WSA survey data and the evaluation of the WSA survey showed that the survey-based WSA tool could help participating hospitals understand their current BC ordering practices and identify potential barriers to implementing the program from the perspectives of different clinicians. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated how a survey-based tool could be used to facilitate WSA in the dissemination of a program for improving BC use to a multisite collaborative. A survey-based WSA tool can be used to facilitate future large-scale intervention dissemination efforts.

Effect of Treating Parents Colonized With Staphylococcus aureus on Transmission to Neonates in the Intensive Care Unit: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of health care-associated infections in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Parents may expose neonates to S aureus colonization, a well-established predisposing factor to invasive S aureus disease. Objective: To test whether treating parents with intranasal mupirocin and topical chlorhexidine compared with placebo would reduce transmission of S aureus from parents to neonates. Design, Setting, and Participants: Double-blinded randomized clinical trial in 2 tertiary NICUs in Baltimore, Maryland. Neonates (n = 236) with S aureus-colonized parent(s) were enrolled. The study period was November 7, 2014, through December 13, 2018. Interventions: Parents were assigned to intranasal mupirocin and 2% chlorhexidine-impregnated cloths (active treatment, n = 117) or petrolatum intranasal ointment and nonmedicated soap cloths (placebo, n = 119) for 5 days. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was concordant S aureus colonization by 90 days, defined as neonatal acquisition of an S aureus strain that was the same strain as a parental strain at time of screening. Secondary outcomes included neonatal acquisition of any S aureus strain and neonatal S aureus infections. Results: Among 236 randomized neonates, 208 were included in the analytic sample (55% male; 76% singleton births; mean birth weight, 1985 g [SD, 958 g]; 76% vaginal birth; mean parent age, 31 [SD, 7] years), of whom 18 were lost to follow-up. Among 190 neonates included in the analysis, 74 (38.9%) acquired S aureus colonization by 90 days, of which 42 (56.8%) had a strain concordant with a parental baseline strain. In the intervention and placebo groups, 13 of 89 neonates (14.6%) and 29 of 101 neonates (28.7%), respectively, acquired concordant S aureus colonization (risk difference, -14.1% [95% CI, -30.8% to -3.9%]; hazard ratio [HR], 0.43 [95.2% CI, 0.16 to 0.79]). A total of 28 of 89 neonates (31.4%) in the intervention group and 46 of 101 (45.5%) in the control group acquired any S aureus strain (HR, 0.57 [95% CI, 0.31 to 0.88]), and 1 neonate (1.1%) in the intervention group and 1 neonate (1.0%) in the control group developed an S aureus infection before colonization. Skin reactions in parents were common (4.8% intervention, 6.2% placebo). Conclusions and Relevance: In this preliminary trial of parents colonized with S aureus, treatment with intranasal mupirocin and chlorhexidine-impregnated cloths compared with placebo significantly reduced neonatal colonization with an S aureus strain concordant with a parental baseline strain. However, further research is needed to replicate these findings and to assess their generalizability. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02223520.

Practices, Perceptions, and Attitudes in the Evaluation of Critically Ill Children for Bacteremia: A National Survey.

OBJECTIVES: Sending blood cultures in children at low risk of bacteremia can contribute to a cascade of unnecessary antibiotic exposure, adverse effects, and increased costs. We aimed to describe practice variation, clinician beliefs, and attitudes about blood culture testing in critically ill children. DESIGN: Cross-sectional electronic survey. SETTING: Fifteen PICUs enrolled in the Blood Culture Improvement Guidelines and Diagnostic Stewardship for Antibiotic Reduction in Critically Ill Children collaborative, an investigation of blood culture use in critically ill children in the United States. SUBJECTS: PICU clinicians (bedside nurses, resident physicians, fellow physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and attending physicians). INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENT AND MAIN RESULTS: Survey items explored typical blood culture practices, attitudes and beliefs about cultures, and potential barriers to changing culture use in a PICU setting. Fifteen of 15 sites participated, with 347 total responses, 15-45 responses per site, and an overall median response rate of 57%. We summarized median proportions and interquartile ranges of respondents who reported certain practices or beliefs: 86% (73-91%) report that cultures are ordered reflexively; 71% (61-77%) do not examine patients before ordering cultures; 90% (86-94%) obtain cultures for any new fever in PICU patients; 33% (19-61%) do not obtain peripheral cultures when an indwelling catheter is in place; and 64% (36-81%) sample multiple (vs single) lumens of central venous catheters for new fever. When asked about barriers to reducing unnecessary cultures, 80% (73-90%) noted fear of missing sepsis. Certain practices (culture source and indication) varied by clinician type. Obtaining surveillance cultures and routinely culturing all possible sources (each lumen of indwelling catheters and peripheral specimens) are positively correlated with baseline blood culture rates. CONCLUSIONS: There is variation in blood culture practices in the PICU. Fear and reflexive habits are common drivers of cultures. These practices may contribute to over-testing for bacteremia. Further investigation of how to optimize blood culture use is warranted.

Treating Parents to Reduce NICU Transmission of Staphylococcus aureus (TREAT PARENTS) trial: protocol of a multisite randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: More than 33,000 healthcare-associated infections occur in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) each year in the USA. Parents, rather than healthcare workers, may be a reservoir from which neonates acquire Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) colonisation in the NICU. This study looks to measure the effect of treating parents with short course intranasal mupirocin and topical chlorhexidine antisepsis on acquisition of S. aureus colonisation and infection in neonates. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The TREAT PARENTS trial (Treating Parents to Reduce Neonatal Transmission of S. aureus) is a multicentre randomised, masked, placebo-controlled trial. Shortly after a neonate is admitted to the NICU, parents will be tested for S. aureus colonisation. If either parent screens positive for S. aureus, then both parents as a pair will be enrolled and randomised to one of the two possible masked treatment arms. Arm 1 will include assignment to intranasal 2% mupirocin plus topical antisepsis with chlorhexidine gluconate impregnated cloths for 5 days. Arm 2 will include assignment to placebo ointment and placebo cloths for skin antisepsis for 5 days. The primary outcome will be neonatal acquisition of an S. aureus strain that is concordant to the parental baseline S. aureus strain as determined by periodic surveillance cultures or a culture collected during routine clinical care that grows S. aureus. Secondary outcomes will include neonatal acquisition of S. aureus, neonatal S. aureus infection, eradication of S. aureus colonisation in parents, natural history of S. aureus colonisation in parents receiving placebo, adverse reactions to treatment, feasibility of intervention, and attitudes and behaviour in consented parents. Four hundred neonate-parent pairs will be enrolled. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study was approved by Johns Hopkins University IRB in June 2014 (IRB number 00092982). Protocol V.7 was approved in November 2014. Findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02223520.