Hospital Infection Control Research Articles

Management and implementation strategies of pre-screening triage in children during coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in Guangzhou, China.

BACKGROUNDEmerging infectious diseases are a constant threat to the public’s health and health care systems around the world. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019), which was defined by the World Health Organization as pandemic, has rapidly emerged as a global health threat. Outbreak evolution and prevention of international implications require substantial flexibility of frontline health care facilities in their response.AIMTo explore the effect of the implementation and management strategy of pre-screening triage in children during COVID-19.METHODSThe standardized triage screening procedures included a standardized triage screening questionnaire, setup of pre-screening triage station, multi-point temperature monitoring, extensive screenings, and two-way protection. In order to ensure the implementation of the pre-screening triage, the prevention and control management strategies included training, emergency exercise, and staff protection. Statistical analysis was performed on the data from all the children hospitalized from January 20, 2020 to March 20, 2020 at solstice during the pandemic period. Data were obtained from questionnaires and electronic medical record systems. RESULTSA total of 17561 children, including 2652 who met the criteria for screening, 192 suspected cases, and two confirmed cases without omission, were screened from January 20, 2020 to March 20, 2020 at solstice during the pandemic period. There was zero transmission of the infection to any medical staff. CONCLUSIONThe effective strategies for pre-screening triage have an essential role in the prevention and control of hospital infection.

Genetic mechanisms and correlated risk factors of antimicrobial-resistant ESKAPEE pathogens isolated in a tertiary hospital in Malaysia

BackgroundKnowledge on the epidemiology, genotypic and phenotypic features of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) ESKAPEE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter spp., and Escherichia coli) and their association with hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are limited in Malaysia. Therefore, we evaluated the AMR features and resistance mechanisms of the ESKAPEE pathogens collected in a tertiary hospital located in the capital of Malaysia.MethodsA total of 378 AMR-ESKAPEE strains were obtained based on convenience sampling over a nine-month study period (2019–2020). All strains were subjected to disk diffusion and broth microdilution assays to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility profiles. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequence analyses were performed to determine the AMR genes profiles of the non-susceptible strains. Chi-square test and logistic regression analyses were used to correlate the AMR profiles and clinical data to determine the risk factors associated with HAIs.ResultsHigh rates of multidrug resistance (MDR) were observed in A. baumannii, K. pneumoniae, E. coli, and S. aureus (69–89%). All organisms except E. coli were frequently associated with HAIs (61–94%). Non-susceptibility to the last-resort drugs vancomycin (in Enterococcus spp. and S. aureus), carbapenems (in A. baumannii, P. aeruginosa, and Enterobacteriaceae), and colistin (in Enterobacteriaceae) were observed. Both A. baumannii and K. pneumoniae harbored a wide array of extended-spectrum β-lactamase genes (blaTEM, blaSHV, blaCTX-M, blaOXA). Metallo-β-lactamase genes (blaVEB, blaVIM, blaNDM) were detected in carbapenem-resistant strains, at a higher frequency compared to other local reports. We detected two novel mutations in the quinolone-resistant determining region of the gyrA in fluoroquinolone-resistant E. coli (Leu-102-Ala; Gly-105-Val). Microbial resistance to ampicillin, methicillin, and cephalosporins was identified as important risk factors associated with HAIs in the hospital.ConclusionOverall, our findings may provide valuable insight into the microbial resistance pattern and the risk factors of ESKAPEE-associated HAIs in a tertiary hospital located in central Peninsular Malaysia. The data obtained in this study may contribute to informing better hospital infection control in this region.

Clinical and etiological analysis of co‐infections and secondary infections in COVID‐19 patients: An observational study

BackgroundCo‐infections, secondary bacterial or fungal infections, are important risk factors for poor outcomes in viral infections. The prevalence of co‐infection and secondary infection in patients infected with SARS‐CoV‐2 is not well understood.AimsTo investigate the role of co‐infections and secondary infections in disease severity of hospitalized individuals with COVID‐19.Materials and MethodsA retrospective study was carried out between 11 January 2020 and 1 March 2020 among 408 laboratory confirmed COVID‐19 patients in China. These patients were divided into three groups based on disease severity: mild or moderate, severe, or critically ill. Microbiological pathogens in blood, urine, and respiratory tract specimens were detected by the combination of culture, serology, polymerase chain reaction, and metagenomic next‐generation sequencing (mNGS).ResultsThe median age of participants was 48 years (IQR 34–60 years). Fifty‐two patients (12.7%) had at least one additional pathogen, 8.1% were co‐infected, and 5.1% had a secondary infection. There were 13 Mycoplasma pneumoniae cases, 8 Haemophilus influenzae cases, 8 respiratory viruses, and 3 Streptococcus pneumoniae cases, primarily detected in mild and moderate COVID‐19 patients. Hospital‐acquired infection pathogens were more common in critically ill patients. Compared to those without additional pathogens, patients with co‐infections and/or secondary infections were more likely to receive antibiotics (p < 0.001) and have elevated levels of d‐dimer (p = 0.0012), interleukin‐6 (p = 0.0027), and procalcitonin (p = 0.0002). The performance of conventional culture was comparable with that of mNGS in diagnosis of secondary infections.ConclusionCo‐infections and secondary infections existed in hospitalized COVID‐19 patients and were relevant to the disease severity. Screening of common respiratory pathogens and hospital infection control should be strengthened.

Panorama of congenital syphilis in school hospital of the hospital of the South region of city of São Paulo

Introduction: Congenital syphilis is an infectious disease that has the etiological agent Treponema pallidum. Its transmission is vertical hematogenous, transplacental, of infected pregnant untreated or inadequately treated for its concept. It divides into two periods: early to the second year of life, and after the second year of life, late. Detection during prenatal care is performed by screening the third trimester of pregnancy with preterm labor, as early as in the maternity ward. The detection of Treponema pallidum through non-treponemal test (VDRL), presents little specificity, high sensitivity, low cost and fast negativation in response to the treatment avoiding that the concept is born with sequels. Thus, prenatal care is an important tool in the control of the disease, and it is necessary to improve care quality, since 70% of the mothers in Brazil are prenatal, not all of them are diagnosed or have the appropriate treatment of syphilis. Objective: To establish an epidemiological panorama of the incidence of Congenital Syphilis in the socioeconomic and cultural context in which the School Hospital of the Southern Region of the city of São Paulo is inserted. Patients and Methods: This is an individualized, observational, cross-sectional study carried out by means of a medical records survey of the Hospital Infection Control Service of Hospital Escola da Região Sul in the city of São Paulo. The survey of data referring to the form with questions of interest to the mother and the newborns diagnosed with Congenital Syphilis in the period from 2012 to 2016 was developed. This project was submitted and approved by the Ethics Committee of the Santo Amaro University - SP (Plataforma Brasil - CAAE: 68103317.6.3001.5447). Results: A total of 183 cases of Congenital Syphilis were registered in the Hospital Infection Control Service of the São Paulo School Hospital from 2012 to 2016, and among these, 126 medical records were reinforced. Prenatal performance (p = 0.0060), schooling (p = 0.5107) and schooling (p = 0.8603) did not influence disease screening by showing insignificant statistical data. Success occurred with companion treatment (p = 0.0451), which showed the highest incidence in 2014 (48.1%) and 2016 (58.3) when compared to the others. Conclusion: In the presented scenario, it was verified that although prenatal and maternal treatment were performed, they were inefficient to prevent pregnant women from transmitting the disease. This is probably related to the inefficiency of the treatment of the companions, who although in the year 2014 and 2016 presented a higher incidence of accomplishment, coincided with the increase of notifications in those same years. There were no statistically significant differences in relation to other factores, a fact that causes concern in the field of Public Health.

An Emerging Innovative UV Disinfection Technology (Part II): Virucide Activity on SARS-CoV-2.

The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has become a global health burden. Surface sanitation is one of the key points to reduce the risk of transmission both in healthcare and other public spaces. UVC light is already used in hospital and laboratory infection control, and some recent studies have shown its effectiveness on SARS-CoV-2. An innovative UV chip technology, described in Part I of this study, has recently appeared able to overcome the limits of old lamps and is proposed as a valid alternative to LEDs. This study was designed to test the virucidal activity on SARS-CoV-2 of a device based on the new UV chip technology. Via an initial concentration of virus suspension of 107.2 TCID50/mL, the tests revealed a viral charge reduction of more than 99.9% after 3 min; the maximum detectable attenuation value of Log10 = 5.7 was measured at 10 min of UV exposure.

Evolving epidemiology of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales: one hospital's infection prevention and control response over nine years

Preventing carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) transmission is a significant challenge for hospital infection prevention and control teams (IPCTs). Control measures include screening at-risk patients, contact tracing, and the isolation of carriers with contact precautions. The evolution of infection prevention and control measures was assessed in a tertiary acute care hospital with predominately multi-bedded patient accommodation, from 2011 to 2019 as cases of CPE increased. The implications for, and the response and actions of, the IPCT were also reviewed. CPE data collected prospectively from our laboratory, IPCT, and outbreak meeting records were reviewed to assess how the IPCT adapted to the changing epidemiology, from sporadic cases, to outbreaks and to localized endemic CPE. Of 178 cases, 152 (85%) were healthcare-associated and there was a marked increase in cases from 2017. The number of screening samples tested annually increased from 1190 in 2011 to 16,837 in 2019, and six outbreaks were documented, with larger outbreaks identified in later years. OXA-48 carbapenemase was detected in 88% of isolates and attendance at outbreak meetings alone accounted for 463.5 h of IPCT members, and related staff time. Despite considerable efforts and time invested by the IPCT, the number of CPE cases is increasing year-on-year, with more outbreaks being reported in later years, albeit partly in response to increased screening requirements. Infrastructural deficits, the changing epidemiology of CPE, and national policy are major factors in the increasing number of cases.

Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for COVID-19 Patients (Tentative 8th Edition): Interpretation of Updated Key Points.

Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for COVID-19 Patients (Tentative 8th Edition): Interpretation of Updated Key Points.

Reorganization of nurse scheduling reduces the risk of healthcare associated infections

Efficient prevention and control of healthcare associated infections (HAIs) is still an open problem. Using contact data from wearable sensors at a short-stay geriatric ward, we propose a proof-of-concept modeling study that reorganizes nurse schedules for efficient infection control. This strategy switches and reassigns nurses’ tasks through the optimization of shift timelines, while respecting feasibility constraints and satisfying patient-care requirements. Through a Susceptible-Colonized-Susceptible transmission model, we found that schedules reorganization reduced HAI risk by 27% (95% confidence interval [24, 29]%) while preserving timeliness, number, and duration of contacts. More than 30% nurse-nurse contacts should be avoided to achieve an equivalent reduction through simple contact removal. Nurse scheduling can be reorganized to break potential chains of transmission and substantially limit HAI risk, while ensuring the timeliness and quality of healthcare services. This calls for including optimization of nurse scheduling practices in programs for infection control in hospitals.

KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND PRACTICES IN HOSPITAL INFECTION CONTROL AT DENTISTRY CLINIC, HUE UNIVERSITY OF MEDICINE AND PHARMACY HOSPITAL

Objective: To study knowledge, attitudes and practices in hospital infection control at Hue University Hospital Dentistry Clinic with aim to describe the current situation of hospital infection control at Dentistry Clinic of Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital in 2020. Objects and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive studies on 191 medical staff and observed practice in 100 cases at the Dental Clinic of the Faculty of Dentistry of Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital. Results: 98.4% knew correctly about the infection and the way of infection during dental disease treatment, 83.8% had correct knowledge about the risk of infection, 63.4% had correct understanding, and knew how to treat hand drill in dental treatment correctly. Hand hygiene after treatment is high (87.0%) and the rate of hand hygiene according to regulations is also quite high (73.0%). 100% use protective clothing, gloves and mask when examining and treating patients. 100% of cases use needles, anesthetics for a patient and removed after using. There are 85% of cases of properly classifying waste. Conclusion: Staff at Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital - Dentistry Clinic paid much attention to infection control with good knowledge, attitude and practice of infection control.

Design and application of Checklist for quality control in intensive care unit

To design a Checklist for quality control in intensive care unit and observe the effect of clinical application. By consulting guidelines and literature, such as Critical care medicine professional medical quality control index (2015 edition), the quality control Checklist of intensive care unit was designed. It included four parts: quality control data collection, medical record quality verification, special diagnosis and treatment, and hospital infection prevention and control supervision. Every month, a doctor with a senior professional title served as the quality control director, and was responsible for the quality control of the department's medical care, including collecting data of the past 24 hours during the morning handover, discussing and registering special diagnosis and treatment behaviors that would be performed on the day, and coordinating with the nursing team leader, controlling the quality of the whole department throughout the day, such as supervising each medical staff if they had unreasonable behaviors, checking the running and discharge medical records, and inspecting the status of the staff on duty. The data in 2018, 2019 (Checklist implemented) and 2017 (Checklist not implemented) were retrospectively analyzed, including the status of admitted patients, department management information, length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, and the incidence of three-tube infection [ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI), catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI)], and standardized mortality, etc. From 2017 to 2019, the number of patients admitted was 373, 446, and 480, with annual growth of 19.57% and 7.62% in 2018 and 2019, respectively, and an increase of 28.69% in 2019 compared with 2017. There was no statistically significant difference in the average age and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) of patients in the three years. Compared with 2017, the length of ICU stay of patients in 2018 and 2019 were significantly shortened (days: 8.99±6.12, 9.14±7.02 vs. 10.20±7.21), and the incidence of VAP, CRBSI and CAUTI were significantly reduced [VAP (cases/1 000 ventilation days): 12.97±3.60, 9.62±3.14 vs. 17.48±4.89, CRBSI (cases/1 000 catheter days): 3.75±2.19, 3.87±1.87 vs. 6.19±3.13, CAUTI (cases/1 000 catheter days): 3.29±2.18, 3.28±1.87 vs. 5.61±3.18]. The standardized mortality were also significantly reduced [(77.27±7.24)%, (70.61±7.49)% vs. (84.41±9.05)%], the number of non-compliance with hospital infection prevention per month decreased significantly (person times: 54.00±6.30, 41.08±10.76 vs. 72.08±19.68), and the number of special diagnosis and treatment per month increased significantly (person times: 1 056.67±235.27, 1 361.75±278.48 vs. 722.25±145.96), the rate of etiology submission before antimicrobial treatment [(93.21±3.68)%, (96.59±2.49)% vs. (87.86±5.28)%] and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) prevention rate [(91.13±6.36)%, (96.23±2.99)% vs. (85.58±7.68)%] were significantly improved, and all the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). All medical records in the three years were Grade A, but the average scores in 2018 and 2019 were higher than those in 2017 (96.82±2.84, 96.73±2.94 vs. 93.70±3.33, both P < 0.01). Compared with 2018, the incidence of VAP, the rate of etiology submission before antimicrobial treatment, the DVT prevention rate, and the standardized mortality rate in 2019 were further improved, and the number of non-compliance with hospital infection prevention per month decreased and the number of special diagnosis and treatment per month increased, and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). The application of quality control Checklist in intensive care unit can build an effective quality control system, reduce the incidence of three-tube infection, standardized mortality and length of ICU stay, improve the quality control awareness and execution of medical staff, and promote the improvement of medical quality.

620 Outbreak of Carbapenem-Polymyxin-Quat-Resistant Acinetobacter Baumannii Associated with Mafenide Acetate shortages: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Eradication

Abstract Introduction In the wake of Hurricane Maria, many US hospitals experienced massive drug shortages requiring substitution with alternative therapies. Our regional center experienced an increased incidence of Carbapenem-Polymyxin-Quat-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii(CPQRA) infections, compared to a previous year of no infections. Here we describe a successful interdisciplinary approach to its eradication. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of CPQRA outbreaks for November and December 2018 in the burn ICU. De-identified data was collected and analyzed. In collaboration with the state’s department of health and epidemiology section, whole-genome sequencing was carried out on bacterial isolates. In addition, we instituted adenosine triphosphate (ATP) monitoring on all surfaces, a process of rapidly measuring actively growing microorganisms. Results Resistant Acinetobacter was isolated from five ICU patients, two of whom died with CPQRA bacteremia, producing a case-fatality rate of 40%. The two cases that died both suffered traumatic injuries with multiple fractures in addition to an average TBSA of 58%. Non-fatal cases suffered no other traumatic injuries and had an average TBSA of 51%.During this period, genitourinary irrigant (neomycin-Polymyxin B) and polymyxin ointment were the primary topical agents for wound care. Whole genome sequencing revealed a qacEdelta1 positive strain and identified the primary source as a patient that returned from a long-term care facility carrying the converted A. Baumannii infection. ATP testing also showed increased levels in patient rooms and surgical suite. Conclusions As a result of these findings, we achieved eradication by developing new and reinforcing traditional practices of infection control. This included UV light therapy to all ICU rooms and surgical suite, oversight of environmental services procedures, rigorous enforcement of hospital infection control procedures, auditing hand hygiene, increased efforts in antibiotic stewardship and discontinuing Polymyxin containing topicals. By January 2019 there were no new cases of CPQRA in the ICU. This study shows that the resistance and rapid spread of CPQRA can be controlled with the cooperation of hospital staff, environmental services, infection control, pharmacy, and the state’s department of health. With the coordinated efforts of all parties, we were able to successfully eradicate a virulent and fatal resistant A. baumannii strain.

The Infection of COVID-19 among Health Care Workers in Dharmais Cancer Hospital

Infectious diseases are one of the biggest threats to humans. Currently, the world is in the outbreak condition causes of the COVID-19 virus which is started from Wuhan, China in December 2019. This disease was spread out rapidly throughout the World and was announced as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020(1). The infected number of SARS-CoV-2 was over 84 million people and caused over 1 million death cases in the worldwide. Indonesia had more than 800.000 infectious cases and 23.000 of death cases with the highest cases in Jakarta (2). This virus can be transmitted by two ways, such as direct contact (cough, sneeze, and droplet inhalation) and contact transmission (contact with oral, nasal, and eye mucous membranes) of person with COVID-19 (3). The current COVID-19 pandemic makes various challenges in prevention and control of infections in hospitals. Health care workers (HCWs) have been providing care to suspected, probable or confirmed COVID-19 patients that make them in high-risk condition. Several study indicated that many HCWs have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 in many hospitals worldwide (4)(5)(6).

Clinical characteristics of patients with listeriosis.

To investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with listeriosis and to provide a basis for diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control of hospital infection. A total of 10 inpatients, who suffered from the listeriosis in Xiangya Hospital, Central South University from January 2013 to June 2019, were retrospectively collected for this study. The characteristics of the patients' age, gander, basic information, case type, clinical manifestations, first consultation department, days of diagnosis, infection indicator, specimen type, results of drug sensitivity, treatment plan, hospital infection or not, outcome, follow-up data were analyzed. Two cases were pregnant women and other were non-pregnant adults among 10 patients with listeriosis. Among them, there were 3 cases with hospital acquired infection. The age of patient onset was 27-71 years old, and the time from onset to diagnosis was 5-36 days. Five cases had fever, and other 5 cases had not fever. There were headache, fatigue, local pain, and other specialized symptoms in the 10 patients.The white blood cell count,the neutrophil ratio, the inflammatory index C-reactive protein, the procalcitonin were all increased, and the erythrocyte sedimentation was accelerated in the 10 patients.All the patients were sensitive to ampicillin, penicillin G, meropenem, and compound sinomine. Listeriosis often affects the patients with low immunity, which often leads to misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis in clinic.So early prevention, early diagnosis, and early treatment can reduce mortality; it is important for departments of nosocomial infection management to manage patients' diet for avoiding outbreaks of listeriosis in hospital.

Polymyxin Resistance Among XDR ST1 Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Clone Expanding in a Teaching Hospital.

Acinetobacter baumannii is an opportunistic pathogen primarily associated with multidrug-resistant nosocomial infections, for which polymyxins are the last-resort antibiotics. This study investigated carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii strains exhibiting an extensively drug-resistant (XDR) phenotype, including four isolates considered locally pan drug-resistant (LPDR), isolated from inpatients during an outbreak at a teaching hospital in Brazil. ApaI DNA macrorestriction followed by PFGE clustered the strains in three pulsotypes, named A to C, among carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii strains. Pulsotypes A and B clustered six polymyxin-resistant A. baumannii strains. MLST analysis of representative strains of pulsotypes A, B, and C showed that they belong, respectively, to sequence types ST1 (clonal complex, CC1), ST79 (CC79), and ST903. Genomic analysis of international clones ST1 and ST79 representative strains predicted a wide resistome for β-lactams, aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, with blaOXA–23 and blaOXA–72 genes encoding carbapenem resistance. Amino acid substitutions in PmrB (Thr232Ile or Pro170Leu) and PmrC (Arg125His) were responsible for polymyxin resistance. Although colistin MICs were all high (MIC ≥ 128 mg/L), polymyxin B MICs varied; strains with Pro170Leu substitution in PmrB had MICs > 128 mg/L, while those with Thr232Ile had lower MICs (16–64 mg/L), irrespective of the clone. Although the first identified polymyxin-resistant A. baumannii strain belonged to ST79, the ST1 strains were endemic and caused the outbreak most likely due to polymyxin B use. The genome comparison of two ST1 strains from the same patient, but one susceptible and the other resistant to polymyxin, revealed mutations in 28 ORFs in addition to pmrBC. The ORF codifying an acyl-CoA dehydrogenase has gained attention due to its fatty acid breakdown and membrane fluidity involvement. However, the role of these mutations in the polymyxin resistance mechanism remains unknown. To prevent the dissemination of XDR bacteria, the hospital infection control committee implemented the patient bathing practice with a 2% chlorhexidine solution, a higher concentration than all A. baumannii chlorhexidine MICs. In conclusion, we showed the emergence of polymyxin resistance due to mutations in the chromosome of the carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii ST1, a high-risk global clone spreading in this hospital.

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Carrier Status among Indian Healthcare Workers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Infection with Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a threat to quality care in the hospital.Asymptomatic colonization of MRSA escalates the burden of infection. The rate of MRSA colonizationamong healthcare workers (HCW) is not homogenous across the globe. Even though there are individualstudy reports on MRSA colonization, no pooled data is available in India. Therefore, it is important toevaluate the problem of MRSA colonization to develop a policy on preventive measures. We performeda systematic review and meta-analysis of MRSA carrier status among Indian HCWs using five databases(Scopus, PubMed-Medline, IndMed, CINAHL and Google-Scholar) from the articles published from 2008to 2017 (10 years). STATA 13.0 with metaprop package in STATA was used to find the rate of colonization.Among 2,349 HCWs, the pooled prevalence of MRSA colonization in throat, nose, axilla, palm, fingertipsand web-spaces was nine percent (CI 6% - 13%; p=0.001, I291.68%). Further, the forest plot of MRSAcolonization in nasal cavity alone was performed, and the prevalence of nasal colonization of MRSA among1,251 Indian HCWs was found to be 11% (CI 5-17%, p=0.001, I2 93.3%). The colonization rate is not veryhigh nor negligible. Therefore, the hospital administrator along with the hospital infection control committeeneeds to formulate a policy on periodic screening and decolonization of HCWs in high-risk areas.

Measuring Awareness of Infection Control Guidelines for Patients with COVID-19 in Radiology Departments in Saudi Arabia.

Due to the contagious nature of the COVID-19 virus, healthcare workers are at a great risk of infection. Since medical imaging plays a significant part in the healthcare system and is often used in the diagnosis of potential COVID-19 patients, the radiology personnel are at a very high risk of becoming infected. Purpose: This study aims to assess the enforcement of infection control guidelines for patients with COVID-19 during medical imaging procedures and raise awareness of infection control in different hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A total of 128 responses were collected from four hospitals across Saudi Arabia using a new structured questionnaire, which was created for health workers by the WHO specifically for this purpose. Data were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020. Results: Most participants correctly followed the guidelines of the WHO and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on infection control in the X-ray and general radiology departments. Guideline awareness was higher among magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computerised tomography (CT) radiographers, which reduced the risk of future infections. Out of the total respondents, 98.4% stated that they had received formal training in hand hygiene. Only 40.6% of participants, however, knew that respiratory droplets are the primary mode of transmission of the virus from person to person. Conclusion: The knowledge of healthcare professionals in the radiology department regarding infection control needs to be continually assessed. A focus on educational interventions on infection control is required in order to maintain well-informed medical staff.

Frequency of Bacteremia due to Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Can Be Reduced by Measures of Hospital Infection Control

Objectives: The spread of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) is an emerging problem in children undergoing cancer-directed chemotherapy. A previous Italian survey reported a threefold increase in CPE colonization rate and a fourfold increase of CPE bloodstream infections in a 2 year-observation time interval. Methods: To assess the efficacy of the measures put in place to control this emergency, a second survey was performed in the years 2016-2017 and the results were compared. Results: The overall rate of colonization was comparable between the two study periods: 0.50% (2016-2017) vs. 0.48% (2012-2013). MDR/CPE bacteremia was now reported in 13 children from six centers. The rate of MDR/CPE bacteremia was 0.12 for 1,000 days of hospitalization (95% CI, 0.07-0.21) and compared favorably with that observed in the previous survey (0.42 for 1,000 days of hospitalization; 95% CI, 0.31-0.57; p<0.0001). The strains responsible for bacteremia were Klebsiella pneumonia in 9/13 children, Escherichia coli in 2/13, Citrobacter spp. and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia in one case each. The antibiotic susceptibility was available for 10 MDR/CPE strains. Conclusion: The number of patients colonized by CPE remained stable over the years, while the number of bloodstream infections decreased, as well as the resulting mortality. We conclude that children undergoing chemotherapy are at risk for CPE colonization/infection but the awareness of their colonization status may allow reducing CPE morbidity and mortality. J Microbiol Infect Dis 2021; 11(1):27-31.

Infection control and practice of standard precautions among hospital staff nurses in Indonesia

Background : Universal precaution as a strategy recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in efforts to prevent infection and disease transmission among health workers, through the hospital Infection prevention and control (IPC) committee seeks to protect health workers and patients of the risk of transmitting the infection . Purpose : To determine the factors associated with the application of universal precautions in the prevention of infectious disease transmission in nurses at Lamaddukelleng Hospital, Wajo district. Method : A descriptive quantitative using cross-sectional design. The population is nurses at Lamaddukelleng Hospital, especially nurses in the emergency ward, with a total sampling of 28 respondents. Results: The Chi-Square test finding factor of nurses had a trained with p-value = 0.001 which shows that the nurses had a trained has a significant relationship to the application of universal precautions by nurses, while the availability of Infection prevention and control equipment facilities is p-value = 0.557 and the monitoring factor is p-value = 0.274, showing no relationship to the application of universal precautions by nurses. Conclusion : Shows that 75% of respondents have applied universal precautions. Suggestions to hospital management to be paying attention to provide Infection prevention and control equipment facilities and provide regular training, especially related to Infection Prevention and Control.

Seroprevalence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among health care workers from three pandemic hospitals of Turkey.

COVID-19 is a global threat with an increasing number of infections. Research on IgG seroprevalence among health care workers (HCWs) is needed to re-evaluate health policies. This study was performed in three pandemic hospitals in Istanbul and Kocaeli. Different clusters of HCWs were screened for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Seropositivity rate among participants was evaluated by chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay. We recruited 813 non-infected and 119 PCR-confirmed infected HCWs. Of the previously undiagnosed HCWs, 22 (2.7%) were seropositive. Seropositivity rates were highest for cleaning staff (6%), physicians (4%), nurses (2.2%) and radiology technicians (1%). Non-pandemic clinic (6.4%) and ICU (4.3%) had the highest prevalence. HCWs in “high risk” group had similar seropositivity rate with “no risk” group (2.9 vs 3.5 p = 0.7). These findings might lead to the re-evaluation of infection control and transmission dynamics in hospitals.

Infection control teams for reducing healthcare-associated infections in hospitals and other healthcare settings: a protocol for systematic review

IntroductionHealthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) are a worldwide problem. Infection control in hospitals is usually implemented by an infection control team (ICT). Initially, ICTs consisted of doctors, nurses, epidemiologists and microbiologists; then,...