Incidence Of Healthcare-acquired Infections Research Articles

Investigation of Healthcare-Acquired Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance in an Italian Hematology Department before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made antibiotic resistance (AMR) and healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) increasingly serious problems. Point-prevalence Surveys (PPS) and other surveillance techniques are essential for antimicrobial management and prevention. In a hematology department of an Italian hospital, the prevalence of HAI, microbiology, and AMR were examined in this retrospective study in two different periods, namely 2019 and 2021 (pre-pandemic and during the pandemic, respectively). Comparisons were made between patient demographics, hospitalization duration, surveillance swabs, and HAIs. There was no discernible variation in the prevalence of HAI between 2019 and 2021. Higher rates of HAI were connected with longer hospital stays. Variations in antimicrobial susceptibility and species distribution were found by microbiological analysis. The incidence of HAI stayed constant during the epidemic. Nevertheless, shifts in antibiotic susceptibility and microbiological profiles highlight the necessity of continuous monitoring and care. Despite the difficulties of COVID-19, ongoing surveillance and infection control initiatives are crucial for halting HAIs and battling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in healthcare environments. To fully understand the pandemic's long-term impact on the spread of infectious diseases and antibiotic resistance, more research is required.

Direct health care costs and length of hospital stay related to health care-acquired infections in adult patients based on point prevalence measurements

The incidence of health care-acquired infection (HAI) and the consequence for patients with HAI tend to vary from study to study. By including all patients, all medical specialties, and performing a follow-up analysis, this study contributes to previous findings in this research field. Data from the Swedish National Point Prevalence Surveys of HAI 2010-2012 was merged with cost per patient data from the county Health Care Register (N = 6,823). Extended length of stay (LOS) and costs related to an HAI were adjusted for sex, age, intensive care unit use, and surgery. Patients with HAI (n = 732) had a larger proportion of readmissions compared with patients with no HAI (29.0% vs 16.5%). Of the total bed days, 9.3% was considered to be excess days attributed to the group of patients with an HAI. The excess LOS comprised 11.4% of the total costs (95% CI, 10.2-12.7). The 1-year overall mortality rate for patients with HAI in comparison to all other patients was 1.75 (95% CI, 1.45-2.11), all 5 of these differences were statistically significant (P < .001). Even if not all outcomes for patients with an HAI can be explained by the HAI itself, the increase in inpatient days, readmissions, associated costs, and higher mortality rates are quite notable.

The effectiveness of UV-C radiation for facility-wide environmental disinfection to reduce health care–acquired infections

Health care-acquired infections (HAIs) constitute an increasing threat for patients worldwide. Potential contributors of HAIs include environmental surfaces in health care settings, where ultraviolet-C radiation (UV-C) is commonly used for disinfection. This UV-C intervention-based pilot study was conducted in a hospital setting to identify any change in the incidence of HAIs before and after UV-C intervention, and to determine the effectiveness of UV-C in reducing pathogens. In a hospital in Culver City, CA, during 2012-2013, bactericidal doses of UV-C radiation (254 nm) were delivered through a UV-C-based mobile environmental decontamination unit. The UV-C dosing technology and expertise of the specifically trained personnel were provided together as a dedicated service model by a contracted company. The incidence of HAIs before and after the intervention period were determined and compared. The dedicated service model dramatically reduced HAIs (incidence difference, 1.3/1000 patient-days, a 34.2% reduction). Reductions in the total number and incidence proportions (28.8%) of HAIs were observed after increasing and maintaining the coverage of UV-C treatments. The dedicated service model was found to be effective in decreasing the incidence of HAIs, which could reduce disease morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. This model provides a continuously monitored and frequently UV-C-treated patient environment. This approach to UV-C disinfection was associated with a decreased incidence of HAIs.

The Clinical and Molecular Epidemiology of Community- and Healthcare-Acquired Rotavirus Gastroenteritis

Rotavirus is the most common etiologic agent of healthcare-acquired diarrhea in pediatric patients. There has been little published information on healthcare-acquired rotavirus infection. This was a retrospective cohort study of children hospitalized with rotavirus gastroenteritis at our institution between December 1999 and May 2004. Patients with community- and healthcare-acquired rotavirus gastroenteritis were compared with regards to age, time of infection, patient unit, and viral subtype as determined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction sequencing. Five hundred seventy-seven children were hospitalized with rotavirus gastroenteritis during the study period. One hundred twenty-one (21%) of these infections were healthcare-acquired. The incidence of healthcare-acquired infection was 4.2 cases per 10,000 patient-days. With the exception of 1 outbreak on an isolated patient unit, community- and healthcare-acquired disease affected similar patient populations, had the same temporal distribution, and were caused by viruses with similar subtypes. However, there was a significant difference between the geographic distribution of community- and healthcare-acquired disease within the hospital (P < 0.001). The majority (83%) of community-acquired cases were admitted to general medicine-surgery units, but only 53% of the healthcare-acquired cases occurred on these units (P = 0.005). The remaining healthcare-acquired infections occurred on units that rarely admitted patients with community-acquired disease. Healthcare-acquired rotavirus gastroenteritis seems to be caused by repeated introduction of community strains into the hospital setting. Heightened attention to infection control practices and rapid rotavirus identification is necessary on all units, especially those that infrequently admit children with rotavirus gastroenteritis, to prevent the spread of healthcare-acquired disease.