Multidrug-resistant Organism Acquisition Research Articles

Phenotypic and Genotypic Characterization of Pan-Drug-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolated in Qatar.

In secondary healthcare, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CREs), such as those observed in Klebsiella pneumoniae, are a global public health priority with significant clinical outcomes. In this study, we described the clinical, phenotypic, and genotypic characteristics of three pan-drug-resistant (PDR) isolates that demonstrated extended resistance to conventional and novel antimicrobials. All patients had risk factors for the acquisition of multidrug-resistant organisms, while microbiological susceptibility testing showed resistance to all conventional antimicrobials. Advanced susceptibility testing demonstrated resistance to broad agents, such as ceftazidime-avibactam, ceftolozane-tazobactam, and meropenem-vaborbactam. Nevertheless, all isolates were susceptible to cefiderocol, suggested as one of the novel antimicrobials that demonstrated potent in vitro activity against resistant Gram-negative bacteria, including CREs, pointing toward its potential therapeutic role for PDR pathogens. Expanded genomic studies revealed multiple antimicrobial-resistant genes (ARGs), including blaNMD-5 and blaOXA derivative types, as well as a mutated outer membrane porin protein (OmpK37).

Bloodstream infections and multidrug resistant bacteria acquisition among burns patients in Australia and New Zealand: A registry-based study

IntroductionThis study interrogates infection related data in the Burns Registry of Australia and New Zealand (BRANZ), to examine associations of multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs) and blood stream infection (BSI). MethodsData between July 2016 and June 2021 were analysed to determine prevalence, risk factors and outcomes associated with BSIs and MDROs: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas spp. (CRP), and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacter (CRE). Data completeness and value for quality improvement activity were assessed. ResultsWe found a low incidence (3.4%) of the resistant organisms of interest, and no change over the study period. Fequency varied between services and increased with age and size of burn. MRSA was the commonest organism in all age groups. A positive BSI result occurred in 1.6% of patients (12.1% of cultures taken) at a median time of 10.2 days post injury. Free text identification of organisms was inconsistently documented. ConclusionsThe low rate and patterns of acquisition of MDROs of interest and BSIs is comparable with reports from countries with low incidence of massive burns. Wider adoption of a standardized laboratory reporting framework would help realise the potential of clinical quality registries to provide data which supports evidence based infection prevention initiatives.

Transmission of multidrug-resistant organisms by VA CLC residents: A multisite prospective study

Background: Veterans Health Administration (VHA) community living centers (CLCs) provide postacute and long-term care. CLC veterans visit myriad locations outside their rooms (eg, rehabilitation, dialysis). Pathogen transmission during out-of-room visits is unknown. Methods: We recruited newly admitted veterans at 3 CLCs. After obtaining informed consent, we cultured nares, groin, hands, and 7 surfaces in the patient rooms. We accompanied veterans to up to 5 out-of-room visits and cultured patients’ hands and surfaces they touched. We tested for multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), and quinolone, carbapenem, and/or ceftazidime-resistant gram-negative bacteria (R-GNB). We defined transmission as a positive culture following an initial negative culture during the same visit. Results: We enrolled 137 veterans (median follow-up, 29 days; mean, 5.9 visits); 97% were postacute patients. We conducted 539 patient-room sampling visits (mean, 3.9 per veteran; 5,490 swabs) and accompanied 97 veterans to 266 out-of-room sampling visits (mean, 2.7 per veteran; 2,360 swabs). Of 137 patients, 47 (35%) were colonized with an MDRO at enrollment and 74 (58%) of 128 patients were colonized on any follow-up patient-room visits. Of 133 patients, 55 (41%) acquired a new MDRO, most often VRE (31 of 97, 32%). In patient rooms, toilet seats [114 (21%) of 538], curtains [101 (19%) of 530] and bedrails [98 (18%) of 539] were most frequently contaminated. Among 266 out-of-room visits, 17% had surfaces contaminated with MDROs, most commonly involving dialysis [4 (31%) of 13], radiology [2 (25%) of 8], and rehabilitation therapy [29 (18%) of 159] (Fig. 1).Transmission of MDROs during out-of-room visits was common and occurred in 18% of visits with 8% (9 MRSA and 12 VRE) acquiring a new MDRO on their hands and 12% (9 MRSA and 23 VRE) of MDRO transmission occurring from hands to a surface that the patient touched (Fig. 1). In 18 (58%) of 31 cases, the organism transmitted to a surface was on patient hands at the start of the visit. Transmission was most common during visits to dialysis (3 to patients and 2 to surfaces), radiology (1 to a patient and 2 to surfaces), and rehabilitation therapy (13 to patients and 21 to surfaces) (Fig. 2). Conclusions: New MDRO acquisition during VHA CLC stay was common, and nearly one-fifth of out-of-room visits resulted in MDRO transmission. Our analyses suggest that veterans’ hands may shed MDROs (MRSA and VRE) to surfaces. Interventions to reduce MDRO transmission during visits for rehabilitation, dialysis, and other therapies are needed.Disclosures: None

The impact of bedside wipes in multi-patient rooms: a prospective, crossover trial evaluating infections and survival

Multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) are prevalent on high-touch surfaces in multi-patient rooms. To quantify the impact of hanging single-use cleaning/disinfecting wipes next to each bed. Pre-specified outcomes were: (1) hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), (2) cleaning frequency, (3) MDRO room contamination, (4) new MDRO acquisitions, and (5) mortality. Clustered randomized crossover trial at Shamir Medical Center, Israel (October 2016 to January 2018). Clusters were randomly assigned to use for cleaning either single-use quaternary ammonium wipes (Clinell) or standard practices (reusable cloths and buckets with bleach). Six-month intervention periods were implemented in alternating sequence, separated by a washout period. Five high-touch surfaces were monitored by fluorescent markers. Study outcomes were compared between periods using generalized estimating equations, Poisson regression, and Cox proportional hazards models. Overall, 7725 patients were included (47,670 person-days), 3793 patients in rooms with intervention cleaning and 3932 patients in rooms with standard practices. During the intervention, there was no significant difference in HAI rates (incidence rate ratio: 1.6; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.7-3.5; P= 0.3). However, in intervention rooms, the frequency of environmental cleaning was higher (odds ratio: 3.73; 95% CI: 2.0-7.1; P < 0.0001), MDRO environmental contamination rate was insignificantly lower (odds ratio: 0.7; 95% CI: 0.5-1.0; P= 0.06), new MDRO acquisition rate was lower (hazard ratio: 0.4; 95% CI: 0.2-1.0; P= 0.04), and in-hospital mortality rate was lower (incidence rate ratio: 0.8; 95% CI: 0.7-1.0; P= 0.03). Hanging single-use cleaning/disinfecting wipes next to each bed did not affect the HAI rates but did improve the frequency of cleaning, reduce MDRO environmental contamination, and was associated with reduced incidence of new MDRO acquisitions and reduced mortality. This is a feasible, recommended practice to improve patient outcomes in multi-patient rooms.

Outcome and Risk Factors for Acquisition of Multi-Drug Resistant Organisms among COVID-19 Patients, A Single Center Case Control Study

Introduction: Several recent reports have described an increase in multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) during the COVID- 19 pandemic, and multiple factors identified. Objectives: The primary objectives of the study are to determine the incidence of MDROs among hospitalized COVID-19 patients, the risk factors leading to infection or colonization with MDROs among these patients and the determinants of mortality among infected patients. The secondary objective is to study risk factors for mortality among the study cohort. Method: A retrospective case-control study included all patients screened for MDROs on admission or detected later to have a positive sample for MDROs during their hospital stay (April-September 2020). Associations were tested using chi-square and independent t-tests. For the adjusted analysis, Multivariate logistic regression applied. P&lt;0.05 was considered as statistical significance. Result: The total number of patients included was 313. 33.2% (n=104) were MDRO-infected or colonized patients, and 66.8% (n=209) were controls. The incidence density during the study period of MDROs was 16.7 per 1000 patient days, and the incidence was 17. 9 per 100 admissions. The monthly incidence density of MDROs ranged from 7.0 per 1000 patient days to 30.6 per 1000 patient days and steadily increased. In univariate analysis, the length of ICU stays P &lt;0.001, length of hospital stay P &lt;0.001, receiving ventilation P0.001, having urinary catheter P0.004, tracheostomy P&lt;0.001, NGT in situ P 0.001, receiving more than four antibiotics P&lt;0.001 and having comorbidities P 0.001 were risk factors for acquiring MDROs. Comorbidities were independent factors for MDRO acquisition (OR 3.61, CI 1.37-9.61, P0.010). Mortality was higher among those with MDRO infection (50%, n=30) than those with colonization (31.8%, n=14). Only receiving a few antibiotics was related to worse outcomes (OR 3.09, CI; 1.13-8.44, P0.028). The independent risk factors for mortality among the study cohort were age (OR 1.087 CI 1.06 to 1.1, P &lt;0.001), and acute dialysis (OR 4.392, CI 1.82-10.61, P 0.001). Conclusion: The acquisition of MDROs was not associated with worse outcomes among COVID-19 patients, although mortality was significantly higher among infected patients than colonized patients. Implementing strict infection prevention and control strategies is vital to prevent colonization and progression to infection among colonized patients.

Airway multidrug-resistant organisms in a population of tracheostomy and chronic ventilator-dependent children at a tertiary care pediatric hospital.

Children with tracheostomies are at an increased risk of bacterial respiratory tract infections. Infections caused by multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) are more difficult to treat and can result in severe complications. This study aimed to investigate the risk factors and sequelae of MDRO positivity in tracheostomy and chronic ventilator-dependent children. We performed a retrospective chart review of 75 tracheostomy and chronic ventilator-dependent children at St. Louis Children's Hospital. Data on demographics, respiratory cultures, hospitalizations, emergency department (ED) visits, and antibiotic usage were collected. We determined the frequency of MDRO positivity and compared the number of hospitalizations, number of ED visits, and antibiotic usage in patients with and without MDRO-positive cultures. Patient clinical variables were analyzed before and after MDRO acquisition. We found 75.7% (56/74) of our participants had an MDRO-positive culture, with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA, n = 36, 64%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 8, 14%) being the most commonly detected organisms. Participants with a greater number of annual nonpulmonary admissions (odds ratio [OR] = 1.99, 95% confidence interval [CI] (1.21-3.29), p = 0.008], inpatient antibiotic courses [OR = 1.27, 95% CI (1.07-1.50), p = 0.006], total antibiotic courses [OR = 1.26, 95% CI (1.08-1.48), p = 0.004], and chronic antibiotic use [OR = 2.31, 95% CI (1.12-4.74), p = 0.03] were at an increased risk for MDRO positivity. Those who were MDRO-positive had more pulmonary admissions following MDRO acquisition compared those who were MDRO-negative [p = 0.005] but not more antibiotic usage or ED visits. Frequent antibiotic usage and hospitalizations increase the risk of MDRO acquisition in children with tracheostomies and ventilator-dependence. Further antibiotic stewardship may help prevent resistant infections in technology-dependent children.

Patterns of multidrug resistant organism acquisition in an adult specialist burns service: a retrospective review

BackgroundMultidrug resistant organisms (MDROs) occur more commonly in burns patients than in other hospital patients and are an increasingly frequent cause of burn-related mortality. We examined the incidence, trends and risk factors for MDRO acquisition in a specialist burns service housed in an open general surgical ward, and general intensive care unit.MethodsWe performed a retrospective study of adult patients admitted with an acute burn injury to our specialist statewide tertiary burns service between July 2014 and October 2020. We linked patient demographics, injury, treatment, and outcome details from our prospective burns service registry to microbiology and antimicrobial prescribing data. The outcome of interest was first MDRO detection, stratified into the following groups of interest: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), two groups of Pseudomonas (carbapenem resistant, and piperacillin-tazobactam or cefepime resistant), carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter species, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-PE). We used a Cox proportional hazards model to evaluate the association between antibiotic exposure and MDRO acquisition.ResultsThere were 2,036 acute admissions, of which 230 (11.3%) had at least one MDRO isolated from clinical specimens, most frequently wound swabs. While acquisition rates of individual MDRO groups varied over the study period, acquisition rate of any MDRO was reasonably stable over time. Carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas was acquired at the highest rate over the study period (3.5/1000 patient days). The 12.8% (29/226) of MDROs isolated within 48 h were predominantly MRSA and Stenotrophomonas. Median (IQR) time from admission to MDRO detection was 10.9 (5.6–20.5) days, ranging from 9.8 (2.7–24.2) for MRSA to 23.6 (15.7–36.0) for carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa. Patients with MDROs were older, had more extensive burns, longer length of stay, and were more likely to have operative burn management. We were unable to detect a relationship between antibiotic exposure and emergence of MDROs.ConclusionsMDROs are a common and consistent presence in our burns unit. The pattern of acquisition suggests various causes, including introduction from the community and nosocomial spread. More regular surveillance of incidence and targeted interventions may decrease their prevalence, and limit the development of invasive infection.

Impact of early antibiotic exposure on the risk of colonization with potential pathogens in very preterm infants: a retrospective cohort analysis

BackgroundSepsis is one of the most important complications in preterm infants. For this reason, most preterm infants receive antibiotics during their first postnatal week. Since 2013, a weekly colonization screening has been installed in German neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), including multi-drug resistant organisms (MDRO) and pathogens with increased epidemic potential. We here investigated the impact of early antibiotic exposure on the colonization with these pathogens.MethodsData from 1407 preterm infants with gestational age < 32 + 0 weeks and born in three NICUs in Germany between January 2014 and December 2019 were analysed.ResultsAntibiotics were administered to 911/1407 (64.7%) participating infants during their first postnatal week. Screening-targeted pathogens were detected in 547/1407 (38.9%). Early antibiotic exposure did not increase the risk of colonization with screening-targeted pathogens. The only independent risk factor for colonisation with potential pathogens was the admitting hospital. Interestingly, longer antibiotic therapy (> 7 days) decreased the risk for acquiring pathogens with increased epidemic potential.ConclusionEarly antibiotic exposure did not impact the risk for colonization with MDRO or highly epidemic pathogens in preterm infants. Further studies are needed to identify risk factors for the acquisition of MDRO and highly epidemic pathogens and potential associations with long-term outcome.

Clinical Profile of Multidrug-Resistant Organisms at Burn Center Dr. Soetomo General Hospital Surabaya from June 2020 to June 2021

Background: Burns are an ideal environment for primary wound infection to occur. Burn infection can lead to the acquisition of Multidrug-Resistant Organisms (MDRO) with certain risk factors, such as the cause, degree and total body surface area (TBSA) of burns, length of stay, and invasive procedures performed. This study aims to determine the clinical profile of burn patients who experience MDRO. Method: Data was taken using medical records at the Burn Center Dr. Soetomo General Hospital Surabaya during June 2020 – June 2021 with a descriptive study and a cross sectional approach. Result: A total of 67 burn patients were included in this study. Sixteen patients were found to have burns with MDRO, and 51 other patients only had burns without MDRO which was excluded in this study. Patient in this study were dominated by men with a total of 11 patients (68.8%), most patient were in the 19–45-year age group of 8 patients (50%) with an average of 35 ± 20.58 years, and length of stay &gt;14 days in 11 patients (68.8%) with an average 32,75 ± 38.31 days. All patients had invasive procedures performed. Fire was the most common cause of burns, namely in 9 patients (56.3%). Severe burns occurred in 16 patients (100%) of the MDRO burns studied. Eleven patients (68.8%) had TBSA &gt; 30% with an average of 37.06% ± 18.59%. Acinetobacter baumannii was the most MDR bacteria cultured in this study with 15 cultures (32.6%). It is followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa with 9 cultures (19.6%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae with 4 cultures (8.7%). A. baumannii is most commonly found in blood cultures, followed by cultures of phlegm and wounds. This is in contrast to P. aeruginosa with the most findings in wound cultures, followed by cultures of sputum and blood. Conclusion: Our study shows that MDRO infection is still a matter of concern in burns. Even so, the number of samples should be increased to see the significance and the relationship between variables in future burn studies.

The novel application and effect of an ultraviolet light decontamination strategy on the healthcare acquisition of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales in a hospital setting

The role of the hospital environment as contributory to healthcare acquisition of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) is increasingly recognized. Ultraviolet light decontamination can minimize the environmental bioburden, thereby potentially reducing healthcare acquisition. This effect has been demonstrated for typical environmental MDROs, e.g. meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant entero-cocci, and Clostridioides difficile; however, its role in reducing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) incidence rates is unclear. To evaluate the impact of continuous ultraviolet light (C-UV) on healthcare acquisition rates of CRE. A 26-month pragmatic, prospective interventional study with addition of C-UV decontamination to standard cleaning was conducted in units at high risk for CRE acquisition. Introduction of C-UV followed a 12 month baseline period, with a two-month wash-in period. Implementation included terminal decontamination at discharge and a novel in-use protocol, whereby rooms occupied for ≥48h were decontaminated during the course of the patients' in-hospital stay. Incidence density rates of CRE during the intervention period were compared to the baseline period using interrupted time series regression. Rates were adjusted for ward/admission prevalence and analysed according to C-UV protocol. The in-use C-UV protocol demonstrated a significant negative association with the incidence density rate of CRE when adjusting for CRE admission rate (P=0.0069). CRE incidence density rates decreased significantly during the intervention period (P=0.042). Non-intervention units demonstrated no change in incidence density rates when adjusting for ward and/or admission prevalence. C-UV decontamination can potentially reduce healthcare acquisition of CRE when implemented with an in-use protocol.

Impact of transition from open bay to single room design neonatal intensive care unit on multidrug-resistant organism colonization rates

The influence of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) design on the acquisition of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) has not been well-documented. To examine the effect of single room unit (SRU) versus open bay unit (OBU) design on the incidence of colonization with MDROs and third-generation cephalosporin-resistant bacteria (3G-CRB) in infants admitted to the NICU. Retrospective cohort study, including all infants admitted to the NICU of a tertiary care academic hospital two years prior to and two years following the transition from OBU to SRU in May 2017. Weekly cultures of throat and rectum were collected to screen for MDRO carriership. Incidence of colonization (percentage of all infants and incidence density per 1000 patient-days) with MDROs and 3G-CRB were compared between OBU and SRU periods. Incidence analysis of 1293 NICU infants, identified 3.2% MDRO carriers (2.5% OBU, 4.0% SRU, not significant), including 2.3% extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales carriers, and 18.6% 3G-CRB carriers (17% OBU, 20% SRU, not significant). No differences were found in MDRO incidence density per 1000 patient-days between infants admitted to OBU (1.56) compared to SRU infants (2.63). Transition in NICU design from open bay to SRUs was not associated with a reduction in colonization rates with MDROs or 3G-CRB in our hospital. Further research on preventing the acquisition and spread of resistant bacteria at high-risk departments such as the NICU, as well as optimal ward design, are needed.

821. Changes in Cleaning Practices and Non-conventional Personal Protective Equipment Use due to SARS-CoV-2 and Association with Increases in Multi-drug Resistant Organism Cases

BackgroundDuring the pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), policy at a Minnesota hospital changed to state that environmental services would not clean rooms of patients with confirmed or suspected SARS-CoV-2 infections, requiring nursing staff to perform these duties. Investigation of a cluster of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) in patients hospitalized in the same or adjoining rooms on the medical intensive care unit (MICU) raised concern over whether SARS-CoV-2 cleaning practices and non-conventional personal protective equipment (PPE) use led to transmission of multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs). MethodsInfection Prevention conducts passive surveillance for MDRO acquisition in inpatient units. Passive surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 was performed early in the pandemic. Active surveillance SARS-CoV-2 testing on admission was initiated in July 2020 and active surveillance testing for admitted patients every 7 days was initiated in December. Incident cases of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), extended-spectrum-β-lactamase-producing organisms (ESBL), methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), and CRE were determined for hospitalized patients between March 1, 2020 and February 28, 2021, excluding patients with infection on admission. Rates of hospitalized patients testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 per 100 patient days were compared to rates of patients testing positive for VRE, ESBL, MRSA, and CRE per 100 patient days respectively. The same rate comparisons were completed for the MICU. Using the F-Test Two-Sample to determine variance, the Two-Sample T-test assuming unequal variances was applied to each comparison. ResultsCorrelation was significant between rates of SARS-CoV-2 and VRE (p< 0.005), ESBL (p< 0.005), MRSA (p< 0.005), and CRE (p< 0.005) (Table 1). MICU correlation was significant between rates of SARS-CoV-2 and VRE (p< 0.005), ESBL (p< 0.005), MRSA (p< 0.005), and CRE (p< 0.005) (Table 2). Table 1: Two-sample T-test results assuming unequal variances: Hospital COVID rates per 100 patient days vs. rates of incident positive tests for VRE, ESBL, MRSA, and CRE per 100 patient days Table 2: Two-sample T-test results assuming unequal variances: MICU COVID rates per 100 patient days vs. rates of incident positive tests for VRE, ESBL, MRSA, and CRE per 100 patient days ConclusionThe relationships between the rates of SARS-CoV-2 and four MDROs were statistically significant. It can be inferred from this data that changes in hospital cleaning and non-conventional PPE use may have led to an increase in transmission of MDROs in this facility. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Effectiveness of a Multicomponent Intervention to Reduce Multidrug-Resistant Organisms in Nursing Homes

Multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) can cause significant morbidity and mortality. Preventing MDROs can reduce the risk of subsequent transmission and infection. To determine whether a multicomponent infection prevention intervention can reduce MDRO prevalence in nursing homes (NHs). This cluster randomized clinical trial of a multicomponent intervention was conducted in 6 NHs in Michigan from September 2016 to August 2018. Three NHs adopted a multicomponent intervention, while 3 control NHs continued without investigator intervention. Study visits were conducted at baseline; days 7, 14, 21, and 30; and monthly thereafter for up to 6 months or discharge. Visits included clinical data collection and MDRO surveillance culturing of multiple body sites and high-touch surfaces in patient rooms. Any patients who provided informed consent within 14 days of admission to the NH were enrolled in this study. Non-English speakers and patients receiving hospice care were ineligible. Analysis was performed from November 2018 to February 2020. Intervention NHs adopted a multicomponent intervention that included enhanced barrier precautions, chlorhexidine bathing, MDRO surveillance, environmental cleaning education and feedback, hand hygiene promotion, and health care worker education and feedback. Control nursing homes continued standard care practices. The primary outcome, presence of MDROs, was measured longitudinally in the patient and room environment and was evaluated using generalized mixed effect models. The secondary outcome, time to new MDRO acquisition, was assessed using Cox proportional hazard models. A total of 6 NHs were included, with 245 patients (mean [SD] age, 72.5 [13.6] years; 134 [54.7%] women) enrolled; 3 NHs with 113 patients (46.1%) were randomized to the intervention group and 3 NHs with 132 patients (53.9%) were randomized to the control group. A total of 132 patients (53.9%) were White, and 235 patients (95.9%) were receiving postacute care. Over 808 study visits, 3654 patient cultures and 5606 environmental cultures were obtained. The intervention reduced the odds of MDRO prevalence in patients' environment by 43% (aOR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.35-0.94), but there was no statistically significant difference on the patient level before or after adjustment (aOR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.29-1.14). There were no significant reductions in time to new acquisition for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (hazard ratio [HR], 0.20; 95% CI, 0.04-1.09), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (HR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.46-1.53), or resistant gram-negative bacilli (HR, 1.14; 95% CI, 0.73-1.78). This cluster randomized clinical trial found that the multicomponent intervention reduced the prevalence of MDROs in the environment of NH patients. Our findings highlight the potential for multicomponent interventions to directly and indirectly reduce MDRO prevalence in NHs. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02909946.

Admission and Discharge Sampling Underestimates Multidrug-Resistant Organism (MDRO) Acquisition in an Intensive Care Unit

Background: Identification of hospitalized patients with enteric multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) carriage, combined with implementation of targeted infection control interventions, may help reduce MDRO transmission. However, the optimal surveillance approach has not been defined. We sought to determine whether daily serial rectal surveillance for MDROs detects more incident cases (acquisition) of MDRO colonization in medical intensive care unit (MICU) patients than admission and discharge surveillance alone. Methods: Prospective longitudinal observational single-center study from January 11, 2017, to January 11, 2018. Inclusion criteria were ≥3 consecutive MICU days and ≥2 rectal or stool swabs per MICU admission. Daily rectal or stool swabs were collected from patients and cultured for MDROs, including vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE), third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacterales (3GCR), and extended-spectrum β-lactamase–producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-E) (as a subset of 3GCR). MDRO detection at any time during the MICU stay was used to calculate prevalent colonization. Incident colonization (acquisition) was defined as new detection of an MDRO after at least 1 prior negative swab. We then determined the proportion of prevalent and incident cases detected by daily testing that were also detected when only first swabs (admission) and last swabs (discharge) were tested. Data were analyzed using SAS version 9.4 software. Results: In total, 939 MICU stays of 842 patients were analyzed. Patient characteristics were median age 64 years (interquartile range [IQR], 51–74), median MICU length of stay 5 days (IQR, 3–8), median number of samples per admission 3 (IQR, 2–5), and median Charlson index 4 (IQR, 2–7). Prevalent colonization with any MDRO was detected by daily swabbing in 401 stays (42.7%). Compared to daily serial swabbing, an admission- and discharge-only approach detected ≥86% of MDRO cases (ie, overall prevalent MDRO colonization). Detection of incident MDRO colonization by an admission- or discharge-only approach would have detected fewer cases than daily swabbing (Figure 1); ≥34% of total MDRO acquisitions would have been missed. Conclusions: Testing patients upon admission and discharge to an MICU may fail to detect MDRO acquisition in more than one-third of patients, thereby reducing the effectiveness of MDRO control programs that are targeted against known MDRO carriers. The poor performance of a single discharge swab may be due to intermittent or low-level MDRO shedding, inadequate sampling, or transient MDRO colonization. Additional research is needed to determine the optimal surveillance approach of enteric MDRO carriage.Funding: NoDisclosures: None

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Multidrug-Resistant Organisms Colonization in Long-Term Care Facilities Around the World: A Review.

Elderly people confined to chronic care facilities face an increased risk of acquiring infections by multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs). This review presents the current knowledge of the prevalence and risk factors for colonization by MDROs in long-term care facilities (LTCF), thereby providing a useful reference to establish objectives for implementing successful antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs). We searched in PubMed and Scopus for studies examining the prevalence of MDROs and/or risk factors for the acquisition of MDROs in LTCF. One hundred and thirty-four studies published from 1987 to 2020 were included. The prevalence of MDROs in LTCF varies between the different continents, where Asia reported the highest prevalence of extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL) Enterobacterales (71.6%), carbapenem resistant (CR) Enterobacterales (6.9%) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (25.6%) and North America the highest prevalence to MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa (5.4%), MDR Acinetobacter baumannii (15.0%), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus spp. (VRE) (4.0%), and Clostridioides difficile (26.1%). Furthermore, MDRO prevalence has experienced changes over time, with increases in MDR P. aeruginosa and extended spectrum ß-lactamase producing Enterobacterales observed starting in 2015 and decreases of CR Enterobacterales, MDR A. baumannii, VRE, MRSA and C. difficile. Several risk factors have been found, such as male sex, chronic wounds, the use of medical devices, and previous antibiotic use. The last of these aspects represents one of the most important modifiable factors for reducing colonization with MDROs through implementing ASPs in LTCF.

Fecal Microbiota Functional Gene Effects Related to Single-Dose Antibiotic Treatment of Travelers' Diarrhea.

Travelers' diarrhea (TD) is common among military personnel deployed to tropical and subtropical regions. It remains unclear how TD and subsequent antibiotic treatment impact the resident microflora within the gut, especially given increased prevalence of antibiotic resistance among enteric pathogens and acquisition of multidrug-resistant organisms. We examined functional properties of the fecal microflora in response to TD, along with subsequent antibiotic treatment. Fecal samples from US and UK military service members deployed to Djibouti, Kenya, and Honduras who presented with acute watery diarrhea were collected. A sample was collected at acute presentation to the clinic (day 0, before antibiotics), as well as 7 and/or 21 days following a single dose of antibiotics (azithromycin [500 mg], levofloxacin [500 mg], or rifaximin [1650 mg], all with loperamide). Each stool sample underwent culture and TaqMan reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analyses for pathogen and antibiotic resistance gene detection. Purified DNA from each sample was analyzed using the HumiChip3.1 functional gene array. In total, 108 day 1 samples, 50 day 7 samples, and 94 day 21 samples were available for analysis from 119 subjects. Geographic location and disease severity were associated with distinct functional compositions of fecal samples. There were no overt functional differences between pre- and postantibiotic treatment samples, nor was there increased acquisition of antibiotic resistance determinants for any of the antibiotic regimens. These results indicate that single-dose antibiotic regimens may not drastically alter the functional or antibiotic resistance composition of fecal microflora, which should inform clinical practice guidelines and antimicrobial stewardship. NCT01618591.

Travel-associated multidrug-resistant organism acquisition and risk factors among US military personnel.

International travel is a risk factor for incident colonization with extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing organisms. These and other multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria are major pathogens in combat casualties. We evaluated risk factors for colonization with MDR bacteria in US military personnel travelling internationally for official duty. TravMil is a prospective observational study enrolling subjects presenting to military travel clinics. We analysed surveys, antimicrobial use data, and pre- and post-travel perirectal swabs in military travellers to regions outside the continental USA, Canada, Western or Northern Europe, or New Zealand, presenting to one clinic from 12/2015 to 12/2017. Recovered Gram-negative isolates underwent identification and susceptibility testing (BD Phoenix). Characteristics of trip and traveller were analysed to determine risk factors for MDR organism colonization. 110 trips were planned by 99 travellers (74% male, median age 38years [IQR 31, 47.25]); 72 trips with returned pre- and post-travel swabs were completed by 64 travellers. Median duration was 21days (IQR 12.75, 79.5). 17% travelled to Mexico/Caribbean/Central America, 15% to Asia, 57% to Africa and 10% to South America; 56% stayed in hotels and 50% in dormitories/barracks. Travellers used doxycycline (15%) for malaria prophylaxis, 11% took an antibiotic for travellers' diarrhoea (TD) treatment (fluoroquinolone 7%, azithromycin 4%). Incident MDR organism colonization occurred in 8 travellers (incidence density 3.5/1000 travel days; cumulative incidence 11% of trips [95% CI: 4-19%]), all ESBL-producing Escherichia coli. A higher incidence of ESBL-producing E. coli acquisition was associated with travel to Asia (36% vs 7%, P = 0.02) but not with travel to other regions, TD or use of antimicrobials. No relationship was seen between fluoroquinolone or doxycycline exposure and resistance to those antimicrobials. Incident colonization with MDR organisms occurs at a lower rate in this military population compared with civilian travellers, with no identified modifiable risk factors, with highest incidence of ESBL acquisition observed after South Asia travel.

When Multidrug-Resistant Organism (MDRO)-Positive ICU Patient Isolation and Cohorting Is Not Feasible, What Comes Next?

BackgroundThe need for the implementation of an infection prevention strategy that included patient isolation and a cohorting procedure emerged in our ICU. Yet, isolation, as well as cohorting, were not feasible due to certain barriers associated with a high colonization pressure, open-plan ICU, inadequate bed separation, a limited number of isolation rooms, and nursing shortage. Despite these limitations, we tried to upgrade our ICU’s infection prevention efforts by developing the "universal use of contact precautions approach" for infection prevention and control for all the patients with and without multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), cohorting, and single room isolation. The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of our approach.MethodsA prospective cohort study using surveillance screening cultures for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and MDROs for a period of 18 weeks from October 1, 2018, to January 31, 2019. The main purpose of the approach was to isolate all patients (regardless of their MDRO/MRSA status) in their own bed space as if they were in an isolation room for the entire duration of their ICU hospitalization, in such a way as to prevent horizontal transmission of infection (infection acquisition) in our open-plan ICU. ResultsSeventy-eight patients were admitted to our ICU for a total of 942 patient-days; a total of 432 swabs were collected during the study period. A total of 17 (21.8%) patients were admitted with a pre-existing infection while two (2.5%) patients acquired an infection during their ICU stay (one with Acinetobacter baumannii andone with Pseudomonas aeruginosa; 1.28 acquisition per 1000 patient-days). No transmission was documented for Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecalis, and Staphylococcus aureus.ConclusionsOur MDRO acquisition rates suggested that the implementation of our infection control strategy potentially prevents the horizontal transmission of pathogens in an open-plan ICU, despite the high colonization pressure and the lack of isolation and cohorting procedures.

Acquisition and carriage of multidrug-resistant organisms in dogs and cats presented to small animal practices and clinics in Switzerland.

BackgroundThe emergence and spread of multidrug‐resistant organisms (MDRO) present a threat to human and animal health.ObjectivesTo assess acquisition, prevalence of and risk factors for MDRO carriage in dogs and cats presented to veterinary clinics or practices in Switzerland.AnimalsPrivately owned dogs (n = 183) and cats (n = 88) presented to 4 veterinary hospitals and 1 practice.MethodsProspective, longitudinal, observational study. Oronasal and rectal swabs were collected at presentation and 69% of animals were sampled again at discharge. Methicillin‐resistant (MR) staphylococci and macrococci, cephalosporinase‐, and carbapenemase‐producing (CP) Enterobacterales were isolated. Genetic relatedness of isolates was assessed by repetitive sequence‐based polymerase chain reaction and multilocus sequence typing. Risk factors for MDRO acquisition and carriage were analyzed based on questionnaire‐derived and hospitalization data.ResultsAdmission prevalence of MDRO carriage in pets was 15.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 11.4‐20.4). The discharge prevalence and acquisition rates were 32.1% (95% CI, 25.5‐39.3) and 28.3% (95% CI, 22‐35.4), respectively. Predominant hospital‐acquired isolates were extended spectrum β‐lactamase‐producing Escherichia coli (ESBL‐E coli; 17.3%) and β‐lactamase‐producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (13.7%). At 1 institution, a cluster of 24 highly genetically related CP (bla oxa181 and bla oxa48) was identified. Multivariate analysis identified hospitalization at clinic 1 (odds ratio [OR], 5.1; 95% CI, 1.6‐16.8) and days of hospitalization (OR 3‐5 days, 4.4; 95% CI, 1.8‐10.9; OR > 5 days, 6.2; 95% CI, 1.3‐28.8) as risk factors for MDRO acquisition in dogs.ConclusionsVeterinary hospitals play an important role in the selection and transmission of MDRO among veterinary patients.

Healthcare Worker Perceptions of Germs and Personal Hygiene Routines in a Ventilator-Capable Skilled Nursing Facility (vSNF)

Background: During a 2017–2019 intervention in Chicago-area vSNFs to control carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, healthcare worker adherence to hand hygiene and personal protective equipment was stubbornly inadequate (hand hygiene adherence, ~16% and 56% on entry and exit), despite educational and monitoring efforts. Little is known about vSNF staff understanding of multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) transmission. We conducted a qualitative analysis of staff members at a vSNF that included assessment of staff perceptions of personal MDRO acquisition risk and associated personal hygiene routines transitioning from work to home. Methods: Between September 2018 and November 2018, a PhD-candidate medical anthropologist conducted semistructured interviews with management (N = 5), nursing staff (N = 6), and certified nursing assistants (N = 6) at a vSNF in the Chicago region (Illinois) who had already received 1 year of MDRO staff education and hand hygiene adherence monitoring. More than 11 hours of semistructured interviews were collected and transcribed. Data collection and analysis included identifying how staff members related to their own risk of MDRO acquisition/infection and what personal hygiene routines they followed. Transcriptions of the data were analyzed using thematic coding aided by MAXQDA qualitative analysis software. Results: Staff members at all levels were able to describe their perceptions related to the risk of acquiring an MDRO and personal hygiene in great detail. The risk of acquiring an MDRO was perceived as a constant threat by staff members, who described germs as bad and everywhere (Table 1). The perceived threat of MDRO acquisition was connected to individual personal hygiene routines (eg, changing shoes before leaving work), which were considered important by staff members (Table 2). Nursing staff and certified nursing assistants noted that personal hygiene was a critical factor keeping their residents, themselves, and their families free from MDROs. Conclusions: In the context of a quality improvement campaign, vSNF healthcare workers are aware of the transmissibility of microscopic MDROs and are highly motivated in preventing transmission of MDROs to themselves. Such perceptions may explain actions such as why workers may be differentially adherent with infection control interventions (eg, more likely to perform hand hygiene leaving a room rather than going into a room, or less likely to change gowns in between residents in multibed rooms if they believe they are already personally protected with a gown). Our findings suggest that interventions to improve staff adherence to infection control measures may need to address other factors related to adherence besides knowledge deficit (eg, understaffing) and may need to acknowledge self-protection as a driving motivator for staff adherence.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None