Background: Nursing home (NH) residents and staff were at high risk for COVID-19 early in the pandemic; several studies estimated seroprevalence of infection in NH staff to be 3-fold higher among CNAs and nurses compared to other staff. Risk mitigation added in Fall 2020 included systematic testing of residents and staff (and furlough if positive) to reduce transmission risk. We estimated risks for SARS-CoV-2 infection among NH staff during the first winter surge before widespread vaccination. Methods: Between February and May 2021, voluntary serologic testing was performed on NH staff who were seronegative for SARS-CoV-2 in late Fall 2020 (during a previous serology study at 14 Georgia NHs). An exposure assessment at the second time point covered prior 3 months of job activities, community exposures, and self-reported COVID-19 vaccination, including very recent vaccination (≤4 weeks). Risk factors for seroconversion were estimated by job type using multivariable logistic regression, accounting for interval community-incidence and interval change in resident infections per bed. Results: Among 203 eligible staff, 72 (35.5%) had evidence of interval seroconversion (Fig. 1). Among 80 unvaccinated staff, interval infection was significantly higher among CNAs and nurses (aOR, 4.9; 95% CI, 1.4–20.7) than other staff, after adjusting for race and interval community incidence and facility infections. This risk persisted but was attenuated when utilizing the full study cohort including those with very recent vaccination (aOR, 1.8; 95% CI, 0.9–3.7). Conclusions: Midway through the first year of the pandemic, NH staff with close or common resident contact continued to be at increased risk for infection despite enhanced infection prevention efforts. Mitigation strategies, prior to vaccination, did not eliminate occupational risk for infection. Vaccine utilization is critical to eliminate occupational risk among frontline healthcare providers.

Funding: None

Disclosures: None

Background: Antibiotic use during end-of-life (EOL) care is an increasingly important target for antimicrobial stewardship given the high prevalence of antibiotic use in this setting with limited evidence on safety and effectiveness to guide antibiotic decision making. We estimated antibiotic use during the last 6 months of life for patients under hospice or palliative care, and we identified potential targets (ie time points) during the EOL period when antimicrobial stewardship interventions could be targeted for maximal benefit. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of nationwide Veterans’ Affairs (VA) patients, 18 years and older who died between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2019, and who had been hospitalized within 6 months prior to death. Data from the VA’s integrated electronic medical record (EMR) were collected including demographics, comorbid conditions, and duration of inpatient antibiotics administered, along with outpatient antibiotics dispensed. A propensity-score matched-cohort analysis was conducted to compare antibiotic use between patients placed into palliative care or hospice matched to patients not receiving palliative care or hospice care. Repeated measures ANOVA and repeated measures linear regression methods were used to analyze difference in difference (D-I-D) of days of therapy (DOT) between the 2 cohorts. Results: There were 251,822 patients in the cohort, including 23,746 in hospice care, 89,768 in palliative care, and 138,308 without palliative or hospice care. The median days from last discharge to death was 9 days. The most common comorbidities were chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (50%), malignancy (46%), and diabetes mellitus (43%). Overall, 18,296 (77%) of 23,746 hospice patients, and 71,812 (80%) of 89,768 palliative care patients received at least 1 antibiotic, whereas 95,167 (69%) of 138,308 who were not placed in hospice or did not receive palliative care received antibiotics. In the primary matched cohort analysis that compared patients placed into hospice or palliative care to propensity-score matched controls, entry into palliative care was associated with a 11% absolute increase in antibiotic prescribing, and entry into hospice was associated with a 4% absolute increase during the 7–14 days after entry versus the 7–14 days before entry (Fig. 1). The stratified cohorts had very similar balanced covariates as the overall cohort. Conclusions: In our large cohort study, we observed that patients receiving EOL care had high levels of antibiotic exposure across VA population, particularly on entry to hospice or during admissions when they received palliative care consultation. Future studies are needed to identify the optimal EOL strategies for collaboration between antimicrobial stewardship and palliative care.

Funding: None

Disclosures: None

Antibiotic prescribing errors at hospital discharge are common. We designed a pharmacist-driven antimicrobial stewardship program to evaluate prescriptions prior to being transmitted to community pharmacies. Drug-related problems were identified in prescriptions for 48 of 149 patients, resulting in 55 interventions. Review at discharge improves outpatient prescribing of antimicrobials.

Background: Burkholderia multivorans are gram-negative bacteria typically found in water and soil. B. multivorans outbreaks among patients without cystic fibrosis have been associated with exposure to contaminated medical devices or nonsterile aqueous products. Acquisition can also occur from exposure to environmental reservoirs like sinks or other hospital water sources. We describe an outbreak of B. multivorans among hospitalized patients without cystic fibrosis at 2 hospitals within the same healthcare system in California (hospitals A and B) between August 2021 and July 2022. Methods: We defined confirmed case patients as patients without cystic fibrosis hospitalized at hospital A or hospital B between January 2020 to July 2022 with B. multivorans isolated from any body site matching the outbreak strain. We reviewed medical records to describe case patients and to identify common exposures. We evaluated infection control practices and interviewed staff to detect exposures to nonsterile water. Select samples from water, ice, drains, and sink splash zone surfaces were collected and cultured for B. multivorans in March 2022 and July 2022 from both hospitals. Common aqueous products used among case patients were tested for B. multivorans. Genetic relatedness between clinical and environmental samples was determined using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and repetitive extragenic palindromic polymerase chain reaction (Rep-PCR). Results: We identified 23 confirmed case patients; 20 (87%) of these were identified at an intensive care unit (ICU) in hospital A. B. multivorans was isolated from respiratory sources in 18 cases (78%). We observed medication preparation items, gloves, and patient care items stored within sink splash zones in ICU medication preparation rooms and patient rooms. Nonsterile water and ice were used for bed baths, swallow evaluations, and ice packs. B. multivorans was cultured from ice and water dispensed from an 11-year-old ice machine in the ICU at hospital A in March 2022 but no other water sources. Additional testing in July 2022 yielded B. multivorans from ice and a drain pan from a new ice machine in the same ICU location at hospital A. All products were negative. Clinical and environmental isolates were the same strain by RAPD and Rep-PCR. Conclusions: The use of nonsterile water and ice from a contaminated ice machine contributed to this outbreak. Water-related fixtures can serve as reservoirs for Burkholderia, posing infection risk to hospitalized and immunocompromised patients. During outbreaks of water-related organisms, such as B. multivorans , nonsterile water and ice use should be investigated as potential sources of transmission and other options should be considered, especially for critically ill patients.

Disclosures: None

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in neonates can result in significant morbidity and mortality. However, comparatively to adults, neonatal MRSA data remains relatively scarce. Additionally, while evidence-driven practices for adults have seen considerable progress, neonatal infection prevention strategies remain poorly described. The Leeds Newborn Service adopted a series of infection prevention and control (IPC) measures following a rise in MRSA cases in 2008–2009. This narrative review presents IPC measures for neonatal MRSA and methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) infections and reflects upon local challenges and successes of these interventions. Our experience underscores the importance of an adaptive, evidence-based strategy, tailored to the neonatal population. Effectively addressing MRSA/MSSA requires continuous monitoring with sustained targeted interventions. Our key learning points highlight the intertwined difficulties of specific neonatal requirements and lack of definitive IPC guidance, suggesting a holistic approach is key for successful IPC outcomes in the neonatal intensive care unit setting.

Background: Admission laboratory screening for asymptomatic COVID-19 has been utilized to mitigate healthcare-associated SARS-CoV-2 transmission. A better understanding of the impact of such testing across a variety of patient populations is needed. Methods: Beginning April 2020, every patient admitted within an academic healthcare system underwent SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing upon admission. Between April 20, 2020 through June 14, 2021, results were analyzed in asymptomatic patients across 4 inpatient facilities: a tertiary-care adult hospital, a free-standing pediatric hospital, a community-based hospital, and a behavioral health hospital. Positivity rates and the number needed to test (NNT) to identify 1 asymptomatic infected patient were calculated overall, by hospital type, by patient vaccination status, and by CDC-defined levels of community transmission. Weekly community incidence rates of COVID-19 for the system’s metropolitan service area (8 central Tennessee counties) were obtained from Tennessee Department of Health records. Weekly COVID-19 incidence rates per 100,000 people were calculated using US Census Bureau data. Using a national survey of hospital epidemiologists, a clinically meaningful NNT was identified (ie, 1 positive patient per 100 patients tested). A crude admission testing cost (covering testing supplies, reagents, and lab personnel costs) was obtained from operational data ($50 per test) to assess testing utility. Results: In total, 51,187 tests were collected during the study period with a positivity rate of 1.8%. No periods of low transmission were observed (Table 1). During high transmission periods, the NNT met the clinically relevant threshold in all populations. In addition, the NNT approached or met the 1:100 threshold for most locations during periods of less transmission, suggesting continued benefit even as infection rates decline. In all transmission periods, the NNT for non–fully vaccinated patients met the clinically meaningful threshold, in contrast to testing of fully vaccinated patients (Table 2). Discussion: Implementing an asymptomatic patient admission testing program can provide clinically relevant value based on the NNT, even during lower periods of transmission and in different patient populations. Limiting admission testing to non–fully vaccinated patients during periods of lower transmission may be a strategy to address cost and resource concerns around this practice. Further investigations into the impact of booster vaccination and newer SARS-CoV-2 variants on admission testing programs are also necessary. Although the impact of such testing on healthcare-associated COVID-19 among patients and healthcare workers could not be clearly determined, these data provide important information as facilities weigh the costs and benefits of such testing.

Funding: None

Disclosures: None

Advancement in solid organ transplantation and hematopoietic stem cell transplant continues to improve the health outcomes of patients and widens the number of eligible patients who can benefit from the medical progress. Preserving the effectiveness of antimicrobials remains crucial, as otherwise transplant surgeries would be unsafe due to surgical site infections, and the risk of sepsis with neutropenia would preclude stem cell transplant. In this review, we provide updates on three previously discussed stewardship challenges: febrile neutropenia, Clostridioides difficile infection, and asymptomatic bacteriuria. We also offer insight into four new stewardship challenges: the applicability of the “shorter is better” paradigm shift to antimicrobial duration; antibiotic allergy delabeling and desensitization; colonization with multidrug-resistant gram-negative organisms; and management of cytomegalovirus infections. Specifically, data are accumulating for “shorter is better” and antibiotic allergy delabeling in transplant patients, following successes in the general population. Unique to transplant patients are the impact of multidrug-resistant organism colonization on clinical decision-making of antibiotic prophylaxis in transplant procedure and the need for antiviral stewardship in cytomegalovirus. We highlighted the expansion of antimicrobial stewardship interventions as potential solutions for these challenges, as well as gaps in knowledge and opportunities for further research.

Background:Pseudomonas aeruginosa uncommonly causes illness in neonatal intensive care units (NICU). A cluster of 4 infections was appreciated over 6 weeks in our inborn–delivery NICU, prompting an investigation. Methods: Upon recognition of a cluster of infections, we retrospectively audited all cultures positive for P. aeruginosa from all sites (sterile and nonsterile) over the prior year in the index NICU (NICU 1, inborn) and for comparison in the adjacent NICU (NICU 2, larger, outborn–surgical). We performed multilocus sequence testing (MLST) of available clinical isolates to identify clonality. We initiated quarterly prospective surveillance of P. aeruginosa colonization of infants through nares, perirectal swabs, and tracheal aspirates of intubated infants or oropharyngeal swabs of nonintubated infants. We also swabbed incubators, ventilatory equipment, and sinks for selective P. aeruginosa culturing. Results: We identified 7 invasive P. aeruginosa infections in the inborn NICU (5 bloodstream and 2 pneumonia) over an 11-month period (Figure 1). Over the same period, there were no P. aeruginosa bloodstream infections in the adjacent NICU. Affected neonates were high risk: gestational age ranged from 22 weeks and 4 days to 26 weeks and 3 days; day of life at infection ranged from 6 to 37; 6 infants were on a jet ventilator; and all infants were receiving enteral nutrition (6 of 7 with donor human milk and 7 of 7 with expressed mother’s milk). Two infants died from their infection, and 5 infants survived to hospital discharge. All 7 isolates were pansusceptible to routine antimicrobials. MLST of the first 4 available isolates demonstrated 4 different sequence types; however, the first 2 were from the same clonal complex, indicating relatedness (Figure 1). For environmental samples, 8 obtained 8 cultures (swabs) of incubators and ventilatory equipment, and 24 cultures of faucets and drains of all sinks. Only sink cultures were positive, yielding 3 isolates identified as P. aeruginosa and 4 isolates identified as P. aeruginosa–like. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) is underway to identify relatedness to the clinical isolates. We initiated quarterly infant surveillance by swab culture for P. aeruginosa nasal colonization then escalated to perirectal and oropharyngeal swab or tracheal aspirate cultures (intubated infants) in subsequent quarters. We did not detect any infants colonized with P. aeruginosa. Conclusions: We identified a cluster of P. aeruginosa in high-risk neonates with no point source. Molecular typing indicated a multiclonal cluster. This finding poses a management dilemma. A colonized water system is suspected and WGS of environmental samples is underway.

Funding: No

Disclosures: None

Figure 1.

We developed and validated a set of fully automated surveillance algorithms for healthcare-onset CDI using electronic health records. In a validation data set of 750 manually annotated admissions, the algorithm based on International Classification of Disease, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code A04.7 had insufficient sensitivity. Algorithms based on microbiological test results with or without addition of symptoms performed well.

A pharmacist-driven protocol for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nares screening and empiric vancomycin discontinuation was instituted in a community healthcare system utilizing a tele-antimicrobial stewardship program to reduce inappropriate use of vancomycin. The protocol and associated intervention resulted in a significant decrease in both vancomycin utilization and the rate of acute kidney injury.

We present the investigation and control of an extensively drug-resistant Serratia marcescens outbreak in a 30-bed intensive care unit (ICU). Within 6 weeks, 4 critically ill trauma patients were infected by the same strain. Intensive containment measures limited the spread of this strain while sustaining the capacity of the trauma ICU.

Among 37 internal-medicine resident physicians assigned to our outpatient clinic at Minneapolis Veterans’ Affairs Health Care System (MVAHCS) on July 1, 2017, we designed a pre- and postintervention observational study. Our results show that in-person academic detailing around outpatient antimicrobial selection was associated with a decrease in outpatient antimicrobial prescriptions in a group of high-prescribing resident physicians.

Background: In Ghana, treatment of surgical site infections (SSIs) is often empirical and not based on targeted therapy (ie, knowledge of the organisms infecting surgical sites or their susceptibility profiles). This empirical approach most often leads to inappropriate prescription, which is a major driver of antimicrobial resistance. Using phenotypic and molecular tools, we investigated S. aureus, E. coli, K. pneumoniae, and P. aeruginosa recovered from patients with SSIs. Methods: Identification of bacteria species recovered from wound swabs and aspirates was performed using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectroscopy (MALDI-TOF MS). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) was done using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Results were interpreted according to the CLSI 2018 guidelines. Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) positivity was detected among the gram-negative isolates using the double disk-diffusion method and PCR amplification of ESBL genes (blaSHV, blaTEM, and blaCTX-M). Staphylococcus aureus isolates resistant to cefoxitin were further tested for the presence of mecA using PCR. Results: In total, 312 patients were enrolled in this prospective study. The 243 bacteria species identified comprised Escherichia coli (34%; 107 of 312), Klebsiella pneumoniae (20%; 62 of 312), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (16%; 49 of 312), and S. aureus (8%; 25 of 312). S. aureus isolates were susceptible to clindamycin, erythromycin, gentamicin, linezolid, rifampicin, and norfloxacin, but 10 S. aureus isolates were resistant to cefoxitin and were positive for the mecA gene (MRSA). Among the 169 isolates in the Enterobactericae category (E. coli and K. pneumoniae), 143 (85%) were resistant to tetracycline; 141 (83%) were resistant to trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole; 118 (70%) were resistant to cefotaxime; 111 (66%) were resistant to cefuroxime; 98 (58%) were resistant to ciprofloxacin; 86 (51%) were resistant to gentamicin; and 81 (48%) were resistant to chloramphenicol. However, 161 (95%) were sensitive to amikacin and 159 (94%) were sensitive to meropenem. Among the 49 P. aeruginosa isolates, 45 (92%) showed sensitivity to amikacin, 43 (88%) showed sensitivity to meropenem, 35 (71%) showed sensitivity to gentamicin, and 35 (71%) showed sensitivity to ciprofloxacin. ESBL was detected in 59 (55%) of 107 E. coli isolates, and 48 (77%) of 62 K. pneumoniae isolates. blaCTX-M was the dominant ESBL gene in E. coli isolates (34 of 59, 58%). For K. pneumoniae isolates, blaCTX-M genes were detected in 45 (94%) of 48 isolates and blaSHV genes were detected in 44 (92%) of 48 isolates. Among the 49 P. aeruginosa isolates, 3 harbored the blaTEM gene. Conclusions: The findings of high proportions of ESBL-producing bacteria species in Ghana is a grave public health concern. Data generated in this study will inform treatment decisions and policies and appropriate antibiogram development and will support antimicrobial stewardship programs at the respective healthcare facilities in Ghana.

Funding: None

Disclosures: None

Background: Previously, our hospital manually built a static antibiogram from a surveillance system (VigiLanz) culture report. In 2019, a collaboration between the antimicrobial stewardship team (AST) and the infection control (IC) team set out to leverage data automation to create a dynamic antibiogram. The goal for the antibiogram was the ability to easily distribute and update for hospital staff, with the added ability to perform advanced tracking and surveillance of organism and drug susceptibilities for AST and IC. By having a readily available, accurate, and Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI)–compliant antibiogram, clinicians have the best available data on which to base their empiric antibiotic decisions. Methods: First, assessment of required access to hospital databases and selection of a visualization software (MS Power BI) was performed. Connecting SQL database feeds to Power BI enabled creation of a data model using DAX and M code to comply with the CLSI, generating the first isolate per patient per year. Once a visual antibiogram was created, it was validated against compiled antibiograms using data from the microbiology laboratory middleware (bioMerieux, Observa Integrated Data Management Software). This validation process uncovered some discrepancies between the 2 reference reports due to cascade reporting of susceptibilities. The Observa-derived data were used as the source of truth. The antibiogram prototype was presented to AST/IC members, microbiology laboratory leadership, and other stakeholders to assess functionality. Results: Following feedback and revisions by stakeholders, the new antibiogram was published on a hospital-wide digital platform (Fig. 1). Clinicians may view the antibiogram at any time on desktops from a firewall (or password)–protected intranet. The antibiogram view defaults to the current calendar year and users may interact with the antibiogram rows and columns without disrupting the integrity of the background databases or codes. Each year, simple refreshing of the Power BI antibiogram and changing of the calendar year allows us to easily and accurately update the antibiogram on the hospital-wide digital platform. Conclusions: This interdisciplinary collaboration resulted in a new dynamic, CLSI-compliant antibiogram with improved usability, increased visibility, and straightforward updating. In the future, a mobile version of the antibiogram may further enhance accessibility, bring more useful information to providers, and optimize AST/IC guidelines and education.

Disclosures: None