To assess whether measurement and feedback of chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) skin concentrations can improve CHG bathing practice across multiple intensive care units (ICUs).

A before-and-after quality improvement study measuring patient CHG skin concentrations during 6 point-prevalence surveys (3 surveys each during baseline and intervention periods).

The study was conducted across 7 geographically diverse ICUs with routine CHG bathing.

Adult patients in the medical ICU.

CHG skin concentrations were measured at the neck, axilla, and inguinal region using a semiquantitative colorimetric assay. Aggregate unit-level CHG skin concentration measurements from the baseline period and each intervention period survey were reported back to ICU leadership, which then used routine education and quality improvement activities to improve CHG bathing practice. We used multilevel linear models to assess the impact of intervention on CHG skin concentrations.

We enrolled 681 (93%) of 736 eligible patients; 92% received a CHG bath prior to survey. At baseline, CHG skin concentrations were lowest on the neck, compared to axillary or inguinal regions (P < .001). CHG was not detected on 33% of necks, 19% of axillae, and 18% of inguinal regions (P < .001 for differences in body sites). During the intervention period, ICUs that used CHG-impregnated cloths had a 3-fold increase in patient CHG skin concentrations as compared to baseline (P < .001).

Routine CHG bathing performance in the ICU varied across multiple hospitals. Measurement and feedback of CHG skin concentrations can be an important tool to improve CHG bathing practice.

Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) are increasingly used for vascular access in inpatient settings. Compared to multilumen PICCs, single-lumen PICCs carry a lower rate of complications, including central-line–associated bloodstream infection and thrombosis. Despite this, multilumen PICCs are still overused.

This quality improvement initiative was implemented across 11 hospitals at New York City Health + Hospitals safety net system. The electronic health record (EHR) interventional radiology or vascular access team consultation orders were modified to allow for lumen choice, with default selection to a single-lumen PICC.

Average single-lumen PICC utilization increased by 25.5%, from 44.4% to 69.9% (P < .001). CLABSI rates had a nonsignificant reduction by 26.7% from 2.44 to 1.79 infections per month (P = .255). Among provider types in the postintervention period, single-lumen PICC utilization ranged from 67.7% for advanced practice providers to 82.4%–94.6% for physicians. Among provider specialties, utilization ranged from 31.8% for neurology to 97.7% for orthopedics. Additionally, there was large variation in pre- and postintervention differences in utilization by hospital.

We successfully increased single-lumen PICC utilization across all 11 safety net hospitals. This expands on previous work on improving single-lumen PICC use and use of default nudges in large, resource-limited settings. Further study is needed to examine variation among provider types, specialties, and hospitals.

To assess the impact of initial specimen diversion device (ISDD) on inpatient and emergency department blood culture contamination (BCC), central-line–associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) standardized infection ratios (SIRs), and antibiotic administration.

Single-center quasi-experimental prospective cohort study wherein phlebotomists used traditional venipuncture with or without the ISDD while registered nurses (RNs) used traditional venipuncture.

BCC events among phlebotomists and RNs were observed and compared from March 17, 2019, through January 21, 2020, defined by contaminant detection in 1 of 4 bottles for matched sets or 1 of 2 bottles in both subsets for coagulase negative staphylococci. CLABSIs throughout this period were recorded and SIRs were calculated. Enhanced oversight took place through July 21, 2019, with chart review assessing antibiotic use for patients with possible BCC.

Overall, 24% of blood cultures obtained were from patients in intensive care. Phlebotomists using traditional venipuncture (n = 4,759) had a 2.3% BCC rate; phlebotomists using the ISDD (n = 11,202) had a 0% BCC rate. RNs drew 7,411 BCs with a 0.8% BCC rate. The CLABSI SIR was decreased from 1.103 in 2017 and 0.658 in 2018 to 0.439 in 2019. The CLABSI incidence was 33%–64% of predicted value for each 2019 quarter. This range fell to 18%–37% after the exclusion of likely false-positive results. Among 42 patients with possible BCC under enhanced oversight, 2 patients were treated with prolonged antibiotic courses.

ISDD use by phlebotomists was associated with BCC reduction and reduced false-positive CLABSI results. This patient-care quality improvement could constitute sustainable antibiotic stewardship expansion.

To describe the effect of a microbiology comment nudge on antibiotic use for asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB).

Single-center, before-and-after, quasi-experimental study.

Community-based, public, not-for-profit teaching hospital in the southeastern United States.

Adult inpatients with a positive urine culture and the absence of urinary tract infection signs and symptoms.

Implementation of a microbiology comment nudge on urine cultures.

In total, 204 patients were included in the study. Antibiotics were less likely to be continued beyond 72 hours in the postimplementation group: 57 (55%) of 104 versus 38 (38%) of 100 (P = .016). They were less likely to have antibiotics continued beyond 48 hours: 60 (58%) of 104 versus 43 (43%) of 100 (P = .036). They were also less likely to have antibiotics prescribed at discharge 35 (34%) of 104 versus 20 (20%) of 100 (P = .028). In addition, they had fewer total antibiotic days of therapy: 4 (IQR, 1–6) versus 1 (IQR, 0–6) (P = .022).

Microbiology comment nudging may contribute to less antibiotic utilization in patients with ASB.

To evaluate random effects of volume (patient days or device days) on healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and the standardized infection ratio (SIR) used to compare hospitals.

A longitudinal comparison between publicly reported quarterly data (2014–2020) and volume-based random sampling using 4 HAI types: central-line–associated bloodstream infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, Clostridioides difficile infections, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections.

Using 4,268 hospitals with reported SIRs, we examined relationships of SIRs to volume and compared distributions of SIRs and numbers of reported HAIs to the outcomes of simulated random sampling. We included random expectations into SIR calculations to produce a standardized infection score (SIS).

Among hospitals with volumes less than the median, 20%–33% had SIRs of 0, compared to 0.3%–5% for hospitals with volumes higher than the median. Distributions of SIRs were 86%–92% similar to those based on random sampling. Random expectations explained 54%–84% of variation in numbers of HAIs. The use of SIRs led hundreds of hospitals with more infections than either expected at random or predicted by risk-adjusted models to rank better than other hospitals. The SIS mitigated this effect and allowed hospitals of disparate volumes to achieve better scores while decreasing the number of hospitals tied for the best score.

SIRs and numbers of HAIs are strongly influenced by random effects of volume. Mitigating these effects drastically alters rankings for HAI types and may further alter penalty assignments in programs that aim to reduce HAIs and improve quality of care.

In adults with Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), higher stool concentrations of toxins A and B are associated with severe baseline disease, CDI-attributable severe outcomes, and recurrence. We evaluated whether toxin concentration predicts these presentations in children with CDI.

We conducted a prospective cohort study of inpatients aged 2–17 years with CDI who received treatment. Patients were followed for 40 days after diagnosis for severe outcomes (intensive care unit admission, colectomy, or death, categorized as CDI primarily attributable, CDI contributed, or CDI not contributing) and recurrence. Baseline stool toxin A and B concentrations were measured using ultrasensitive single-molecule array assay, and 12 plasma cytokines were measured when blood was available.

We enrolled 187 pediatric patients (median age, 9.6 years). Patients with severe baseline disease by IDSA-SHEA criteria (n = 34) had nonsignificantly higher median stool toxin A+B concentration than those without severe disease (n = 122; 3,217.2 vs 473.3 pg/mL; P = .08). Median toxin A+B concentration was nonsignificantly higher in children with a primarily attributed severe outcome (n = 4) versus no severe outcome (n = 148; 19,472.6 vs 429.1 pg/mL; P = .301). Recurrence occurred in 17 (9.4%) of 180 patients. Baseline toxin A+B concentration was significantly higher in patients with versus without recurrence: 4,398.8 versus 280.8 pg/mL (P = .024). Plasma granulocyte colony-stimulating factor concentration was significantly higher in CDI patients versus non-CDI diarrhea controls: 165.5 versus 28.5 pg/mL (P < .001).

Higher baseline stool toxin concentrations are present in children with CDI recurrence. Toxin quantification should be included in CDI treatment trials to evaluate its use in severity assessment and outcome prediction.

The aim of this study was to quantify the time delay between screening and initiation of contact isolation for carriers of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)–producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-E).

This study was a secondary analysis of contact isolation periods in a cluster-randomized controlled trial that compared 2 strategies to control ESBL-E (trial no. ISRCTN57648070). Patients admitted to 20 non-ICU wards in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland were screened for ESBL-E carriage on admission, weekly thereafter, and on discharge. Data collection included the day of sampling, the day the wards were notified of the result, and subsequent ESBL-E isolation days.

Between January 2014 and August 2016, 19,122 patients, with a length of stay ≥2 days were included. At least 1 culture was collected for 16,091 patients (84%), with a median duration between the admission day and the day of first sample collection of 2 days (interquartile range [IQR], 1–3). Moreover, 854 (41%) of all 2,078 ESBL-E carriers remained without isolation during their hospital stay. In total, 6,040 ESBL-E days (32% of all ESBL-E days) accrued for patients who were not isolated. Of 2,078 ESBL-E-carriers, 1,478 ESBL-E carriers (71%) had no previous history of ESBL-E carriage. Also, 697 (34%) were placed in contact isolation with a delay of 4 days (IQR, 2–5), accounting for 2,723 nonisolation days (15% of ESBL-E days).

Even with extensive surveillance screening, almost one-third of all ESBL-E days were nonisolation days. Limitations in routine culture-based ESBL-E detection impeded timely and exhaustive implementation of targeted contact isolation.

To improve dissemination and accessibility of guidelines to healthcare providers at our institution, guidance for infectious syndromes was incorporated into an electronic application (e-app). The objective of this study was to compare empiric antimicrobial prescribing before and after implementation of the e-app.

This study was a before-and-after trial.

A tertiary-care, public hospital in Halifax, Canada.

This study included pediatric patients admitted to hospital who were empirically prescribed an antibiotic for an infectious syndrome listed in the e-app.

Data were collected from medical records. Prescribing was independently assessed considering patient-specific characteristics using a standardized checklist by 2 members of the research team. Assessments of antimicrobial prescribing were compared, and discrepancies were resolved through discussion. Empiric antimicrobial prescribing before and after implementation of the e-app was compared using interrupted time-series analysis.

In total, 237 patients were included in the preimplementation arm and 243 patients were included in the postimplementation arm. Pneumonia (23.8%), appendicitis (19.2%), and sepsis (15.2%) were the most common indications for antimicrobial use. Empiric antimicrobial use was considered optimal in 195 (81.9%) of 238 patients before implementation compared to 226 (93.0%) 243 patients after implementation. An immediate 15.5% improvement (P = .019) in optimal antimicrobial prescribing was observed following the implementation of the e-app.

Empiric antimicrobial prescribing for pediatric patients with infectious syndromes improved after implementation of an e-app for dissemination of clinical practice guidelines. The use of e-apps may also be an effective strategy to improve antimicrobial use in other patient populations.

Resistant gram-negative bacteria (R-GNB) colonization in nursing home patients can cause clinical infection and intrafacility transmission. Limited data exist on the roles of age and function on R-GNB colonization.

A secondary data analysis was performed from a cohort study of 896 patients admitted to 6 Michigan nursing homes between November 2013 and May 2018. Swabs obtained upon enrollment, weekly for 1 month, then monthly until nursing home discharge from 5 anatomical sites were cultured for GNB. R-GNB were defined as resistant to ciprofloxacin, ceftazidime, or imipenem. Patients with growth of the same R-GNB as the initial positive visit, from any anatomical site at any subsequent visit, were considered persistently colonized. Demographic data, antibiotic use, device use, and physical self-maintenance scales (PSMSs) were obtained upon enrollment. Characteristics were compared between patients with R-GNB colonization versus those without, and those with persistent R-GNB colonization versus those with spontaneous decolonization.

Of 169 patients with a positive R-GNB culture and ≥2 subsequent study visits, 89 (53%) were transiently colonized and 80 (47%) were persistently colonized. Compared to uncolonized patients, persistent and transient R-GNB colonization were associated with higher PSMS score: 1.14 (95% confidence interval or CI, 1.05–1.23; P = .002) and 1.10 (95% CI, 1.01–1.19; P = .023), respectively. Persistent colonization was independently associated with longer duration of nursing home stay (1.02; 95% CI, 1.01–1.02; P < .001). Higher readmission rate among persistently colonized patients was observed on unadjusted analysis.

Persistent R-GNB colonization is associated with younger age, functional disability, and prolonged length of nursing home stay. In-depth longitudinal studies to understand new acquisition and transmission dynamics of R-GNB in nursing homes are needed.

To assess the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the incidence of central-line–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), Clostridioides difficile infections (CDIs), and methicillin-resistant Staphyloccocus aureus (MRSA) bloodstream infections (BSIs) in California acute-care hospitals.

Retrospective cohort and before-and-after study.

We compared standardized infection ratios (SIRs) for CLABSI, CDI, and MRSA BSI from the second half of 2020 to the second half of 2019. We performed interrupted time-series (ITS) analyses for these infections to assess departures from long-term trends. We also examined the association between the proportion of facility beds that were occupied by COVID-19 patients in May and June of 2020 and the incidence of infections using negative binomial models. In addition, we compared standardized antimicrobial administration ratios (SAARs) for the second halves of 2019 and 2020.

We detected substantial and significant increases in the SIRs for CLABSI and MRSA BSI from 2019 to 2020. For the ITS analysis, CLABSI and had significant positive values for the pandemic onset level-change parameters, and CLABSI and MRSA BSI had significant positive values for the postinterruption slope-change parameters. We also detected a positive association between facility COVID-19 patient occupancy and CLABSI and MRSA BSI incidence. We did not detect associations with the onset of the pandemic or COVID-19 patient occupancy and CDI. The SAAR for all antibacterial drugs decreased slightly, but the SAAR for drugs with a high risk for CDI increased slightly.

This study adds to a body of literature documenting increases in CLABSI and MRSA BSI incidence during the pandemic.

We sought to determine incidence of common hospital-acquired bacteria among coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients in Israeli general hospitals during the first year of the pandemic.

We analyzed routinely collected incidence data to determine hospital acquisition of the following sentinel bacteria: Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Clostridioides difficile. We examined 3 acquisition measures: (1) sentinel bacteria, (2) sentinel bacteremia, and (3) antimicrobial-resistant sentinel bacteremia. The study period was March 1, 2020, through January 31, 2021.

Analysis of pooled data from the 26 hospitals surveyed revealed that rates were higher for all 3 acquisition measures among COVID-19 patients than they were among patients on general medical wards in 2019, but lower than those among patients in intensive care units in 2019. The incidence rate was highest during the first COVID-19 wave, despite a lower proportion of severe COVID-19 cases among total hospitalized during this wave. Wide variation in incidence was evident between hospitals.

Hospitalized COVID-19 patients experienced nosocomial bacterial infection at rates higher than those of patients on pre-pandemic general medical wards, adding to the complexity of their care. Lower rates of nosocomial infection after the first wave, despite higher proportions of severely ill patients, suggest that healthcare worker practices, rather than patient-related factors, were responsible for most of these infections.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been widely used in the care of patients with respiratory failure from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We characterized bloodstream infections (BSIs) and ventilator-associated pneumonias (VAPs) in COVID-19 patients supported with ECMO, and we investigated their impact on patient outcomes.

Retrospective cohort study from March 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021.

Academic tertiary-care referral center.

Consecutive adult patients admitted for COVID-19 who received ECMO.

We identified BSIs and VAPs and described their epidemiology and microbiology. Cumulative antimicrobial use and the specific management of BSIs were determined. Multivariate time-dependent Cox proportional hazards models were constructed to evaluate the impact of BSIs and VAPs on mortality, controlling for age, receipt of COVID-19–specific therapeutics, and new renal replacement therapy.

We identified 136 patients who received ECMO for COVID-19 pneumonia during the study period. BSIs and VAPs occurred in 81 patients (59.6%) and 93 patients (68.4%), respectively. The incidence of BSIs was 29.5 per 1,000 ECMO days and increased with duration of ECMO cannulation. Enterococci, Enterobacterales, and Staphylococcus aureus were the most common causes of BSIs, whereas S. aureus, Klebsiella species, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa comprised the majority of VAPs. Mean antibiotic use comprised 1,031 days of therapy per 1,000 ECMO days (SD, 496). We did not detect an association between BSIs or VAPs and mortality.

BSIs and VAPs are common in COVID-19 ECMO-supported patients. Efforts to optimize their diagnosis, prevention, and management should be prioritized.

To develop and test a new automated surveillance system that can detect, define and characterize infection clusters, including coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) in Norway by combining existing national register data.

The numerous outbreaks in LTCFs during the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for accurate and timely outbreak surveillance. As traditional methods were inadequate, we used severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as a model to test automated surveillance.

We conducted a nationwide study using data from the Norwegian preparedness register (Beredt C19) and defined the study population as an open cohort from January 2020 to December 2021. We analyzed clusters (≥3 individuals with positive SARS-CoV-2 test ≤14 days) by 4-month periods including cluster size, duration and composition, and residents’ mortality associated with clusters.

The study population included 173,907 individuals; 78% employees and 22% residents. Clusters were detected in 427 (43%) of 993 LTCFs. The median cluster size was 4–8 individuals (maximum, 50) by 4-month periods, with a median duration of 9–17 days. Employees represented 60%–82% of cases in clusters and were index cases in 60%–90%. In the last 4-month period of 2020, we detected 107 clusters (915 cases) versus 428 clusters (2,998 cases) in the last period of 2021. The 14-day all-cause mortality rate was higher in resident cases from the clusters. Varying the cluster definitions changed the number of clusters.

Automated national surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 clusters in LTCFs is possible based on existing data sources and provides near real-time detailed information on size, duration, and composition of clusters. Thus, this system can assist in early outbreak detection and improve surveillance.

To examine the impact of commonly used case definitions for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) hospitalizations on case counts and outcomes.

Retrospective analysis of all adults hospitalized between March 1, 2020, and March 1, 2022, at 5 Massachusetts acute-care hospitals.

We applied 6 commonly used definitions of COVID-19 hospitalization: positive severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay within 14 days of admission, PCR plus dexamethasone administration, PCR plus remdesivir, PCR plus hypoxemia, institutional COVID-19 flag, or COVID-19 International Classification of Disease, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes. Outcomes included case counts and in-hospital mortality. Overall, 100 PCR-positive cases were reviewed to determine each definition’s accuracy for distinguishing primary or contributing versus incidental COVID-19 hospitalizations.

Of 306,387 hospital encounters, 15,436 (5.0%) met the PCR-based definition. COVID-19 hospitalization counts varied substantially between definitions: 4,628 (1.5% of all encounters) for PCR plus dexamethasone, 5,757 (1.9%) for PCR plus remdesivir, 11,801 (3.9%) for PCR plus hypoxemia, 15,673 (5.1%) for institutional flags, and 15,868 (5.2%) for ICD-10 codes. Definitions requiring dexamethasone, hypoxemia, or remdesivir selected sicker patients compared to PCR alone (mortality rates 12.2%, 10.7%, and 8.8% vs 8.3%, respectively). Definitions requiring PCR plus remdesivir or dexamethasone did not detect a reduction in in-hospital mortality associated with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. ICD-10 codes had the highest sensitivity (98.4%) but low specificity (39.5%) for distinguishing primary or contributing versus incidental COVID-19 hospitalizations. PCR plus dexamethasone had the highest specificity (92.1%) but low sensitivity (35.5%).

Commonly used definitions for COVID-19 hospitalizations generate variable case counts and outcomes and differentiate poorly between primary or contributing versus incidental COVID-19 hospitalizations. Surveillance definitions that better capture and delineate COVID-19–associated hospitalizations are needed.

Healthcare workers (HCWs) in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) are disproportionately affected by severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). To characterize factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 positivity among LTCF HCWs, we performed a retrospective cohort study among HCWs in 32 LTCFs in the Minneapolis–St Paul region.

We analyzed the outcome of SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positivity among LTCF HCWs during weeks 34–52 of 2020. LTCF and HCW-level characteristics, including facility size, facility risk score for resident-HCW contact, and resident-facing job role, were modeled in univariable and multivariable generalized linear regressions to determine their association with SARS-CoV-2 positivity.

Between weeks 34 and 52, 440 (20.7%) of 2,130 unique HCWs tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 at least once. In the univariable model, non–resident-facing HCWs had lower odds of infection (odds ratio [OR], 0.50; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.36–0.70). In the multivariable model, the odds remained lower for non–resident-facing HCW (OR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.36–0.71), and those in medium- versus low-risk facilities experienced higher odds of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 (OR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.08–2.02).

Our findings suggest that COVID-19 cases are related to contact between HCW and residents in LTCFs. This association should be considered when formulating infection prevention and control policies to mitigate the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in LTCFs.

Dental healthcare personnel (DHCP) are at high risk of exposure to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We sought to identify how DHCP changed their use of personal protective equipment (PPE) as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and to pilot an educational video designed to improve knowledge of proper PPE use.

The study comprised 2 sets of semistructured qualitative interviews.

The study was conducted in 8 dental clinics in a Midwestern metropolitan area.

In total, 70 DHCP participated in the first set of interviews; 63 DHCP participated in the second set of interviews.

In September–November 2020 and March–October 2021, we conducted 2 sets of semistructured interviews: (1) PPE use in the dental community during COVID-19, and (2) feedback on the utility of an educational donning and doffing video.

Overall, 86% of DHCP reported having prior training. DHCP increased the use of PPE during COVID-19, specifically N95 respirators and face shields. DHCP reported real-world challenges to applying infection control methods, often resulting in PPE modification and reuse. DHCP reported double masking and sterilization methods to extend N95 respirator use. Additional challenges to PPE included shortages, comfort or discomfort, and compatibility with specialty dental equipment. DHCP found the educational video helpful and relevant to clinical practice. Fewer than half of DHCP reported exposure to a similar video.

DHCP experienced significant challenges related to PPE access and routine use in dental clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic. An educational video improved awareness and uptake of appropriate PPE use among DHCP.