Impact of COVID-19 on an infection prevention and control program, Iowa 2020-2021.
Am J Infect Control
; 50(3): 277-282, 2022 03.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1611567
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected infection prevention and control (IPC) programs worldwide. We evaluated the impact of COVID-19 on the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics IPC program by measuring the volume of calls to the program, changes in healthcare-associated infection rates, and team member perceptions.METHODS:
We retrieved the IPC call log and healthcare-associated infection trends for 2018-2020. We defined 2 periods pre-COVID-19 (2018-2019) and COVID-19 (January-December 2020). We also conducted one-on-one interviews and focus group interviews with members of the IPC program and describe changes in their working conditions during the COVID-19 period.RESULTS:
A total of 6,564 calls were recorded during 2018-2020. The pre-COVID-19 period had a median of 71 calls and/or month (range 50-119). During the COVID-19 period, the median call volume increased to 368/month (range 149-829), and most calls were related to isolation precautions (50%). During the COVID-19 period, the central line-associated bloodstream infection incidence increased significantly. Infection preventionists reported that the ambiguity and conflicting guidance during the pandemic were major challenges.CONCLUSIONS:
Our IPC program experienced a 500% increase in consultation requests. Planning for future bio-emergencies should include creative strategies to increase response capacity within IPC programs.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
COVID-19
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Qualitative research
Limits:
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
North America
Language:
English
Journal:
Am J Infect Control
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
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