ABSTRACT
We describe an epidemiologic investigation and successful control measures for the first reported outbreak of blaNDM-1-carrying Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Texas occurring in a veteran with transmission of the same organism and a blaNDM-5-carrying Escherichia coli, respectively, to two roommates and blaNDM-carrying organism/s to a patient cared for by common staff.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Health care-associated infections (HAIs) increased worldwide as health care facilities struggled through the pandemic. We describe our methods in the implementation of a programmatic initiative called serious infectious threat response initiative (SITRI) that was conceptualized to support our staff, to facilitate day-to-day clinical operations related to COVID-19 and to shield our infection prevention and control program (IPC) from excessive COVID-19 work burden to the extent possible to retain routine prevention focused efforts. Post implementation, we sought to understand and quantify the workload and utility of SITRI, IPC burnout and HAI incidence during the implementation period. METHODS: We correlated the number of weekly phone calls with inpatient COVID-19 census, assessed types of calls, staff feedback, IPC burnout, pre- and postpandemic HAI incidence, and the cost. RESULTS: There was significant correlation between SITRI calls and the weekly average COVID-19 census (P = .00026). IPC burnout evaluation indicated improvement in scores for exhaustion and reduced achievement and worsening in score for depersonalization. HAI incidence did not increase. SITRI's cost was $360,000. CONCLUSIONS: Staff solicited SITRI's support in tandem with the COVID-19 burden. Our HAI during the pandemic did not increase while SITRI was operational in contrast to what is published in literature.
