[Quality assurance and infection control in outpatient surgery]. / Qualitätssicherung und Hygiene beim ambulanten Operieren : Ergebnisse einer Umfrage im Rahmen von AMBU-KISS.

BACKGROUND: According to the German Law on Infectious Diseases (Infektionsschutzgesetz or IfSG) German outpatient centres must provide evidence of maintaining certain standards of hygiene and record their nosocomial infection rates. To fulfill their legal obligations, the Commission for Hospital Hygiene and the Prevention of Infection recommends surveillance modules such as that known as AMBU-KISS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The AMBU-KISS project centre implemented a survey to evaluate all procedures relevant to hygiene, surveillance of surgical site infections, and facilities available at centres participating in the AMBU-KISS surveillance programme. The questionnaire was returned by 99 of 110 participants. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: All the centres possess cleaning and disinfection schemes, and practically all of them use written instructions on the processing of instruments and surgical hand disinfection procedure. Many of the participants spend too much time on surgical hand disinfection and presurgical skin disinfection. CONCLUSION: The survey demonstrates that hygienic conditions at centres participating in AMBU-KISS are largely satisfactory. However, there is nevertheless a need to optimise infection control measures.

Risk factor analysis of blood stream infection and pneumonia in neutropenic patients after peripheral blood stem-cell transplantation.

The purpose of this study was to analyse risk factors for blood stream infection (BSI) and pneumonia in neutropenic patients who have undergone peripheral blood stem-cell transplantation (PBSCT). Data were taken from the ONKO-KISS multicenter surveillance project. Infections were identified using CDC definitions (laboratory-confirmed BSI) and modified criteria for pneumonia in neutropenic patients. The multivariate analysis was performed using the Fine-Gray regression model for the cumulative incidences of the competing events 'infection', 'death' and 'end of neutropenia'. The risk factors investigated were: sex, age, underlying disease and type of transplant. From January 2000 to June 2004, a total of 1699 patients in 20 hospitals were investigated. In the multivariate analysis, male patients had a significantly higher risk of acquiring BSI than female patients (P=0.002). The risk of acquiring BSI is highest in patients with advanced acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). In the univariate and multivariate analysis, unrelated donor allogeneic transplantation constituted a risk factor for pneumonia (P=0.012). ONKO-KISS provides reference data on the incidence of pneumonia and BSI. The increased risk for BSI in males and patients with advanced AML, and the increased risk for pneumonia in unrelated donor allogeneic PBSCT patients should be targeted to prevent infections in these higher risk groups.

Surveillance of antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance in German intensive care units (SARI): a summary of the data from 2001 through 2004.

OBJECTIVE: To report the experience gained over 4 years in working with the German SARI project (Surveillance of Antimicrobial Use and Antimicrobial Resistance in Intensive Care Units), and to compare SARI with data from the Swedish STRAMA and the US AUR surveillance system. METHODS: Prospective unit and laboratory based surveillance was carried out in 40 German ICUs from 2001 through 2004. WHO 2004 definitions of defined daily doses (DDD) per 1,000 patient days (pd) were used to express antimicrobial consumption (AD). Apart from the proportion of resistant isolates (RP), the incidence density of resistant isolates (RD) was calculated on the basis of the number of resistant isolates per 1,000 pd. To determine the changes over time, the Wilcoxon signed rank test for paired samples was used. RESULTS: From 1/2001 through 12/2004, 40 ICUs provided data on 53,399 isolates, a total of 789,569 DDD and 597,592 pd. Total AD ranged from 427 to 2,798, with the median being 1,351. There was no statistically significant change in total antimicrobial use, but a statistically significant decrease was observed in the use of aminoglycosides. RD was highest for MRSA with 4.4 resistant isolates/1,000 pd followed by imipenem resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa with 1.7 resistant isolates/1,000 pd. The corresponding RPs were 21.5% and 23.2%. Over the 4-year period (2001-2004), significant increases were seen in the RDs of third generation cephalosporin and ciprofloxacin resistant Escherichia coli. In 2004, the mean RD reached 0.28 and 1.41, respectively. In comparison, the RP of selected pathogens was highest in the US ICUs and lowest in Swedish ICUs, with the exception of imipenem resistant P. aeruginosa. CONCLUSION: Antibiotic consumption remained stable over a period of 4 years, (the mean being 1,321 DDD/1,000 pd). The same applied to the situation regarding resistance in Staphylococcus aureus, enterococci and P. aeruginosa. For most pathogens the RP was higher in SARI ICUs than in Swedish ICUs, but lower than in US ICUs.

Reduction of surgical site infection rates associated with active surveillance.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether surgical site infection (SSI) rates decrease in surgical departments as a result of performing active SSI surveillance. DESIGN: Retrospective multiple logistic regression analyses. SETTING: A group of 130 surgical departments of German hospitals participating in the Krankenhaus Infektions Surveillance System (KISS). METHODS: Data for 19 categories of operative procedures performed between January 1997 and June 2004 were included (119,114 operations). Active SSI surveillance was performed according to National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance system (NNIS) methods and definitions. Departments' SSI rates were calculated individually for each year of surveillance and for each operative procedure category, taking into account when the individual departments had begun their surveillance activities. Multiple logistic regression analyses on a single operation basis were carried out with stepwise variable selection to predict outcomes for patients with SSI. The variables included were as follows: the department's year of participation, NNIS risk index variables, patients' age and sex, and the hospitals' structural characteristics, such as yearly operation frequency, number of beds, and academic status. RESULTS: For 14 of 19 operative procedure categories analyzed, there was a tendency toward lower SSI rates that was associated with increasing duration of SSI surveillance. In multiple logistic regression analyses of pooled data for all operative procedures, the departments' participation in the surveillance system was a significant independent protective factor. Compared with the surveillance year 1, the SSI risk decreased in year 2 (odds ratio, 0.84; 95% confidence interval, 0.77-0.93) and in year 3 (odds ratio, 0.75; 95% confidence interval, 0.68-0.82), and there was no change in year 4. CONCLUSION: The SSI incidence was reduced by one quarter as a result of the surveillance-induced infection control efforts, which indicates the usefulness of a voluntary surveillance system.

Is the prevalence of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia isolation and nosocomial infection increasing in intensive care units?

The study presented here was conducted over a period of 4 years (2001-2004) to investigate changes in the number of S. maltophilia isolates detected per 1,000 patient days and to look at the incidence density of nosocomial infections caused by S. maltophilia. The analysis was based on data provided by 34 German intensive care units participating continuously in the national project "Surveillance of Antimicrobial Use and Resistance in ICUs"; 31 of these ICUs reported nosocomial infections to the German infection surveillance system, KISS, during the study period.

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and antibiotic use in German intensive care units: data from Project SARI (Surveillance of Antimicrobial Use and Antimicrobial Resistance in German Intensive Care Units).

Risk factors for the selection of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia were analysed by correlating antimicrobial use and structure parameters (e.g. hospital type) with the incidence density of S. maltophilia and the percentage of S. maltophilia isolated from 39 intensive care units (ICUs). SARI (Surveillance of Antimicrobial Use and Antimicrobial Resistance in German Intensive Care Units) is a prospective unit- and laboratory-based surveillance system that collects data on the 13 most important organisms responsible for nosocomial infections. The percentage of S. maltophilia among these organisms and the number of S. maltophilia per 1000 patient-days were calculated. The data were subsequently correlated with antibiotic use density calculated in defined daily doses (DDDs) per 1000 patient-days and structure parameters. The data covered a total of 28 266 isolates and 431 351 DDDs. The antibiotic use density ranged from 427 to 2218, with the median being 1346. Over the two-year period, the median of S. maltophilia per 1000 patient-days was 1.4 (range 0-7.6). Calculation of antibiotic use and S. maltophilia per 1000 patient-days showed a significant positive correlation with the use of carbapenems, ceftazidime, glycopeptides and fluoroquinolones, as well as with total antibiotic use. In the multiple logistic regression analysis, carbapenem use and >12 ICU beds were independently and positively associated with a high number of S. maltophilia per 1000 patient-days. Benchmarking data provided for incidence densities of S. maltophilia in ICUs revealed the heterogeneous situation of the burden of S. maltophilia in individual ICUs. The multi-centre data showed that carbapenem use and >12 ICU beds were independent risk factors for the isolation of S. maltophilia.

Antibiotic use in two cohorts of German intensive care units.

Antibiotic use was evaluated in two cohorts of intensive care units (ICUs) in Germany. One cohort included ICUs participating in a surveillance programme (N=34) collecting antibiotic use and bacterial resistance data, with quarterly feedback. The second ICU cohort was from a cross-sectional study and represented a sample from hospitals in South-west Germany (N=58). Two dose definitions were used. These were the World Health Organization/Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification (ATC) 2001 definition of defined daily dose (DDD), and a definition of recommended daily dose (RDD) that better reflected the currently prescribed dosages of parenteral drugs for hospitalized patients. Data were expressed as DDD or RDD per 100 patient-days. It was determined whether hospital size and affiliation, year of study and ICU type had an influence on overall use of antibiotics. Overall use differed between the two ICU cohorts irrespective of the dose definitions used. High use of antibiotics was primarily associated with hospital affiliation (university vs non-university) and hospital size. Mean overall use of antibiotics in non-university hospital ICUs ranged between 106 and 111 DDD/100 (59 and 67 RDD/100) for different hospital size categories, compared with 140 DDD/100 (87 RDD/100) in university hospital ICUs. In conclusion, in order to compare the use of antibiotics between ICU cohorts and to assess trends over time, data adjustment is required for hospital affiliation and size.

Effectiveness of a nationwide nosocomial infection surveillance system for reducing nosocomial infections.

In recent years, several countries have established surveillance systems for nosocomial infections (NIs) on a national basis. Limited information has been published on the effectiveness of these national surveillance systems. The aim of this study was to investigate whether participation in the German national NI surveillance system [Krankenhaus Infektions Surveillance System (KISS)] resulted in reduced rates of NIs. Three major NIs were studied: ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and central-venous-catheter-related primary bloodstream infections (CR-BSIs) in intensive care units (ICUs), and surgical site infections (SSIs) in surgical inpatients. Data were collected from January 1997 until December 2003. Only institutions that had participated in KISS for at least 36 months were considered for analysis. Data from the first 12 months of surveillance were compared with data from the second and third 12-month periods. One hundred and fifty ICUs and 133 surgical departments fulfilled the inclusion criteria. In their first year of participation in KISS, the ICUs had an average VAP rate of 11.2 per 1000 ventilator-days and a CR-BSI rate of 2.1 per 1000 catheter-days. The average SSI rate in the surgical inpatients was 1.6 per 100 operations in their first year of participation. Comparing the infection rates in the third year with the first year, the relative risk (RR) for VAP was 0.71 [95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.66-0.76] and the RR for CR-BSI was 0.80 (95% CI 0.72-0.90). The corresponding RR for SSI was 0.72 [95% CI 0.64-0.80]. Participation in KISS was associated with a significant reduction in these three NIs.

Temporal changes in bacterial resistance in German intensive care units, 2001-2003: data from the SARI (surveillance of antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance in intensive care units) project.

Conservative testing revealed a stable antibiotic resistance situation for Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterobacter cloacae in 32 German intensive care units (ICUs) actively participating in the SARI (surveillance of antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance in ICUs) project over a three-year period (2001--2003). No significant changes were shown for methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) (P=0.501; the MRSA rate increased in 18 ICUs and decreased in 14 ICUs). The only exception was an increase in ciprofloxacin-resistant E. coli.

Pseudocontamination of blood components with Burkholderia cepacia during quality controls.

We report on a pseudooutbreak of Burkholderia cepacia because of the use of a contaminated disinfectant during quality controls in a university blood bank. No septic reactions associated with transfusions had been reported in patients over the last 6 months. Analysis of the individual quality control procedures showed that a disinfectant based on a quaternary ammonium compound (QAC) had been used in order to disinfect the rubber stopper of the blood culture bottle. B. cepacia was found in a sample taken from this disinfectant, which was prepared with concentrate and tap water according to the manufacturer's instructions. The four isolates (one in disinfectant and three in blood components) were found to be identical in their biochemical reactions and resistance patterns. QAC-based disinfectants are not efficacious against a part of the spectrum of gram-negatives and are therefore inadequate. After introduction of an alcohol-based preparation, no more cases of B. cepacia contamination have been identified.

Mortality risk factors with nosocomial Staphylococcus aureus infections in intensive care units: results from the German Nosocomial Infection Surveillance System (KISS).

INTRODUCTION: As the number of nosocomial methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in German intensive care units increases, the problem of MRSA infection as such is becoming ever more serious. The aim of this study was to investigate whether mortality rates from nosocomial MRSA pneumonia and primary bloodstream infections (BSI) differ significantly from those of nosocomial pneumonia and primary BSI caused by methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA). METHODS: For the analysis data from the ICU component of the German nosocomial infection surveillance system (KISS) were used (January 1997 to June 2002). To identify mortality risk factors a logistic regression analysis with step-wise variable selection was conducted including all cases of nosocomial S. aureus pneumonia and primary BSI. The possible risk factors that were evaluated were age > median, male gender, time in the ICU before infection > median, type of ICU, type and size of hospital, intubation, CVC use, total parenteral nutrition, year of investigation, infection caused by MRSA. RESULTS: Data from 274 ICUs and 505,487 ICU patients were recorded and a total of 6,888 cases of nosocomial pneumonia and 2,357 cases of primary BSI identified, of which 1,851 cases of S. aureus pneumonia and 378 cases of S. aureus primary BSI were considered for analysis. 59 of the 349 patients with MRSA pneumonia (16.9%) and 105 of the 1,502 patients with MSSA pneumonia (7.0%) died. 16 of the 95 patients with primary MRSA BSI (16.8%) and 17 of the 283 patients with primary MSSA BSI died (6.0%). Four factors were significantly associated with mortality from S. aureus pneumonia, one of them being pneumonia caused by MRSA (OR = 2.62; CI95 1.69-4.02). Only MRSA was significantly associated with death from S. aureus primary BSI (OR = 3.84; CI95 1.51-10.2). CONCLUSION: Nosocomial pneumonia and primary BSI from MRSA may be associated with death, but the cause-effect relationship of severity of illness and MRSA remains to be determined due to the limitations of surveillance data.

Surveillance of nosocomial sepsis and pneumonia in patients with a bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell transplant: a multicenter project.

BACKGROUND: For surveillance of nosocomial bloodstream infections (BSIs) and pneumonia during neutropenia in adult patients who have undergone bone marrow transplantation (BMT) or peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT), a multicenter study--the Hospital Infection Surveillance System for Patients with Hematologic/Oncologic Malignancies (ONKO-KISS)--was initiated in Germany in 2000. METHODS: Nosocomial infections were identified in neutropenic patients by means of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention definitions for laboratory-confirmed BSI and modified criteria for pneumonia. RESULTS: During the first 38-month period of the study (i.e., through December 2003), a total of 1899 patients associated with 28,273 neutropenic days were investigated. Of these, 1173 (62%) had undergone allogeneic and 726 (38%) had undergone autologous BMT or PBSCT. The mean duration of neutropenia was 14.9 days (9.6 and 18.1 days after autologous and allogeneic transplantation, respectively). Overall, 395 BSIs and 168 cases of pneumonia were identified. The pooled mean site-specific incidence density per 1000 neutropenic days was 14.0 for BSI (12.4 and 18.9 for the allogeneic and autologous transplantation groups, respectively) and 5.9 for pneumonia (6.1 and 5.6 in the allogeneic and autologous transplantation groups, respectively). After allogeneic transplantation, 22.4 BSIs per 100 patients and 11.0 cases of pneumonia per 100 patients occurred, whereas 18.2 BSIs per 100 patients and 5.4 cases of pneumonia per 100 patients occurred after autologous transplantation. The majority (57%) of pathogens associated with BSI were coagulase-negative staphylococci. CONCLUSIONS: The ongoing ONKO-KISS project provides unprecedented reference data about the incidence of pneumonia and sepsis among BMT recipients and PBSCT recipients in Germany. These data will be used for further evaluation of the impact of hygiene measures and therapeutic regimens for these patients.

[Amalgam risk assessment with coverage of references up to 2005]. / Amalgam: Eine Risikobewertung unter Berücksichtigung der neuen Literatur bis 2005.

Amalgam, which has been in use in dentistry for 150 years, consists of 50 % elemental mercury and a mixture of silver, tin, copper and zinc. Minute amounts of mercury vapour are released continuously from amalgam. Amalgam contributes substantially to human mercury load. Mercury accumulates in some organs, particularly in the brain, where it can bind to protein more tightly than other heavy metals (e. g. lead, cadmium). Therefore, the elimination half time is assumed to be up to 1 - 18 years in the brain and bones. Mercury is assumed to be one of the most toxic non-radioactive elements. There are pointers to show that mercury vapour is more neurotoxic than methyl-mercury in fish. Review of recent literature suggests that mercury from dental amalgam may lead to nephrotoxicity, neurobehavioural changes, autoimmunity, oxidative stress, autism, skin and mucosa alterations or non-specific symptoms and complaints. The development of Alzheimer's disease or multiple sclerosis has also been linked to low-dose mercury exposure. There may be individual genetical or acquired susceptibilities for negative effects from dental amalgam. Mercury levels in the blood, urine or other biomarkers do not reflect the mercury load in critical organs. Some studies regarding dental amalgam reveal substantial methodical flaws. Removal of dental amalgam leads to permanent improvement of various chronic complaints in a relevant number of patients in various trials. Summing up, available data suggests that dental amalgam is an unsuitable material for medical, occupational and ecological reasons.

The training curriculum in hospital infection control.

Standardised training curricula for infection control nurses (ICNs) and recognition of the specialty exist in many European countries, but infection control physician (ICP) is not a specialty recognised by the UEMS. To gather information on curricula for ICPs, members of the ESCMID Study Group on Nosocomial Infections received a questionnaire. There is discussion about which 'professions' should be included in an infection control team. Within the 12 countries included, the average full-time equivalents (FTEs) for ICPs and ICNs per 1000 beds were 1.2 and 3.4, respectively. In addition to ICNs and ICPs, an infection control team should also include a data manager, an epidemiologist, secretarial/administrative support, and possibly, surveillance technicians. Overall, the composition of an ideal infection control team was estimated to be 9.3 FTE per 1000 beds. The background of ICPs can be clinical microbiology or infectious diseases. Among the participants, it was predominantly clinical microbiology. The ideal training curriculum for the ICP should include 6 years of postgraduate training. Of these, at least 2 years should be 'clinical training' (e.g., internal medicine) to acquire experience in the management of high-risk patients. Furthermore, training with regard to infection control and hospital epidemiology should be offered as a 'common trunk' for those being trained in clinical microbiology or infectious diseases. Important issues that remain are: implementation/standardisation of training curricula for doctors, recognition of ICP as a separate specialty or sub-specialty of clinical microbiology and/or infectious diseases, validation of on-the-job training facilities in terms of the number of doctors and nurses who can give training and the category of patients/problems present, and mandatory postgraduate education/continuing medical education specific for infection control for doctors and nurses in the field.