Surgical site infection surveillance for elective primary total hip and knee arthroplasty in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

BACKGROUND: Surgical site infections (SSIs) increase morbidity and mortality after primary hip and knee arthroplasty. We evaluated a surveillance program that tracked risk factors associated with infection after primary hip and knee arthroplasty in the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. METHODS: Surveillance data from April 2010 to March 2015 were reviewed for all 12,636 primary hip or knee arthroplasties, including 1-year follow-up. Procedures were evaluated in earlier (April 2010 to December 2012) and later periods (January 2013 to March 2015). Risk factors for postoperative infection were evaluated. RESULTS: There were 154 SSIs in 12,636 operations (1.22%) (earlier, 98 infections in 6,613 operations [1.48%]; later, 56 infections in 6,023 operations [0.93%]). The frequency of primary hip arthroplasty deep infection decreased from earlier to later periods; the frequency of primary knee arthroplasty infection was similar between the time periods. Independent risk factors associated with increased SSI risk included higher body mass index. SSI frequency was inversely associated with maintaining immediate postoperative temperature between 36°C and 38°C and surgery in the later period. CONCLUSIONS: Surveillance was effective in decreasing the frequency of deep infection after primary total hip arthroplasties but not after knee arthroplasties. Surveillance of orthopedic surgery with feedback of SSI rates to the front-line staff may result in improvement in surgical outcomes.

Prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms in Canadian Hospitals. Comparison of point-prevalence survey results from 2010, 2012, and 2016.

OBJECTIVE: Point-prevalence surveys for infection or colonization with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CREs), and for Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) were conducted in Canadian hospitals in 2010 and 2012 to better understanding changes in the epidemiology of antimicrobial-resistant organisms (AROs), which is crucial for public health and care management. METHODS: A third survey of the same AROs in adult inpatients in Canadian hospitals with ≥50 beds was performed in February 2016. Data on participating hospitals and patient cases were obtained using standard criteria and case definitions. Associations between ARO prevalence and institutional characteristics were assessed using logistic regression models. RESULTS: In total, 160 hospitals from 9 of the 10 provinces with 35,018 adult inpatients participated in the survey. Median prevalence per 100 inpatients was 4.1 for MRSA, 0.8 for VRE, 1.1 for CDI, 0.8 for ESBLs, and 0 for CREs. No significant change occurred compared to 2012. CREs were reported from 24 hospitals (15%) in 2016 compared to 10 hospitals (7%) in 2012. Routine universal or targeted admission screening for VRE decreased from 94% in 2010 to 74% in 2016. Targeted screening for MRSA on admission was associated with a lower prevalence of MRSA infection. Large hospitals (>500 beds) had higher prevalences of CDI. CONCLUSION: This survey provides national prevalence rates for AROs in Canadian hospitals. Changes in infection control and prevention policies might lead to changes in the epidemiology of AROs and our capacity to detect them.

Population-based surveillance of Clostridium difficile infection in Manitoba, Canada, by using interim surveillance definitions.

OBJECTIVE: To apply interim surveillance definitions of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) cases to 1 year of data from the provincewide surveillance system of Manitoba, Canada, to determine the epidemiology of CDI incident cases in a population. METHODS: CDI cases were categorized with interim surveillance definitions developed by an ad hoc C. difficile surveillance working group. Incident cases recorded in the provincial CDI database between July 2005 and June 2006 were linked to the provincial hospitalization and nursing home databases and analyzed. RESULTS: One thousand six incident cases were identified over 1 year. Five hundred fifteen (51%) cases were associated with and began in a healthcare facility (HCF), whereas 275 (27%) were associated with and began in the community. An additional 131 (13%) cases were HCF associated but began in the community, while 85 (8%) were of indeterminate origin. Cases of HCF-associated CDI occurred in patients who were older than did cases of community-associated CDI (P < .0001). The provincial rate of community-onset cases was 23.4 per 100,000 person-years, and rates varied among geographic areas. HCF-associated CDI rates among the 10 largest hospitals varied from 0.5 to 8.4 per 10,000 patient-days. The time to CDI onset after hospital admission indicated that 25% of nosocomial cases began by the 8th day, and 50% began by the 17th day. CONCLUSIONS: Although the majority of CDI cases were associated with exposure to a HCF, 40% of incident CDI began in the community. Populations with HCF- and community-associated CDI demonstrated significantly different age distributions. The wide variation of rates among HCFs requires explanation. The high percentage of incident cases in the community warrants increased study.