Management of a major varicella zoster exposure in a pediatric oncology population.

Management of the exposure of pediatric oncology patients to varicella zoster virus (VZV) is controversial. We report the exposure of 56 patients to a single child with chicken pox at a pediatric cancer housing facility and describe our strategic approach for their management. We reviewed the immune and clinical status of 56 children with cancer receiving ongoing treatment at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) who, while living at a pediatric cancer housing facility, were exposed to the index patient. The management of patients exposed included: (1) determination of immune status, (2) availability of vaccination history or VZV disease prophylaxis, (3) exposure status and subsequent isolation during the period of incubation, and (4) VZV disease prophylaxis. In addition to the 56 patients exposed to the index case, eight children with cancer treated at other facilities and 11 healthy siblings living in the facility were exposed. Of the 56 MSK patients, 21 were classified as immunosuppressed and received varicella zoster immune globulin (human), intravenous standard immune globulin, or acyclovir based on serostatus and immune function. The cohort was followed for 4 weeks after the exposure and no secondary infections were diagnosed. We performed a risk assessment and created a management plan to control and prevent further exposure and development of disease. No secondary cases developed. This strategic approach could serve as a model for the management of VZV exposure for other pediatric oncology centers.

Effectiveness of ultraviolet disinfection in reducing hospital-acquired Clostridium difficile and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus on a bone marrow transplant unit.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of ultraviolet (UV) environmental disinfection system on rates of hospital-acquired vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) and Clostridium difficile. DESIGN: Using active surveillance and an interrupted time-series design, hospital-acquired acquisition of VRE and C. difficile on a bone marrow transplant (BMT) unit were examined before and after implementation of terminal disinfection with UV on all rooms regardless of isolation status of patients. The main outcomes were hospital-based acquisition measured through (1) active surveillance: admission, weekly, and discharge screening for VRE and toxigenic C. difficile (TCD) and (2) clinical surveillance: incidence of VRE and CDI on the unit. SETTING: Bone marrow transplant unit at a tertiary-care cancer center.ParticipantsStem cell transplant (SCT) recipients.InterventionTerminal disinfection of all rooms with UV regardless of isolation status of patients. RESULTS: During the 20-month study period, 579 patients had 704 admissions to the BMT unit, and 2,160 surveillance tests were performed. No change in level or trend in the incidence of VRE (trend incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.96; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.81-1.14; level IRR, 1.34; 95% CI, 0.37-1.18) or C. difficile (trend IRR, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.89-1.31; level IRR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.13-2.11) was observed after the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Utilization of UV disinfection to supplement routine terminal cleaning of rooms was not effective in reducing hospital-acquired VRE and C. difficile among SCT recipients.

Artificial Differences in Clostridium difficile Infection Rates Associated with Disparity in Testing.

In 2015, Clostridium difficile testing rates among 30 US community, multispecialty, and cancer hospitals were 14.0, 16.3, and 33.9/1,000 patient-days, respectively. Pooled hospital onset rates were 0.56, 0.84, and 1.57/1,000 patient-days, respectively. Higher testing rates may artificially inflate reported rates of C. difficile infection. C. difficile surveillance should consider testing frequency.

Utilization of Electronic Health Record Events to Conduct a Tuberculosis Contact Investigation in a High-Risk Oncology Unit.

OBJECTIVE To describe the utilization of electronic medical data resources, including health records and nursing scheduling resources, to conduct a tuberculosis (TB) exposure investigation in a high-risk oncology unit. SETTING A 42-bed inpatient unit with a mix of surgical and medical patients at a large tertiary-care cancer center in New York City. PARTICIPANTS High-risk subjects and coworkers exposed to a healthcare worker (HCW) with cavitary smear positive lung TB. RESULTS During the 3-month exposure period, 270 patients were admitted to the unit; 137 of these (50.7%) received direct care from the index case HCW. Host immune status and intensity of exposure were used to establish criteria for postexposure testing, and 63 patients (45%) met these criteria for first-tier postexposure testing. No cases of active TB occurred. Among coworkers, 146 had significant exposure (ie, >8 hours cumulative). In the 22-month follow-up period after the exposure, no purified protein derivative or interferon gamma release assay conversions or active cases of TB occurred among exposed HCWs or patients. CONCLUSIONS Electronic medical records and employee scheduling systems are useful resources to conduct otherwise labor-intensive contact investigations. Despite the high-risk features of our index case, a highly vulnerable immunocompromised patient population, and extended proximity to coworkers, we did not find any evidence of transmission of active or latent tuberculosis infection among exposed individuals. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017;38:1235-1239.

Use of Disinfection Cap to Reduce Central-Line-Associated Bloodstream Infection and Blood Culture Contamination Among Hematology-Oncology Patients.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we examined the impact of routine use of a passive disinfection cap for catheter hub decontamination in hematology-oncology patients. SETTING: A tertiary care cancer center in New York City. METHODS: In this multiphase prospective study, we used 2 preintervention phases (P1 and P2) to establish surveillance and baseline rates followed by sequential introduction of disinfection caps on high-risk units (HRUs: hematologic malignancy wards, hematopoietic stem cell transplant units and intensive care units) (P3) and general oncology units (P4). Unit-specific and hospital-wide hospital-acquired central-line-associated bloodstream infection (HA-CLABSI) rates and blood culture contamination (BCC) with coagulase negative staphylococci (CONS) were measured. RESULTS: Implementation of a passive disinfection cap resulted in a 34% decrease in hospital-wide HA-CLABSI rates (combined P1 and P2 baseline rate of 2.66-1.75 per 1,000 catheter days at the end of the study period). This reduction occurred only among high-risk patients and not among general oncology patients. In addition, the use of the passive disinfection cap resulted in decreases of 63% (HRUs) and 51% (general oncology units) in blood culture contamination, with an estimated reduction of 242 BCCs with CONS. The reductions in HA-CLABSI and BCC correspond to an estimated annual savings of $3.2 million in direct medical costs. CONCLUSION: Routine use of disinfection caps is associated with decreased HA-CLABSI rates among high-risk hematology oncology patients and a reduction in blood culture contamination among all oncology patients.

Control of norovirus outbreak on a pediatric oncology unit.

BACKGROUND: Patients undergoing treatment for cancer with chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell recipients are at risk for severe morbidity caused by norovirus (NV). METHODS: We describe a NV outbreak on the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center's pediatric oncology unit. Stool testing for diagnosis of NV was performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: Twelve NV cases occurred; 7 were hospital acquired. Twenty-five health care workers reported NV compatible illness. Patient-to-patient transmission occurred once. The practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were supplemented with electronic surveillance, surrogate screening for NV, and heightened cleaning. Two additional cases occurred after implementation of interventions. Long-term shedding was detected in 2 patients. CONCLUSION: We describe interventions for controlling NV on a pediatric oncology unit. High-risk chronic shedders pose ongoing transmission risks. PCR is a valuable diagnostic tool but may be overly sensitive. Surrogate markers to assess NV burden in stool and studies on NV screening are needed to develop guidelines for high-risk chronic shedders.

Estimating risk of C. difficile transmission from PCR positive but cytotoxin negative cases.

BACKGROUND: The use of molecular methods to diagnose Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has improved diagnostic yield compared to conventional methods. However, PCR testing can detect colonization and has introduced several practical challenges pertaining to need for treatment and isolation of cases. METHODS: For all new cases detected by real-time PCR, concurrent cytotoxin assay was performed and genetic characterization with MLVA (multi-locus variable number tandem repeat analysis) was done to determine relatedness. We used PCR cycle threshold (Ct) of detection as surrogate marker for bacterial burden in stool. RESULTS: Overall, 54 cases of CDI were detected during the study period. 42 were concurrently tested by CYT and characterized by MLVA .MLVA analysis revealed marked genetic diversity with no ongoing outbreaks; four cases were due to NAP1 strain. CYT -/PCR + cases had a higher median Ct value of detection compared to CYT+/PCR + cases (28.2 vs 22.5; p = 0.01). Among 25 strains that were genetically related, 9/11 isolates in this dominant cluster were positive by CYT compared to 4/14 in non-dominant clusters (p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: CYT-/PCR+ cases contribute to hospital based transmission. However, the risk of transmission of C. difficile from CYT +/PCR+ cases may be higher than those that are CYT-/PCR+.

Hospital-onset Clostridium difficile infection rates in persons with cancer or hematopoietic stem cell transplant: a C3IC network report.

A multicenter survey of 11 cancer centers was performed to determine the rate of hospital-onset Clostridium difficile infection (HO-CDI) and surveillance practices. Pooled rates of HO-CDI in patients with cancer were twice the rates reported for all US patients (15.8 vs 7.4 per 10,000 patient-days). Rates were elevated regardless of diagnostic test used.

Central line-associated bloodstream infection surveillance outside the intensive care unit: a multicenter survey.

OBJECTIVE: The success of central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) prevention programs in intensive care units (ICUs) has led to the expansion of surveillance at many hospitals. We sought to compare non-ICU CLABSI (nCLABSI) rates with national reports and describe methods of surveillance at several participating US institutions. DESIGN AND SETTING: An electronic survey of several medical centers about infection surveillance practices and rate data for non-ICU patients. PARTICIPANTS: Ten tertiary care hospitals. METHODS: In March 2011, a survey was sent to 10 medical centers. The survey consisted of 12 questions regarding demographics and CLABSI surveillance methodology for non-ICU patients at each center. Participants were also asked to provide available rate and device utilization data. RESULTS: Hospitals ranged in size from 238 to 1,400 total beds (median, 815). All hospitals reported using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) definitions. Denominators were collected by different means: counting patients with central lines every day (5 hospitals), indirectly estimating on the basis of electronic orders ([Formula: see text]), or another automated method ([Formula: see text]). Rates of nCLABSI ranged from 0.2 to 4.2 infections per 1,000 catheter-days (median, 2.5). The national rate reported by the CDC using 2009 data from the National Healthcare Surveillance Network was 1.14 infections per 1,000 catheter-days. CONCLUSIONS: Only 2 hospitals were below the pooled CLABSI rate for inpatient wards; all others exceeded this rate. Possible explanations include differences in average central line utilization or hospital size in the impact of certain clinical risk factors notably absent from the definition and in interpretation and reporting practices. Further investigation is necessary to determine whether the national benchmarks are low or whether the hospitals surveyed here represent a selection of outliers.

Practically speaking: rethinking hand hygiene improvement programs in health care settings.

BACKGROUND: Hand hygiene is widely recognized as the single most effective means of reducing health care-associated infections. Implementing a credible hand hygiene program and maintaining high compliance among staff is both expected and required of hospitals. However, beyond general guidelines, few resources are available for establishing an institution-wide hand hygiene program that is both successful and sustainable over the long term. METHODS: Beginning in 2008, we completely overhauled the approach to hand hygiene at our institution. We created small teams consisting of a representative from Quality Assessment, an Infection Prevention Practitioner, and staff from a particular unit. Teams began by discussing the current barriers to hand hygiene success. They then set their own goals for hand hygiene compliance. Staff learned the World Health Organization (WHO) hand hygiene guidelines, which recently had been adopted as part of hospital infection prevention policy. Using the WHO guidelines, teams diagrammed detailed workflows for several of their most common patient care tasks. Wherever hand hygiene was indicated, the workflow was marked with a number corresponding to one or more of the WHO's "5 moments for hand hygiene." At the end of the 12-week period, staff members were trained to observe each other and began officially collecting and submitting data to Infection Prevention. RESULTS: Between 2006 and 2008, our average institutional hand hygiene compliance held steady at 60%-70%. After the new program was launched in 2008, compliance reached 97% and has been maintained at this level ever since. In addition to the 19 areas of the hospital that were observed previously, 15 ambulatory facilities and 5 regional sites are now included in the data. CONCLUSION: This article describes a novel approach to measuring, monitoring, and ultimately increasing hand hygiene compliance at our hospital. Our objective is to provide concrete, practical strategies for other institutions faced with the challenge of building or revamping their own hand hygiene programs.

Investigation of increased rates of isolation of Bacillus species.

BACKGROUND: In 2007-2008, several US hospitals reported summertime increases in the number of clinical blood cultures positive for Bacillus species, which are common environmental bacteria. OBJECTIVE: To investigate increased rates of isolation of Bacillus species from blood cultures, identify risk factors, and recommend control strategies. DESIGN: Survey and case-control study. SETTING: Multiple hospitals, including a cancer center. METHODS: We surveyed 24 facilities that reported increases. We also conducted a field investigation at a hospital with a high rate, reviewing charts, collecting clinical and environmental isolates, and observing infection control procedures. A case-control study compared inpatient case patients who had any blood culture positive for Bacillus with unmatched control patients who had a blood culture with no growth during June-August 2008. RESULTS: Among surveyed facilities, mean monthly rates rose from 25 to a peak of 75 Bacillus-positive blood cultures per 10,000 blood cultures performed during the period June-August. At the hospital where the case-control investigation was conducted, for most case patients (75%), the Bacillus-positive blood cultures represented contamination or device colonization rather than infection. We enrolled 48 case patients and 48 control patients; in multivariate analysis, only central venous access device use was significantly associated with case status (odds ratio, 14.0; [Formula: see text]). Laboratory testing identified at least 12 different Bacillus species (non-anthracis) among the isolates. Observation of infection control procedures revealed variability in central line care and blood sample collection techniques. CONCLUSIONS: Periodic increases in the environmental load of Bacillus species may occur in hospitals. Our investigation indicated that at one facility, these increases likely represented a pseudo-outbreak of Bacillus species colonizing central venous lines or their accessories, such as needleless connector devices. Vigilant attention should be paid to infection control practices when collecting blood samples for culture, to minimize the risk of contamination by environmental microorganisms.

2009 H1N1 influenza infection in cancer patients and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients.

OBJECTIVES: Although usually mild, 2009 H1N1 Influenza has caused up to 6000 deaths in the US. To determine outcome in patients with cancer and/or hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), we reviewed our recent experience at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). METHODS: During the initial NYC outbreak (May 19-June 30, 2009), all respiratory samples at MSKCC were tested for 2009 H1N1 influenza by DFA, culture, and RT-PCR. Medical records were reviewed for all cases. RESULTS: During the 6-week period, 45(11%) of 394 tested patients were diagnosed with 2009 H1N1 Influenza. These included 29(17%) of 167 patients with hematologic conditions compared to 16(7%) of 226 with solid tumors (P < 0.01). 21(22%) of 96 tested HSCT recipients were positive. Cough (93%) and fever (91%) were common. Of 29 patients who were radiographically assessed, 8(27%) had lower airway disease. 17(37%) were hospitalized. None required mechanical ventilation. No deaths were attributed to influenza. All treated patients tolerated antiviral medication. CONCLUSIONS: 2009 H1N1 Influenza caused mild symptoms in most patients with cancer and/or HSCT. None died or required mechanical ventilation. Immunosuppression from cancer or its treatment including HSCT may not be a substantial risk for poor outcome, however further studies are needed to validate our results.

The accuracy of the central venous blood gas for acid-base monitoring.

BACKGROUND: Routine use of central venous blood gases (VBGs) may reduce complications from prolonged arterial cannulation. We investigated the reliability of the VBG as a substitute for arterial blood gas (ABG) in multiple care settings. METHODS: We developed a VBG adjustment rule of ABG pH = VBG pH + 0.05, ABG CO(2) = VBG PCO(2) -5 mm Hg from prior studies and validated this relationship with simultaneous venous and arterial blood obtained from 187 medical/surgical intensive care, cardiac catheterization laboratory, and coronary care unit patients with central venous access. RESULTS: The overall accuracy of a normal adjusted VBG (aVBG) to predict a normal ABG was 90%. After adjustment, the mean systematic difference (bias) between ABG and VBG pH decreased from 0.035 +/- 0.02 to -0.015 +/- 0.02 and PCO(2) bias decreased from -4.5 +/- 3.5 to 0.5 +/- 3.5. Intraclass correlation coefficients for agreement improved after applying the adjustment rule to venous pH (from 0.84 to 0.93, P < .001) and PCO(2) (from 0.66 to 0.84, P < .001). Overall diagnostic accuracy of VBG improved from 45% to 74% after adjustment. Multiple logistic regression demonstrated that the factor independently associated with discrepancy between VBG and ABG diagnoses was an abnormal aVBG (OR 6.8, 95% CI 2.8-16.5). CONCLUSIONS: Because of the high agreement between a normal aVBG with a normal ABG and the small bias between these tests, we recommend use of the adjusted central VBG.

Risk factors for acquisition of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea among outpatients at a cancer hospital.

BACKGROUND: Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) is an important infection in hospital settings. Its impact on outpatient care has not been well defined. OBJECTIVE: To examine risk factors of ambulatory cancer patients with CDAD. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, a tertiary-care hospital. METHODS: Cases of CDAD among oncology outpatients from January 1999 through December 2000 were'identified via positive C. difficile toxin assay results on stool specimens sent from clinics or the emergency department. A 1:3 matched case-control study examined exposures associated with CDAD. RESULTS: Forty-eight episodes of CDAD were identified in cancer outpatients. The mean age was 51 years; 44% were female. Forty-one (85%) had received antibiotics within 60 days of diagnosis, completing courses a median of 16.5 days prior to diagnosis. Case-patients received longer courses of first-generation cephalosporins (4.8 vs 3.2 days; P = .03) and fluoroquinolones (23.6 vs 8 days; P < .01) than did control-patients. Those receiving clindamycin were 3.9-fold more likely to develop CDAD (P < .01). For each additional day of clindamycin or third-generation cephalosporin exposure, patients were 1.29- and 1.26-fold more likely to develop CDAD (P < .01 and .04, respectively). The 38 CDAD patients hospitalized during the risk period (79.2%) spent more time as inpatients than did control-patients (19.3 vs 9.7 days; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Antibiotic use, especially with cephalosporins and clindamycin, and prolonged hospitalization contributed to the development of CDAD. Outpatient CDAD appears to be most strongly related to inpatient exposures; reasons for the delayed development of symptoms are unknown.

Effect of implementing safety-engineered devices on percutaneous injury epidemiology.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of implementing safety-engineered devices on percutaneous injury epidemiology, specifically on percutaneous injuries associated with a higher risk of blood-borne pathogen exposure. DESIGN: Before-and-after intervention trial comparing 3-year preintervention (1998--2000) and 1-year postintervention (2001--2002) periods. Percutaneous injury data have been entered prospectively into CDC NaSH software since 1998. SETTING: A 427-bed, tertiary-care hospital in Manhattan. PARTICIPANTS: All employees who reported percutaneous injuries during the study period. INTERVENTION: A "safer-needle system," composed of a variety of safety-engineered devices to allow for needle-safe IV delivery, blood collection, IV insertion, and intramuscular and subcutaneous injection, was implemented in February 2001. RESULTS: The mean annual incidence of percutaneous injuries decreased from 34.08 per 1,000 full-time-equivalent employees preintervention to 14.25 postintervention (P < .001). Reductions in the average monthly number of percutaneous injuries resulting from both low-risk (P < .01) and high-risk (P was not significant) activities were observed. Nurses experienced the greatest decrease (74.5%, P < .001), followed by ancillary staff (61.5%, P = .03). Significant rate reductions were observed for the following activities: manipulating patients or sharps (83.5%, P < .001), collisions or contact with sharps (73.0%, P = .01), disposal-related injuries (21.41%, P = .001), and catheter insertions (88.2%, P < .001). Injury rates involving hollow-bore needles also decreased (70.6%, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of safety-engineered devices reduced percutaneous injury rates across occupations, activities, times of injury, and devices. Moreover, intervention impact was observed when stratified by risk for blood-borne pathogen transmission.

Safety-engineered device implementation: does it introduce bias in percutaneous injury reporting?

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether implementation of safety-engineered devices in 2001 had an effect on rates of percutaneous injury (PI) reported by HCWs. DESIGN: Before-and-after intervention trial comparing 3-year preintervention (1998--2001) and 2-year postintervention (2001--2002) periods. PI data from anonymous, self-administered surveys were prospectively entered into CDC NaSH software. SETTING: A 427-bed, tertiary-care hospital in Manhattan. PARTICIPANTS: HCWs who attended state-mandated training sessions and completed the survey (1,132 preintervention; 821 postintervention). INTERVENTION: Implementation of a "safer-needle system" composed of various safety-engineered devices for needle-safe IV delivery-insertion, blood collection, and intramuscular-subcutaneous injection. RESULTS: Preintervention, the overall annual rate of PIs self-reported on the survey was 36.5 per 100 respondents, compared with 13.9 per 100 respondents postintervention (P < .01). The annual rate of formally reported PIs decreased from 8.3 to 3.1 per 100 respondents (P < .01). Report rates varied by occupational group (P < or = .02). The overall rate did not change between study periods (22.7% to 22.3%), although reporting improved among nurses (23.6% to 44.4%, P = .03) and worsened among building services staff (90.5% to 50%, P = .03). HCWs with greater numbers of PIs self-reported on the survey were less likely to formally report injuries (P < .01). The two most common reasons for nonreport (ie, thought injury was low risk or believed patient was low risk for blood-borne disease) did not vary from preintervention to postintervention. CONCLUSIONS: Safety-engineered device implementation decreased rates of PIs formally reported and self-reported on the survey. However, this intervention, with concomitant intensive education, had varying effects on reporting behavior by occupation and a minimal effect on overall reporting rates.

Postexposure prophylaxis against varicella-zoster virus infection among recipients of hematopoietic stem cell transplant: unresolved issues.

Recent guidelines for the prevention of opportunistic infections have addressed a variety of issues germane to recipients of hematopoietic stem cell transplant. However, there are several issues regarding postexposure prophylaxis against varicella-zoster virus that remain unresolved. We address these questions and offer several consensus recommendations.

Prospective identification of risk factors for wound infection after lower extremity oncologic surgery.

BACKGROUND: Surgical site infections (SSI) are frequent causes of morbidity and mortality after orthopaedic oncologic procedures. This study was conducted to identify the surgical site infection rate following a lower extremity or pelvic procedure and assess the risk factors for acquiring SSI by direct observation of orthopaedic oncology patients' wounds at a comprehensive cancer center. METHODS: One hundred ten consecutive patients were prospectively studied. The surveillance of surgical site infections was carried out by a surgeon-trained nurse from the Infectious Disease Service. Nineteen variables were analyzed as risk factors. RESULTS: The overall SSI rate was 13.6% (15 of 110). Excluding those patients with known preoperative infections, the SSI rate was 9.5% (10 of 105). Two statistically significant risk factors for surgical site infection in these patients emerged in the multivariate analysis: blood transfusion (P =.007) and obesity (P =.016). Procedure category was significant in univariate analysis only. Preoperative length of stay, length of procedure, prior adjuvant treatment (chemotherapy or radiotherapy), prior surgery, and use of an implant or allograft were not statistically significant risk factors for wound infection. Antibiotic usage patterns did not influence SSI rate. CONCLUSIONS: Blood transfusion and obesity should be considered individual risk factors for the development of wound infection in patients having orthopaedic oncologic procedures.