Management and Reconfiguration of a Radiology Department under the Threat of Coronavirus Disease 2019: Experience from Wuhan.

The corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging respiratory infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, which first occurred in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. These days, in China, chest CT is used for diagnosis of COVID-19, as an important complement to the reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test. Because of contacting with a large number of suspected or probable cases closely during chest CT examination, radiographers are easily infected with COVID-19. This article included the rearrangement of CT examination room in fever clinic, the rearrangement of human resources in radiology department, and the drafting of new operating procedures for radiologists who carry out CT examination on COVID-19 patients. This article also introduced the emergency management procedures of the department of radiology during the outbreak, and the experience of infection prevention for the staff of the department of radiology.

Lineamientos para el manejo de los Centros de Operaciones de Emergencia Institucionales: - COEI - / Guidelines for the management of Institutional Emergency Operations Centers

Fecha de actualización: 20 de julio 2020. Planificar, coordinar, conducir las operaciones y las acciones que contribuyan a organizar los esfuerzos para la toma decisiones oportunas para el mejor aprovechamiento de los recursos ante la amenaza de la presencia de Coronavirus.

Organization and training at national level of antimicrobial stewardship and infection control activities in Europe: an ESCMID cross-sectional survey.

Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) and Infection prevention and control (IPC) are two key complementary strategies that combat development and spread of antimicrobial resistance. The ESGAP (ESCMID Study Group for AMS), EUCIC (European Committee on Infection Control) and TAE (Trainee Association of ESCMID) investigated how AMS and IPC activities and training are organized, if present, at national level in Europe. From February 2018 to May 2018, an internet-based cross-sectional survey was conducted through a 36-item questionnaire, involving up to three selected respondents per country, from 38 European countries in total (including Israel), belonging to the ESGAP/EUCIC/TAE networks. All 38 countries participated with at least one respondent, and a total of 81 respondents. Education and involvement in AMS programmes were mandatory during the postgraduate training of clinical microbiology and infectious diseases specialists in up to one-third of countries. IPC was acknowledged as a specialty in 32% of countries. Only 32% of countries had both guidance and national requirements regarding AMS programmes, in contrast to 61% for IPC. Formal national staffing standards for AMS and IPC hospital-based activities were present in 24% and 63% of countries, respectively. The backgrounds of professionals responsible for AMS and IPC programmes varied tremendously between countries. The organization and training of AMS and IPC in Europe are heterogeneous and national requirements for activities are frequently lacking.

Opiniones de los profesionales sanitarios de Atención Primaria de Andalucía acerca del virus del papiloma humano y su vacuna / Opinions of Andalusian primary health care professionals about human papillomavirus and its vaccine

Fundamento: El virus del papiloma humano (VPH) es una de las enfermedades de transmisión sexual más comunes, pero su tasa de vacunación es de las más bajas en Andalucía. El objetivo de este estudio es conocer las opiniones de los profesionales sanitarios de Atención Primaria sobre la prevención en adolescentes de la infección por el VPH y la administración de su vacuna. Método: Investigación cualitativa mediante seis grupos focales con profesionales de centros de Atención Primaria de Sevilla, Granada y Jaén. Participaron 45 profesionales sanitarios. Se realizó un análisis de contenido de tipo semántico con categorización de respuestas en unidades temáticas. Resultados: Los profesionales reconocen las dificultades de llegar a la población adolescente en temas de prevención de conductas sexuales de riesgo, por falta de tiempo y poca preocupación de los adolescentes por las medidas preventivas. Aunque reconocen la sintomatología de la infección por el VPH, no todos tienen claro si el varón padece la enfermedad así como la asociación de la infección con canceres distintos al de cérvix. Dudan a la hora de recomendar la vacuna, dejando en manos de los progenitores la decisión de la vacunación de sus hijas. Conclusiones: Sería recomendable establecer estrategias que mejoren la información que tienen los profesionales acerca del VPH, así como de los beneficios de la vacuna, para que los trasmitan claramente y con asertividad a los padres; esto evitaría incertidumbre en los progenitores, mejoraría las tasas de vacunación y disminuiría las complicaciones de la infección (cáncer)

Background: The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted disease, but its vaccination coverage is among the lowest in Andalusia. The aim of this study is to determine what primary health care professionals think and find out about the prevention of HPV infection among adolescents and the administration of the vaccine. Method: Qualitative study using six focus groups with professionals from Primary Health Care in Seville, Granada and Jaen. Fourty-five professionals participated. An analysis of the semantic content was made, and answers were categorized in thematic units. Results: Professionals recognize the difficulties in reaching the adolescent population concerning prevention of sexual risk behaviors, due to lack of time and little concern amongst adolescents about the preventive measures. Although the professionals recognize the symptoms of HPV infection, some did not know about the disease in men as well as the association with other cancers other than cervical cancer. They hesitate over whether to recommend the vaccine or not, leaving the decision to vaccinate their daughters in the hands of the parents. Conclusion: It would be advisable to establish strategies that improve the information that the professionals have about HPV as well as the benefits of the vaccine, so that they can transmit the benefits clearly and assertively to the parents. This would avoid parental uncertainty, improve vaccination rates, and decrease complications of infection (cancer)

National Survey of Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection in Hospitals in Thailand.

More than 90% of Thai hospitals surveyed reported implementing environmental cleaning and disinfection (ECD) protocols. Hospital epidemiologist presence was associated with the existence of an ECD checklist (P=.01) and of ECD auditing (P=.001), while good and excellent hospital administrative support were associated with better adherence to ECD protocols (P<.001) and ECD checklists (P=.005). Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017;38:1250-1253.

Infection prevention needs assessment in Colorado hospitals: rural and urban settings.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of our study was to conduct a needs assessment for infection prevention programs in both rural and urban hospitals in Colorado. METHODS: Infection control professionals (ICPs) from Colorado hospitals participated in an online survey on training, personnel, and experience; ICP time allocation; and types of surveillance. Responses were evaluated and compared based on hospital status (rural or urban). Additionally, rural ICPs participated in an interview about resources and training. RESULTS: Surveys were received from 62 hospitals (77.5% response); 33 rural (75.0% response) and 29 urban (80.6% response). Fifty-two percent of rural ICPs reported multiple job responsibilities compared with 17.2% of urban ICPs. Median length of experience for rural ICPs was 4.0 years compared with 11.5 years for urban ICPs (P = .008). Fifty-one percent of rural ICPs reported no access to infectious disease physicians (0.0% urban) and 81.8% of rural hospitals reported no antimicrobial stewardship programs (31.0% urban). Through the interviews it was revealed that priorities for rural ICPs were training and communication. CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed numerous differences between infection prevention programs in rural versus urban hospitals. An infection prevention outreach program established in Colorado could potentially address the challenges faced by rural hospital infection prevention departments.

Early-career registered nurses' participation in hospital quality improvement activities.

We surveyed 2 cohorts of early-career registered nurses from 15 states in the US, 2 years apart, to compare their reported participation in hospital quality improvement (QI) activities. We anticipated differences between the 2 cohorts because of the growth of several initiatives for engaging nurses in QI. There were no differences between the 2 cohorts across 14 measured activities, except for their reported use of appropriate strategies to improve hand-washing compliance to reduce nosocomial infection rates.

Knowledge sharing among healthcare infection preventionists: the impact of public health professionals in a rural state.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare-associated infections are a major source of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Infection Preventionists (IPs) are healthcare workers tasked at overseeing the prevention and control of these infections, but they may have difficulties obtaining up-to-date information, primarily in rural states. The objective of this study was to evaluate the importance of public health involvement on the knowledge-sharing network of IPs in a rural state. FINDINGS: A total of 95 attendees completed our survey. The addition of public health professionals increased the density of the network, reduced the number of separate components of the network, and reduced the number of key players needed to contact nearly all of the other network members. All network metrics were higher for public health professionals than for IPs without public health involvement. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of public health professionals involved in healthcare infection prevention activities augmented the knowledge sharing potential of the IPs in Iowa. Rural states without public health involvement in healthcare-associated infection (HAI) prevention efforts should consider the potential benefits of adding these personnel to the public health workforce to help facilitate communication of HAI-related information.

Antimicrobial stewardship: a collaborative partnership between infection preventionists and health care epidemiologists.

It is clear that the widespread and injudicious use of antimicrobials has greatly increased the presence of MDROs that threaten the health of all. There is worldwide acknowledgement that this threat is growing, and that prudent use of antimicrobials combined with infection prevention can prevent harm and improve patient safety. Antimicrobial stewardship programs must harness the talents of all members of the health care team to effectively identify the organism, determine its susceptibility, institute any precautions required, and prescribe the narrowest-acting antibiotic that will destroy it. IPs/HEs play a pivotal role in this approach, by assisting with early organism and infected patient identification, by promoting compliance with standard and transmission-based precautions and other infection prevention strategies such as care bundle practices, hand hygiene, and by educating staff, patients, and visitors.

Cleaning the hospital environment--a focus on Difficil-S.

Providing a healthcare environment that is aesthetically clean and microbiologically safe, remains a key component to combating the spread of healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs). Patients now demand to be cared for in an environment that is conducive to healing without the fear of contracting an HCAI. The number of 'superbugs' are escalating, posing a challenge when cleaning and disinfecting surfaces. There has been little regard paid to the products used within the clinical setting and how these may affect the quality of cleaning and disinfection. The variety of patient equipment now present within wards and the pace staff are exposed to requires a simplified cleaning regime. One such way forward may be the use of Difficil-S®, which is a sporicidal and cleaning agent providing an opportunity to simplify the cleaning process within the clinical setting.

Infectious enthusiasm. Interview by Sue Learner.

A nurse specaist's dedication and achievements in infection control have earned her a national award.