Implementation of tailored interventions in a statewide programme to reduce central line-associated bloodstream infections.

BACKGROUND: There have been few studies exploring implementation strategies to central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) in low- or middle-income countries. AIM: To implement tailored interventions to reduce CLABSI rates in adult intensive care units. METHODS: The implementation strategy of the State Health Department was performed in São Paulo State, Brazil, over two cycles. Cycle 1 (56 hospitals) was exploratory and cycle 2 (77 hospitals) was designed to confirm the hypothesis generated by the first cycle, with three phases each (pre-intervention, intervention, post-intervention). Cycles included: evaluation of healthcare workers' knowledge, observation of practices, and CLABSI rates monthly report. In cycle 1, a log-normal mixed model was used to select variables significantly associated with the reduction of CLABSI. In cycle 2, CLABSI rates were evaluated. FINDINGS: Healthcare workers' practices improved after intervention. In cycle 1, reduction of CLABSI rates was more pronounced in hospitals with initial CLABSI rates >7.4 per 1000 catheter-days (P < 0.001) and those that introduced the use of peripherally inserted central catheters (P = 0.01). For hospitals with high CLABSI initial rates, simulation demonstrated that the rates were expected to decrease by 36% (95% CI: 9-63), no matter the type of intervention. In cycle 2, there was an overall decrease in CLABSI rates during the intervention period; whereas the mean rate fell further post-intervention, rates at the 90th percentile increased. CONCLUSION: The implementation strategy may have had an effect on infection rates independently of the specific interventions implemented; however, the sustainability of reduction in the post-intervention period remains a challenge.

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in patients admitted to the emergency department: prevalence, risk factors, and acquisition rate.

BACKGROUND: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) have been reported worldwide and are associated with high mortality rates. Intestinal colonization acts as a reservoir and fosters exchange of resistance mechanisms. AIM: To investigate the prevalence of patients harbouring CRE on hospital admission, risk factors associated, and the acquisition rate within the emergency department (ED). METHODS: This was a cross-sectional survey with 676 patients consecutively admitted to the ED study during the months of May to July 2016. A questionnaire was performed and rectal swabs were collected from patients on admission, for culture and for multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). If the patient was hospitalized for more than one week in the ED, samples were taken again to determine the acquisition rate of CRE. FINDINGS: Forty-six patients were colonized; all positive PCR were Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase. The acquisition rate was 18%. Previous exposure to healthcare in the last year, liver disease, and use of antibiotics in the last month were risk factors for colonization. Six patients with no previous exposure to healthcare were CRE-colonized on admission, suggesting transmission of CRE within the community. CONCLUSION: Screening of high-risk patients on admission to the ED is a strategy to early identify CRE carriage and may contribute to control CRE dissemination.

Polymyxin use as a risk factor for colonization or infection with polymyxin-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii after liver transplantation.

INTRODUCTION: Acinetobacter baumannii is a leading agent of healthcare-associated infection. The objective of this study was to evaluate cases of colonization or infection with polymyxin-resistant A. baumannii (PRAB) in liver transplant recipients and to identify the risk factors for the acquisition of PRAB. METHODS: We evaluated all patients undergoing liver transplantation (LT) between January and November of 2011. The exclusion criterion was death within the first 72 h after transplant. Patients were screened for PRAB through weekly rectal and inguinal swabs during their stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) and at ICU discharge. Patients who came from other hospitals or had been treated in the emergency room for >72 h were screened at ICU admission. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for polymyxins were determined by broth microdilution, and clonality was determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. The stepwise logistic regression was used to identify risk factors related to acquisition of PRAB, and Cox forward regression used to identify risk factors for 60-day mortality. RESULTS: We evaluated 65 patients submitted to LT, among whom PRAB was isolated in 7, 4 of whom developed infection. The MICs for polymyxin E ranged from 16 to 128 mg/mL. All patients with PRAB required dialysis. The median time of polymyxin use before PRAB isolation was 21 days. These 4 included 1 case of primary bloodstream infection (BSI), which was treated with the carbapenem-polymyxin combination; 1 case of surgical site infection, which was treated with gentamicin, polymyxin, ampicillin-sulbactam, and tigecycline; and 2 cases of pneumonia, treated with the combination of carbapenem-polymyxin. In the case of BSI and in 1 of the cases of pneumonia, the treatment was considered successful. Mortality was 71% among the cases, compared with 33% among the non-cases. CONCLUSION: In the final model of the survival analysis, PRAB colonization or infection after LT was independently associated with mortality. One predominant clone was identified. The only risk factor identified in the multivariate analysis was polymyxin use. PRAB was an agent with high mortality, and the most important risk factor associated with colonization or infection for such bacterium was polymyxin use.

Nosocomial outbreak of Pantoea agglomerans bacteraemia associated with contaminated anticoagulant citrate dextrose solution: new name, old bug?

We describe an outbreak investigation of Pantoea agglomerans bacteraemia associated with anticoagulant citrate-dextrose 46% (ACD) solution prepared in-house. A healthy man presented with septic shock during plasmapheresis for granulocyte donation. The solution used for priming and blood samples were sent for culture. Identification of the isolate to species level was performed by gyrB sequencing. Typing was performed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). In total, eight cases were identified during a three-week period. P. agglomerans was also cultured from six ACD solution bags. Isolates from patients and ACD bags were identical by PFGE. All isolates were susceptible to ampicillin, cephazolin, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, cefepime and imipenem.

Infection rate and risk factors associated with infections related to external ventricular drain.

OBJECTIVE: To describe incidence rates and risk factors associated with external ventricular drain (EVD)-related infections at a tertiary Brazilian teaching hospital. METHODS: The patient cohort consisted of all patients at a major teaching hospital in Brazil with an EVD during the period 1 April 2007 to 30 June 2008 (15 months). Patients were followed up for 30 days after catheter removal. According to the Center for Diseases Control and Prevention criteria for meningitis/ventriculitis, all of the central nervous system (CNS) infections that occurred during this period could be considered to be meningitis or ventriculitis related to EVD placement. Infection rates were calculated using different denominators, such as (1) per patient (incidence), (2) per procedure, and (3) per 1,000 catheter-days (drain-associated infection rate). Patient demographic data, medical history of underlying diseases, antibiotic prophylaxis usage, American Society of Anesthesiologists Score classification, duration of surgery and hospitalization, length of time the EVD was in place, and overall mortality were evaluated during the study period. A logistic regression model was developed to identify factors associated with infection. RESULTS: A total of 119 patients, 130 EVD procedures, and 839 catheter-days were evaluated. The incidence of infection was 18.3%, the infection rate was 16.9% per procedure, and the drain-associated infection rate was 22.4 per 1,000 catheter-days; 77% of the infections were caused by Gram-negative micro-organisms. Only 75% of patients received antibiotic prophylaxis. The infection rate increased with length of the hospital stay. The length of time the catheter was in place was the only independent risk factor associated with infection (p = 0.0369). CONCLUSION: The incidence of EVD-related infections is high in our hospital, Gram-negative micro-organisms were the most frequent causal agents identified and length of time that the catheter was in place contributed to the infection rate.