Becker's Hospital Review

13 INFECTION CONTROL & PATIENT SAFETY Maine hospital employees punched violent patients, CMS report finds By Anuja Vaidya T here were two separate instances of physical abuse against patients at Port- land-based Maine Medical Center last year — one involving a nurse and another in- volving a security guard, a CMS report found. CMS conducted an on-site survey at the hospital in late July and early August 2019 and determined that the two "incidents of physical abuse were substantiated" and placed patients in "immediate jeopardy." e hospital was required to submit a correc- tive plan, which it did Aug. 11. An on-site visit Aug. 14 confirmed that the plan had been im- plemented and was effective, and the "immedi- ate jeopardy" determination was removed. e first incident of abuse occurred July 9, when a patient with schizoaffective disorder and a bipolar type diagnosis was admitted to the emergency department, CMS said. e patient, who was exhibiting behavior that could cause self-injury, had to be restrained, accord- ing to the CMS report. Witnesses said that a security officer struck the patient several times aer the patient struck the officer in the face while restraints were being applied. e second incident, on July 26, involved an 83-year-old dementia patient who was ad- mitted to the hospital for injuries sustained aer a fall, including a fractured rib, at the assisted living facility where the patient lives. At the hospital, the patient could not get out of bed without staff help and had displayed agitated and aggressive behavior toward the staff. A certified nursing assistant reported that a registered nurse punched the patient in the ribs aer the patient spit out medi- cine in the face of the RN who was trying to administer it, according to the report. A spokesperson for Maine Medical Center told Becker's Hospital Review via email that the hospital has implemented enhanced trainings in de-escalation techniques for members of its patient care teams, and it has enacted "proper reporting standards." "Maine Medical Center has no tolerance for any instance of abuse, neglect or exploitation against patients and staff," the statement read. e two employees who were the subject of the complaints no longer work at the hospital. e security officer and RN both faced crim- inal charges for their actions, CMS said. n Deadly US fungal cases exceed 1,000; EPA registers first disinfectants By Anuja Vaidya C ases of the deadly fungus Candida auris rose to 1,018 in the U.S. by the end of 2019, the CDC reported. The number of cases jumped by about 80 since Oct. 31, when the CDC reported 941 cases of the infection nationwide. New York has seen the highest number of C. auris cases in the country with 465, followed by Illinois with 292 and New Jersey with 177. C. auris cases have also been doc- umented across the world, including Australia, Canada, China, Germany and Kenya. C. auris tends to be resistant to antifungal drugs and can be hard to treat. Last year, three patients were identified in New York with cases of pan-resistant C. auris infections, that is, resistant to all three classes of commonly prescribed antifungal drugs. C. auris can live on surfaces in healthcare environments, which can result in it spreading quickly among patients. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency registered 11 products that can be used to disinfect surfaces against C. auris Feb. 12 — the first disinfectants to be specifically developed for use against the deadly fungus. Here are the product brand names for the disinfectants registered: • Avert Sporicidal Disinfectant Cleaner • Blondie • Dagwood • Micro-Kill Bleach Germicidal Bleach Wipes • Oxivir 1 • Oxivir 1 Wipes • Oxivir Wipes • Oxycide Daily Disinfectant Cleaner • Virasept • Wonder Woman Formula B Germicidal Wipes • Wonder Woman Formula B Spray "The global emergence of C. auris in recent years is con- cerning for a number of reasons — it causes severe and sometimes deadly illness, it's very hard to treat, and it's difficult to prevent it from spreading within healthcare fa- cilities," said Tom Chiller, MD, chief of the CDC's mycotic diseases branch. "We are encouraged by the progress being made to study new agents and methods for elimi- nating C. auris from surfaces in healthcare environments, and we need to continue to be vigilant and respond rapidly to be able to control this organism." n

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