Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1293445
129 FINANCE CMO / CARE DELIVERY 1st case of resistant bacterial meningitis confirmed in US By Mackenzie Bean C hildren's National Hospital in Washington, D.C., treated what is believed to be the first case of resistant bacterial meningitis in the U.S., according to a study published in the Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society. The case occurred in January and involved a 5-month-old boy from Maryland. Clinicians gave the infant broad-spectrum antibiotics and discharged him after a week in the hospital, according to a report from the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy in Minneapolis. Clinicians tested bacterial samples from the boy, which showed resis- tance to five antibiotics, including penicillin and ciprofloxacin. These two antibiotics are commonly used to treat bacterial meningitis and prevent infection in patients' close contacts. Researchers said this is likely the first known infection caused by be- ta-lactamase-producing Neisseria meningitidis in the U.S. "My laboratory at Children's National Hospital has a keen focus on detecting life-threatening antimicrobial resistance in pathogens in- fecting our patients," Joseph Campos, PhD, a study author and direc- tor of the hospital's microbiology lab, told Becker's via email. "Peni- cillin resistance in Neisseria meningitidis is virtually unheard of in the United States yet we have always tested for it because of the serious consequences it can have. In this instance, we were shocked by our test result, but we made sure the patient's physician was made aware of it immediately." Based on the study's findings, routine susceptibility testing of meningo- coccal samples could help inform treatment and prevention, researchers concluded. n Viewpoint: White House COVID-19 task force needs a nurse By Gabrielle Masson T he White House coronavirus task force should include a nurse to help make the best public health decisions, according to an op-ed penned by Anna Dermenchyan, RN, PhD, and Kristen Choi, RN, PhD. Dr. Dermenchyan, a critical care nurse and di- rector in the Department of Medicine Quality at University of California, Los Angeles Health, along with Dr. Choi, a psychiatric nurse and as- sistant professor at the UCLA School of Nursing, authored the piece published by e Hill. Amid the pandemic, working as a nurse has be- come more hazardous and stressful, the authors wrote. ough many nurses have died from vi- rus-related complications, nurses across the U.S. continue to show up every day and serve on the front line of the pandemic. Nurses, the largest healthcare profession in the U.S., are oen le out of important decision-mak- ing that affects their lives and work. To respond adequately to the pandemic, nurses should be added to all health-related commissions, panels and task forces, according to Drs. Dermenchyan and Choi. e authors detailed numerous reasons nurs- es should be included in COVID-19 response teams, including: • e public trusts nurses. e public has select- ed nurses as the most honest and ethical profes- sion for 18 consecutive years. • Nurses' work is diverse. Nurses care for in- dividuals, families, groups, communities and populations of all ages. ese unique insights can benefit public health planning, public edu- cation, resource allocation decisions and com- munity infection prevention measures. • Nurses promote and protect patient health and safety using evidence-based practice. Nurses across the nation are urging policymak- ers to properly supply healthcare workers with personal protective equipment to protect pa- tients and staff. • Nurses are committed to patient health, not cost, politics, shareholders, profits, appearances or other competing incentives. n COVID-19 linked to pancreatitis By Anuja Vaidya C OVID-19 is associated with pancreatitis and might even cause it, a study published in the journal Gastroenterology found. Researchers from New York City-based Northwell Health con- ducted an observational study of 48,012 adult patients admitted to 12 of its hospitals between March 1 and June 1. On admission, 189 patients were identified with pancreatitis, of which 32 patients (17 percent) were diagnosed with COVID-19. In 69 percent of cases for patients with both COVID-19 and pancreatitis, the origins of pancreatitis were unknown, implicating COVID-19 as the cause, study authors stated. In addition, the need for mechanical ventilation was higher with among pancreatitis patients with COVID-19 (28 percent), than those without COVID-19 (6 percent). The length of stay nearly quadrupled for pancre- atitis patients with COVID-19. n