Becker's Clinical Quality & Infection Control

Infection Control 16 Hospital Cleaning Protocol Has Limited Effect on MultidrugResistant Bacteria By Sabrina Rodak  C urrent cleaning protocol may be insufficient to eliminate multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in patient rooms, according to a study in the American Journal of Infection Control. Researchers studied cultures from 32 hospital rooms from which patients with a known history of MDR A. baumannii were recently discharged. Fifteen rooms (46.9 percent) tested positive for MDR A. baumannii before terminal cleaning of the room. After cleaning, eight rooms — 25 percent — remained positive for the bacteria. Of the 12 sites in the rooms that tested positive after cleaning, 12.5 percent were the floor, 10 percent were the call button, 9.4 percent were the door handle, 7.4 percent were the bedside table and 3.8 percent were the supply cart. n Strategies to Prevent MultidrugResistant Organism Outbreaks By Sabrina Rodak  M ultidrug-resistant organisms are a significant threat to hospitals and other healthcare organizations, according to a report in the New England Journal of Medicine. "Reliable adherence to basic infection control practices is the key to interrupting transmission in our hospitals," the authors wrote. They suggest six strategies healthcare facilities can use to prevent MDRO outbreaks. 1. Follow hand hygiene guidelines. 2. Thoroughly clean and disinfect the environment. 3. Adhere to best practices for invasive devices, such as central ve nous catheters. 4. Embed major tenets of antimicrobial stewardship into routine frontline work to reduce antibiotic use. 5. Use screening media to quickly identify patients colonized with MDROs. 6 Risk Factors for Central Venous Catheter-Related Blood Stream Infections By Sabrina Rodak C ongestive heart failure is a risk factor for hospital-acquired peripherally inserted central venous catheter-related blood stream infections, according to a study in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology. Researchers studied adult patients with PICCs placed from Jan. 1, 2006 through July 31, 2008 at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. The researchers identified the following independent risk factors for PICC BSIs: • Congestive heart failure • Intra-abdominal perforation • Clostridium difficile infection • Recent chemotherapy • Presence of tracheostomy • Double or triple lumen n 6. Create a "cordon sanitaire," or quarantine line, to identify and isolate patients transferred from other hospitals or chronic care facilities, especially when they are transferred from facilities known to have problems with specific MDROs. n Study: 26% of C. Diff Patients Received Only Unnecessary Antimicrobials By Sabrina Rodak  T wenty-six percent of patients with a recent Clostridium difficile infection received only unnecessary antimicrobials, according to a study in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology. Researchers studied 246 patients with new-onset CDI diagnosed at Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center from January 2004 through December 2006. Two infectious disease physicians evaluated the use of non-CDI antimicrobials (those that are inactive against C. diff), which they defined as unnecessary if not fully indicated. Data showed 57 percent of patients received non-CDI antimicrobials during and/or after their CDI treatment, and 77 percent received at least one unnecessary antimicrobial dose. Twenty-six percent of patients received only unnecessary antimicrobials. n

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