P. aeruginosa bacteraemia case counts and rates of community-onset, by sub ICB location (SICBL) and year

Laboratory confirmed cases of P. aeruginosa bacteraemia. Community-onset cases are all those that are not hospital-onset cases. Hospital-onset is determined by patient location, date of admission, date of specimen, and patient category. Hospital onset is only indicative for cases where NHS patient specimens are taken on the third day of admission onwards (e.g., day three when day one equals the day of admission) at an acute trust (including cases with unspecified specimen location) for inpatients, day patients, emergency assessment, or unspecified patient category. Records with a missing admission date (where the specimen location is acute trust or missing and the patient category is inpatient, day patient, emergency assessment, or unspecified) are also included. Other cases may have hospital onset, but not in acute trusts. Data is available by Sub ICB ([Integrated Care Board]) location. ## Rationale Monitoring and reporting on Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteraemia infections are crucial due to the significant morbidity and mortality associated with these infections, particularly in hospital settings. P. aeruginosa is a major nosocomial pathogen that can cause severe infections, especially in immunocompromised patients, those with severe burns, or individuals on mechanical ventilation ([source]). The pathogen's increasing resistance to multiple antibiotics further complicates treatment options, making early detection and appropriate management essential ([source]). By closely monitoring these infections, healthcare providers can implement timely infection control measures, reduce the spread of this opportunistic pathogen, and improve patient outcomes ([source]). Additionally, reporting helps in understanding the epidemiology of P. aeruginosa bacteraemia, guiding public health interventions and informing antibiotic stewardship programs ([source]). ## Caveats These data do not provide a basis for decisions on the clinical effectiveness of infection control interventions in individual Trusts: further investigations considering potential confounders would need to be undertaken before this could be done. Nor do these data provide a basis for comparisons between acute Trust or sub ICB location (SICBL). Rate information, using rate calculations as currently defined, is not appropriate for comparison. The counts of infections have not been adjusted to give a standardised rate considering factors such as organisational demographics or case mix. Rate information is of use for comparison of an individual organisation over time. ‘All reported cases’ refers to all P. aeruginosa-positive blood cultures reported by the Trust whose laboratory processes the specimen. It is important to note that this does not necessarily imply that the infection was acquired there. Confidence intervals for rates are not currently calculated because appropriate methods for comprehensive coverage are being assessed. Cases that the UKHSA’s HCAI Data Capture System attributes to a commissioning hub (such as the national commissioning hub, 13Q, or one of the regional Health & Justice commissioning hubs) are not featured in sub ICB Location dashboards but they do still contribute to the highest spatial level—the England national total. This means the England case total & rates may be slightly higher than the sum of all sub ICB Location cases & rates. IMPORTANT NOTE: SICBL calculations for the period between January 2021 and January 2022 have been based on Sub-ICB boundaries. As such some SICBLs may experience higher or lower rates than expected due to this change. Those SICBLs affected are: Bassetlaw, Glossop, East Leicestershire and Rutland, Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Birmingham and Solihull, Black Country and West Birmingham, and Oundle.