bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Changing the Culture of Ordering Urine Cultures
Authors: Adams Jane , File Thomas , England Matthew , Reynolds Nancy , Wells Patricia , Politis Paula 
Published: November 2020

Background: Inappropriate ordering of urine cultures and the resulting unnecessary use of antibiotics can lead to complications of antimicrobial therapy including resistance, adverse effects (eg, disruption of microbiome and C. difficile infection), and increased healthcare costs, as well as the erroneous determination of CAUTI in patients with Foley catheters. A retrospective analysis of patients with CAUTI revealed frequent ordering of urine cultures for conditions and symptoms not supported by current IDSA guidelines. As a result, we created an action plan to reverse the trend of inappropriate urine culture ordering. Methods: Our urine culture reduction campaign was developed with input from the infectious disease service, antibiotic stewardship team (AST), infection prevention, pharmacy, and the microbiology service. The following educational efforts were included: (1) distribution of outpatient pocket cards with communication to providers about appropriate ordering of urine cultures; (2) creation of an evidence-based order set for urinalysis and urine cultures distributed electronically as emails and screensavers on computer stations and in person via didactic sessions with physicians and nursing staff; (3) a practice pointer for staff nurses that included recommended changes to urine culture ordering and encouraged open dialogue with physicians regarding the appropriateness of urine cultures; (4) didactic and personal communications to counter long-standing myths, such as “Urine cultures always for change in mental status”; (5) a peer-review process to evaluate and justify deviations from the testing algorithm.Results: The first and second months after the introduction of the campaign, the microbiology laboratory reported 23% and 37% reductions in urine cultures ordered, respectively. During the same period, a 48% reduction in CAUTIs was reported for the entire health system. Conclusions: Reducing the number of inappropriate urine cultures is achievable with intense communication utilizing a multifaceted approach. With continued educational activities, we expect to sustain and even improve our successful reduction of inappropriate urine culture orders, ultimately improving patient outcomes.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None
Clinical Team Distribution and Antibiotic Use Patterns at a Tertiary-Care Academic Medical Center
Authors: Choudhury Rebecca , Beaulieu Ronald , Talbot Thomas , Nelson George 
Published: November 2020

Background: As more US hospitals report antibiotic utilization to the CDC, standardized antimicrobial administration ratios (SAARs) derived from patient care unit-based antibiotic utilization data will increasingly be used to guide local antibiotic stewardship interventions. Location-based antibiotic utilization surveillance data are often utilized given the relative ease of ascertainment. However, aggregating antibiotic use data on a unit basis may have variable effects depending on the number of clinical teams providing care. In this study, we examined antibiotic utilization from units at a tertiary-care hospital to illustrate the potential challenges of using unit-based antibiotic utilization to change individual prescribing. Methods: We used inpatient pharmacy antibiotic use administration records at an adult tertiary-care academic medical center over a 6-month period from January 2019 through June 2019 to describe the geographic footprints and AU of medical, surgical, and critical care teams. All teams accounting for at least 1 patient day present on each unit during the study period were included in the analysis, as were all teams prescribing at least 1 antibiotic day of therapy (DOT). Results: The study population consisted of 24 units: 6 ICUs (25%) and 18 non-ICUs (75%). Over the study period, the average numbers of teams caring for patients in ICU and non-ICU wards were 10.2 (range, 3.2–16.9) and 13.7 (range, 10.4–18.9), respectively. Units were divided into 3 categories by the number of teams, accounting for ≥70% of total patient days present (Fig. 1): “homogenous” (≤3), “pauciteam” (4–7 teams), and “heterogeneous” (>7 teams). In total, 12 (50%) units were “pauciteam”; 7 (29%) were “homogeneous”; and 5 (21%) were “heterogeneous.” Units could also be classified as “homogenous,” “pauciteam,” or “heterogeneous” based on team-level antibiotic utilization or DOT for specific antibiotics. Different patterns emerged based on antibiotic restriction status. Classifying units based on vancomycin DOT (unrestricted) exhibited fewer “heterogeneous” units, whereas using meropenem DOT (restricted) revealed no “heterogeneous” units. Furthermore, the average number of units where individual clinical teams prescribed an antibiotic varied widely (range, 1.4–12.3 units per team). Conclusions: Unit-based antibiotic utilization data may encounter limitations in affecting prescriber behavior, particularly on units where a large number of clinical teams contribute to antibiotic utilization. Additionally, some services prescribing antibiotics across many hospital units may be minimally influenced by unit-level data. Team-based antibiotic utilization may allow for a more targeted metric to drive individual team prescribing.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None
Colonization and Genetic Diversity of MRSA Among ICU Patients and Healthcare Workers From a Hospital of Northeastern India
Authors: Phukan Chimanjita , Saikia Kandarpa Kumar , Phukan Chimanjita , Dutta Ridip , Sarma Dhruba Jyoti , Ahmed Giasuddin 
Published: November 2020

Background: The prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is diverse in different geographic regions, and transmission of MRSA in hospital settings occurs either through the patients or asymptomatic healthcare workers who MRSA colonized in the nares and thus act as a potential reservoir of infection for susceptible patients. Methods:S. aureus isolates were collected from ICU patients and healthcare workers at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Assam, India, from May 2010 to April 2015. Premoistened swab samples were obtained from the ICU patients from 4 different sites (ie, nares, axilla, groin, and perianal region) within 48 hours of admission. For healthcare workers (HCWs) a nasal swab was obtained. The isolates were identified by phenotypic and genotypic methods using CLSI guidelines and PCR (fem B, MecA, and PVL). The antibiograms were obtained using a Vitek 2 system. Results: For 84 patients admitted to the ICU, swab samples were obtained from various sites, and S. aureus was observed in 34 samples (40.5%). Among the isolates, 13 (38%) were MRSA and 21 (62%) were methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). Among the HCWs from the ICU, growth of S. aureus was obtained in 10 of 30 samples (33.34%), of which 3 (30%) were MRSA and 7 (70%) were MSSA. S. aureus isolates were genotypically identified as fem B among colonized patients (40.5%) and HCWs (33.34%). MRSA (mecA positive) was detected in 3% of colonized patients and 30% of HCWs. Among the ICU patients, 78.56% were PVL-positive S. aureus: 21.42% were PVL-positive MRSA and 57.14% were PVL-positive MSSA. Multilocus sequence typing of the 7 housekeeping genes against 2 S. aureus isolates showed the presence of ST1428, which had not been reported in India, whereas the other sequence was entirely novel. The MDR rates were 68% and 75% among ICU patients and HCWs, respectively, and all the strains were mupirocin sensitive. The S. aureus isolates were significantly proportional among HCWs compared to the colonized group (P = .031). Conclusions: The study results show a high prevalence of PVL-positive MSSA and MRSA among ICU patients. This finding indicates its transmission among hospitalized patients through the HCWs, for which constant monitoring of the pathogen, particularly its phenotypic and genotypic variations and antimicrobial resistance pattern, is needed to develop effective strategies for infection prevention.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None
Comparative Evaluation of the Microbicidal Activity of Low-Temperature Sterilization Technologies to Steam Sterilization
Authors: Rutala William , Gergen Maria , Sickbert-Bennett Emily , Weber David Jay 
Published: November 2020

Background: Most medical and surgical devices used in healthcare facilities are made of materials that are sterilized by heat (ie, heat stable), primarily steam sterilization. Low-temperature sterilization methods developed for heat and moisture sensitive devices include ethylene oxide gas (ETO), hydrogen peroxide gas plasma (HPGP), vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP), and hydrogen peroxide plus ozone. This study is the first to evaluate the microbicidal activity of the FDA-cleared VHP sterilizer and other methods (Table 1) in the presence of salt and serum (10% FCS). Methods: Brushed stainless steel discs (test carriers) were inoculated with test microbes (Table 1) and subjected to 4 sterilization methods: steam, ETO, VHP and HPGP. Results: Steam sterilization killed all 5 vegetative and 3 spore-forming test organisms in the presence of salt and serum (Table 1). Similarly, the ETO and the HPGP sterilizers inactivated the test organisms with a failure rate of 1.9% for each (ie, 6 of 310 for ETO and 5 of 270 for HPGP). Although steam had no failures compared to both ETO and HPGP, which demonstrated some failures for vegetative bacteria, there was no significant difference comparing the failure rate of steam to either ETO (P > .05) or HPGP (P > .05). However, the VHP system tested failed to inactivate all the test organisms in 76.3% of the tests (206 of 270; P < .00001) (Table 1). Conclusions: This investigation demonstrated that steam sterilization was the most effective method, followed by ETO and HPGP and, lastly, VHP.Funding: NoneDisclosures: Dr. Rutala was a consultant to ASP (Advanced Sterilization Products)
Contamination of CSF Culture: Serious Risk to Patient Safety
Authors: Garg Rahul 
Published: November 2020

Background: Acute bacterial meningitis is a medical emergency, and early initiation of appropriate therapy is important to improving outcomes. Culture-based methods are still the standards for the detection of microorganisms in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Automated blood culture systems yield better results in cultures sterile body fluids, including CSF. However, the high sensitivity of this technology does not negate the danger of contamination compromising the final outcome. Thus, we tried to study the culture yield in suspected meningitis to determine the rate of contamination. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of CSF samples collected for culture over 1 year from January 2018 to December 2018 from patients who presented with signs and symptoms indicative of meningitis. The bacterial etiologies and rates of contamination were extracted from laboratory records. Descriptive statistics from Microsoft Excel software were used to analyze patient data. Limited statistical analysis (ie, the Fisher exact test) was performed using SPSS for Windows version 18 software. Results: In total, 1,053 CSF samples were received for aerobic culture, of which the most frequent were conventional cultures (685 of 1053, 65%), whereas BacT/ALERT cultures were requested for 368 of 1,053 cases (35%). Of 685 conventional CSF cultures, pathogens were isolated in 28 of 685 (4.1%), most commonly Acinetobacter baumannii complex (10 of 28, 35.7%). Contaminants were identified in 0.58% samples (4 of 685). In the 368 BacT/ALERT cultures, pathogens were detected in 15 (4.1%), most commonly Streptococcus spp (5 of 15, 33.3%). The contamination rate was 51.1% (188 of 368 cases). The overall rate of contamination was 18.2% (192 of 1,053 cases). The most CSF cultures were received from patients in neurosurgery (350 of 1,053, 33.2%) followed by medicine wards (270 of 1,053, 25.6%). Aerobic spore bacilli was by far the most common contaminant (109 of 1,053, 10.35%).Conclusions: We believe efforts to decrease contamination are among the most cost-effective, but targeted clinical re-evaluation for all patients with positive CSF cultures remains vital. Due to the high sensitivity of the automated culture system, it is a imperative to maintain strict aseptic conditions while collecting CSF samples. Failure to do so may lead to overgrowth of contaminants masking the growth of the true pathogens in culture.Disclosures: NoneFunding: None
Current Status of Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs in São Paulo Hospitals
Authors: Sato Silvia , Madalosso Geraldine , Assis Denise , Perdigão-Neto Lauro , Levin Anna , Oliveira Maura 
Published: November 2020

Background: Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) consist of coordinated interventions designed to improve and measure appropriate antimicrobial use. Understanding the current structure of ASPs hospitals will support interventions for improvement or implementation of these programs. Objective: We aimed to describe the current status of ASP in hospitals in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey regarding ASP of hospitals in São Paulo state, Brazil, from March to July 2018. Through interviews by telephone or e-mail, we asked participants which components of IDSA/SHEA and CDC guidelines had been implemented. Results: The response rate was 30% (28 of 93 hospitals) and 26 of the hospitals (85%) reported having a formal ASP. Policies, practices, and strategies of surveyed ASP are detailed in Table 1. The most frequently implemented strategies were (1) antimicrobial surgical prophylaxis guideline (100%), (2) empiric sepsis guideline (93%), and (3) presence of ASP team member during bedside rounds (96%). The least commonly implemented strategies included prior authorization for all antimicrobials (11%), pharmacokinetic monitoring and adjustment program for patients on IV aminoglycosides (3%). Regarding metrics of the ASP, the most common indicator was the rates of antimicrobial resistance (77%). Overall, 18 hospitals (19%) used defined daily dose and only 29% used days of therapy. Moreover, 61% of hospitals reported their results to hospital the administration and 39% of hospitals reported their results to the prescribers. Conclusions: Most hospitals have a formal ASP, but there are opportunities for improvement. Future efforts should prioritize tracking and reporting ASP metrics.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None
Duodenoscope Medical Device Reports Associated with Patient Infection, Patient Exposure, or Device Contamination
Authors: Connell Jian , Haugen Shanil , Ferriter Ann 
Published: November 2020

Background: Each year, the FDA receives more than a million reports of suspected device-associated deaths, serious injuries, and malfunctions. Medical device reports (MDRs) are submitted to the FDA by mandatory reporters (manufacturers, importers, and device user facilities) and voluntary reporters such as healthcare professionals, patients, and consumers. The FDA uses MDRs to monitor device performance, including monitoring reports of infection or device contamination to detect potential device-related safety issues and to share this information in public communications. In this analysis, the FDA presents MDRs for duodenoscopes, which are a type of flexible endoscope that have been associated with infections in patients. Methods: For this analysis, we searched the MDR database for duodenoscope reports submitted between January 2015 and July 1, 2019. MDRs were classified into clinical risk categories based on the MDR’s text narratives as patient infection (indicated the presence of infection in patients potentially transmitted by the device), patient exposure (indicated a contaminated device has been used in a patient, but the MDR lacks clear mention of patient infection), or device contamination (indicated that the device was contaminated, but no mention of device use in patients or patient infection). Results: Overall, 1,115 duodenoscope reports related to a patient infection, patient exposure, or device contamination for devices marketed inside and outside the United States were received from January 2015 to mid-2019. Among them, 79 MDRs were received for deaths in patient infection, patient exposure, or device contamination reports. The number of reported infections decreased from 247 MDRs in 2015 to 55 MDRs in the first half of 2019. Furthermore, the number of reported deaths decreased from 25 MDRs in 2015 to 2 MDRs reported in the first half of 2019. Conclusions: The MDR data indicate a decrease in the number of reported infections. The decrease in infections suggests that efforts to reduce the risk of infection from duodenoscopes have yielded improvements; however, additional improvements are necessary to further decrease the risk of infection.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None
Effect of Testing Methods on Incidence of Clostridioides difficle Infection Rates in Veterans’ Affairs Medical Centers
Authors: McCauley Brian , Simbartl Loretta , Evans Martin , Gamage Shantini , Roselle Gary 
Published: November 2020

Background: Healthcare-associated Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) rates have been decreasing in Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) acute-care medical facilities since the CDI Prevention Initiative began in 2012. Assessment of rates, however, is complicated by changing surveillance definitions and diagnostics. Over the past 2 years, the VA has adopted the less stringent surveillance definitions of the NHSN for hospital-onset healthcare-facility–associated (HO-HCFA) CDI (onset on or after day 4 of hospitalization) than was originally used (>48 hours after admission). New diagnostic testing methods have been developed, but variabilities in the reliability of testing methods for the diagnosis of CDI in patients have been detected, thus not yielding a gold standard test. As a result, some facilities use nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) for CDI diagnosis and reporting whereas others use a 2-step process of NAAT followed by a toxin enzyme immunoassay (EIA) test, with the latter determining positivity for reporting (as allowed by the NHSN). We reviewed CDI rates at facilities performing one-step and two-step testing to determine whether the testing protocol may be influencing CDI rate reporting. Methods: Data on HO-HCFA CDI rates entered monthly in fiscal year (FY) 2018 (October 2017 through September 2018) and FY2019 (October 2018 through September 2019) by each acute-care facility into the VA Inpatient Evaluation Center (IPEC) database were analyzed. HO-HCFA CDI rates in facilities that used NAAT in FY2018 and switched to in the 2-step NAAT plus EIA in FY2019 were compared to rates in facilities used NAAT alone for both FY2018 and FY2019. Statistical regression analysis was performed. Results: From FY 2018 through FY2019, 70 facilities performed NAAT for the entire 2-year period. Overall, 7 facilities performed NAAT for FY 2018 and then switched to NAAT + EIA in FY2019. We detected no significant decrease in HO-HCFA CDI rates in FY 2018 when both groups were using NAAT (P = 0.21) (Fig. 1). However, in FY2019, there was a significant decrease in HO-HCFA CDI rates for those facilities that performed the 2-step testing versus those facilities that continued to use strictly NAAT alone (P < .0001). Conclusions: HO-HCFA CDI rates decreased for those VA acute-care facilities that switched to 2-step testing, and this finding highlights implications for assessing rates over time. Given the variable reliability of the toxin test, individual patient consideration for therapeutic decisions is reasonable.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None
Effect of Water Chlorination on Development and Persistence of Biofilm in Shower Heads
Authors: Marshall Caroline , Denton Sven , Christie Ian , Orr Liz 
Published: November 2020

Background: A cluster of sternal surgical site infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa led to sampling of shower heads in patient rooms. Multiple subtypes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were found and were genetically diverse from the patient isolates. Visible biofilm was found in showerheads in the cardiothoracic ward. Ways of minimizing formation and persistence of biofilm in the shower heads were sought. Methods: A low-dose chlorination dosing system was introduced in September 2018 to the circulating warm-water system supplying the building block where the cardiac surgery ward is situated. Of the 145 showers in that block, 70 shower heads were sampled and the shower heads were replaced. Of these, 35 were sampled at 3 months and 35 were tested at 6 months (biofilm prevention group). Of the remaining 70 shower heads, 35 were tested at 3 months and 35 at 6 months (biofilm removal group). Heterotrophic colony count (HCC) in CFU/mL was chosen as the outcome measure. Analysis was conducted in accordance with AS 4276.3.2 (2003). The microbial growth data followed a log-normal distribution due to the exponential growth of bacteria. The natural log of the data was therefore calculated, and results from each period were compared using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Free chlorine residual levels were controlled using a combination of feed-forward and oxidation reduction potential (ORP) feedback control, and levels were retested and adjusted during the review period using N,N-diethyl-p-phenylenediamine (DPD) chemistry. Results: Mean and median levels of log HCC data are shown in Fig. 1. We detected a statistically significant difference in HCC between the 6-month-old untreated shower heads (group B) and treated shower heads (Group D) (P < .001). Hypochlorite was generally dosed at a concentration of 0.5 mg/L free chlorine for the first 3 months, and 1.5 mg/L for the second 3 months. Approximately 65% of the chlorine was lost as it travelled around the system. Discussion: Waterborne pathogens, especially multiresistant Gram-negative bacilli, have been increasingly recognized as hospital-acquired pathogens. Many instances of the transmission of these pathogens have been reported, from premise plumbing to patients, and have been confirmed using molecular typing techniques. Conclusions: A low-dose chlorination system of the circulating warm-water supply seemed effective in preventing biofilm formation and reducing existing biofilm in shower heads using HCCs as a measure of biofilm. This information adds to the potential armamentarium for controlling the spread of these waterborne pathogens.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None