Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology最新文献

{"title":"Call to action: ambulatory infection prevention.","authors":"Rebecca Stern, Natalya Beneschott, Jerry Jacob, Sara Keller, Rachael Lee","doi":"10.1017/ice.2026.10467","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/ice.2026.10467","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":13663,"journal":{"name":"Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology","volume":"47 8","pages":"757-760"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148591528","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) contamination of nursing home staff hands and forearms when entering the breakroom or going home.","authors":"Kevin Nguyen, Cassiana E Bittencourt, Gabrielle M Gussin, Julie A Shimabukuro, Raveena D Singh, Raheeb Saavedra, Susan S Huang","doi":"10.1017/ice.2026.10477","DOIUrl":"10.1017/ice.2026.10477","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Forearms and hands of 100 staff from five nursing homes were sampled on breakroom entry or end-of-shift. Twenty (20%) were multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO)-positive (90% methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>). Recent high contact resident-care activities were associated with contamination (OR = 9.1 (1.1-74.2), <i>P</i> = .04). Enhanced barrier precautions and hand hygiene are important to prevent staff MDRO acquisition.</p>","PeriodicalId":13663,"journal":{"name":"Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"836-839"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13311452/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148042269","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effectiveness of chlorine treatment of hospital water systems in reducing the incidence of nosocomial legionellosis: a quasi-experimental study.","authors":"Jiwon Jung, Seongman Bae, Sun-Kyung Kim, Jae Lim Jo, Jeeyoon Kim, Won Il Choi, Sung Hoon Lee, Kwang Hoon Cho, Yong Pil Chong","doi":"10.1017/ice.2026.10475","DOIUrl":"10.1017/ice.2026.10475","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Data demonstrating a reduction in the incidence of nosocomial legionellosis following chlorine treatment are limited. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of chlorine treatment by comparing the incidence of nosocomial legionellosis before and after the installation of a chlorine concentration control system.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>A quasi-experimental study.</p><p><strong>Setting: </strong>A 2,700-bed tertiary care hospital in Seoul, South Korea.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An automatic chlorine concentration control system was sequentially installed in the hospital's water supply networks across multiple buildings between April 2019 and February 2020. The preintervention period was defined as January 2011 through March 2019, and the postintervention period as May 2020 through November 2025. Incidence rates of nosocomial legionellosis were compared between the two periods using exact Poisson methods.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The incidence of nosocomial legionellosis was found to be 0.402 per 100,000 patient-days during the preintervention period and 0.181 per 100,000 patient-days during the postintervention period. The incidence rate ratio for legionellosis during the postintervention period compared with the preintervention period was 0.45 (95% confidence interval, 0.18-1.01; <i>P</i> = .043).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The implementation of chlorine treatment in the hospital water distribution system was associated with a significant reduction in the incidence of nosocomial legionellosis. This finding provides long-term, real-world evidence supporting chlorine treatment as an effective water management strategy for preventing healthcare-associated legionellosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":13663,"journal":{"name":"Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"793-797"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148198809","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Testing rates and outcomes in <i>Clostridioides difficile</i> infection between REM (racially and ethnically minoritized) and non-REM patients.","authors":"Daniel Li, Katie Moore, Noreen Mollon, Amanda Valyko, Laraine Washer, Anastasia Wasylyshyn","doi":"10.1017/ice.2026.10492","DOIUrl":"10.1017/ice.2026.10492","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Racial and ethnic disparities in <i>Clostridioides difficile</i> infection outcomes have been reported but are incompletely understood. In a retrospective study at a major academic hospital, we observed that testing rates were lower in racially and ethnically minoritized (REM) patients, but important outcomes did not differ.</p>","PeriodicalId":13663,"journal":{"name":"Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"853-857"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148251355","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prospective validation and implementation of a model to identify patients with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) carriage on admission to acute care hospitals.","authors":"Hyun Bin Kim, Radhika Prakash-Asrani, Chris W Bower, Chad Robichaux, Barney Chan, Sarah W Satola, Madeleine Boulis, Alexandra Rios, Twinkle Trehan, Kripa Michalin, Jesse T Jacob, Scott K Fridkin, Jessica Howard-Anderson","doi":"10.1017/ice.2026.10488","DOIUrl":"10.1017/ice.2026.10488","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Use the electronic health record (EHR) to prospectively validate a risk prediction tool identifying patients at high-risk for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE).</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>Prospective, cross-sectional analysis.</p><p><strong>Participants: </strong>Adults admitted to two hospitals in Atlanta, Georgia.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An EHR report calculated a CRE risk score on all admissions from 6/2024-3/2025. The risk score was determined from a prior model incorporating data from current and prior hospitalizations. Stool or perianal samples were cultured from a convenience sample of patients with the highest risk scores. A receiver operating curve analysis calculated sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive values (NPV) of various risk scores that could be used as a \"threshold\" for CRE admission testing. Using the threshold with the greatest Youden's index, we estimated the cost of implementing a CRE screening program.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 853 patients approached, 342 (40%) consented. Eleven (3.2%) tested positive for CRE. Patients with CRE had a higher median CRE risk score (0.19% vs 0.04%) than those who tested negative. The AUC of the model was 0.66. Using a testing threshold of 0.16% yielded a 55% sensitivity, 84% specificity, 10% PPV, and 98% NPV. The number needed to screen to diagnose 1 patient with CRE was 12 patients, and the screening program approximately costs $8,015/month.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>An EHR-based risk prediction tool can detect patients likely to be colonized with CRE. In facilities with a low CRE prevalence, identifying a high-risk subset of patients to test could be a cost-effective infection prevention initiative.</p>","PeriodicalId":13663,"journal":{"name":"Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"767-773"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13311450/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148257994","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing current capabilities and barriers to performing routine laboratory tests on patients with suspected high consequence infectious disease at frontline acute care hospitals.","authors":"Madeline A DiLorenzo, Anthony Joseph Lo Piccolo, Jared Bosk, Dina Shapiro-Luft, Paul Biddinger, Nahid Bhadelia, Tani Jausurawong, Christopher Sulmonte, Dana Mazo, Michael Phillips, Jessica L Jacobson, Vikramjit Mukherjee, Justin Chan","doi":"10.1017/ice.2026.10465","DOIUrl":"10.1017/ice.2026.10465","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Patients with a suspected high-consequence infectious disease (HCID), such as Ebola virus disease, may require routine laboratory testing to guide management. We assessed the capabilities of frontline hospitals and the barriers they face performing laboratory testing for patients with a suspected HCID.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A one-time confidential REDCap survey querying capabilities to safely perform laboratory tests that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers critical for patients with a suspected HCID was sent to 95 institutions in Baltimore, MD, Boston, MA, New York City, NY, and Washington, DC, from January to May 2025.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Fifty (53%) institutions responded, mostly teaching hospitals (96%), with 24% reporting prior experience evaluating a patient with suspected Ebola virus disease. While many hospitals could perform on-site blood gas (70%), hemoglobin/hematocrit (68%), and lactate (68%) tests on a suspected HCID patient, fewer could safely perform a chemistry panel (64%), a urinalysis (60%), a complete blood count with differential (56%), and a malaria rapid diagnostic test (RDT) (48%) on a suspected HCID patient. The five tests respondents most often considered extremely or very important were hemoglobin/hematocrit (91%), chemistry panel (90%), CBC with differential and platelet count (89%), malaria RDT (88%), and blood gas (88%). Reported barriers to performing routine laboratory testing included issues related to patient and staff safety, infection control, lack of appropriate space, and funding.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our survey identified several barriers to implementing safe laboratory testing. The inability to conduct these laboratory tests may result in delays in care when an HCID is suspected.</p>","PeriodicalId":13663,"journal":{"name":"Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"761-766"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148042299","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Healthcare personnel masking: current practices and gaps in standardized thresholds.","authors":"Kevin M Gibas, Thomas Head, Marissa Broadley, Leonard A Mermel","doi":"10.1017/ice.2026.10469","DOIUrl":"10.1017/ice.2026.10469","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To characterize institutional masking policies for healthcare personnel (HCP) and identify factors informing masking decisions in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>Cross-sectional, survey-based study.</p><p><strong>Setting: </strong>Healthcare institutions participating in the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) Research Networks.</p><p><strong>Participants: </strong>One representative per institution, including infection preventionists, hospital epidemiologists, or healthcare administrators, knowledgeable about organizational masking policies.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A structured, web-based survey was distributed through the SHEA/APIC Research Networks. Survey domains included institutional characteristics, masking strategies outside of transmission-based precautions, epidemiologic and operational factors influencing masking decisions, and mask types required. Responses were collected anonymously via REDCap over a six-week period and analyzed descriptively.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 172 unique healthcare institutions completed the survey (41% response rate, n = 172/425). Most respondents were infection preventionists (65%) or hospital epidemiologists (25%). The most common masking approach was a seasonal or situational risk-based strategy (57%), while 7% of institutions reported no formal masking policy. Among institutions using seasonal or situational masking, decisions were most frequently informed by outbreaks or clusters (37%), public health guidance (33%), and HCP illness/absenteeism (27%). Most institutions reported no fixed epidemiologic thresholds for masking decisions. When masking was required, surgical masks were most commonly used (98%).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Masking policies and decision-making criteria vary widely across healthcare institutions, reflecting a lack of standardized operational guidance. These findings underscore the need for consensus-based, data-driven frameworks to support consistent, transparent, and evidence-informed masking policies in healthcare settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":13663,"journal":{"name":"Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"815-822"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148029925","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Colonization with multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) including <i>Candidozyma auris</i> among residents in ventilator-designated versus non-ventilator-designated beds at skilled nursing facilities (SNFs).","authors":"Seongeun Kim, Gabrielle M Gussin, Ken Kleinman, Raveena D Singh, Cassiana E Bittencourt, Susan S Huang","doi":"10.1017/ice.2026.10483","DOIUrl":"10.1017/ice.2026.10483","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Across 13 surveys of 590 residents in seven ventilator-capable SNFs, residents in ventilator-designated beds had markedly higher ESBL (48.1% vs 28.2%; aOR = 1.64) and <i>C. auris</i> (38.6% vs 15.2%, aOR = 2.89), but lower MRSA colonization (35.2% vs 45.5%; aOR = 0.47), supporting the need for MDRO prevention beyond current Enhanced Barrier Precautions.</p>","PeriodicalId":13663,"journal":{"name":"Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"846-849"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13475325/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148345288","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clinically important antimicrobial-resistant bacteria present in publicly accessible locations of a tertiary-care hospital.","authors":"Megan Walters, Madison Tracy, Dixie Mollenkopf, Dimitria Mathys, Thomas Wittum","doi":"10.1017/ice.2026.10479","DOIUrl":"10.1017/ice.2026.10479","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":13663,"journal":{"name":"Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"858-860"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148042238","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rectal versus groin screening for multidrug-resistant organisms: pathogen-specific diagnostic yield in a tertiary-care hospital.","authors":"Athena Myrou, Simeon Metallidis, Christos Savopoulos","doi":"10.1017/ice.2026.10489","DOIUrl":"10.1017/ice.2026.10489","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To evaluate the pathogen-specific diagnostic yield of rectal and groin screening sites in a hospital-based multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) surveillance program.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>Prospective observational surveillance study.</p><p><strong>Setting: </strong>Tertiary academic hospital in Northern Greece.</p><p><strong>Patients: </strong>Hospitalized patients undergoing active MDRO screening based on predefined infection prevention and control criteria.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A pathogen-focused analysis was conducted using data from a prospective MDRO surveillance program between October 2024 and January 2025. Screening swabs were obtained from the rectum and groin. Target organisms included multidrug-resistant (MDR) <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>, vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), <i>Candida auris</i>, and <i>Acinetobacter</i> spp. Pathogen-specific detection yields were calculated for each anatomical site.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 1,206 screening swabs, 308 (25.5%) were positive for at least one MDRO. Rectal swabs detected 95.8% of <i>Klebsiella pneumoniae</i> (K. pneumoniae) (92/96), 100% of VRE (59/59), and 66.7% of <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> (46/69). In contrast, 88.9% of Candida auris cases (24/27) were identified exclusively from groin swabs. Reliance on rectal screening alone would have missed nearly 90% of <i>Candida auris</i> carriers, whereas groin-only screening would have failed to detect most K. pneumoniae and all VRE carriers.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Anatomical site selection critically influences MDRO surveillance sensitivity. Rectal screening is optimal for MDROs colonizing the gastrointestinal tract, whereas groin sampling is essential for detecting <i>Candida auris</i>. Pathogen-targeted, site-specific surveillance strategies may substantially improve detection efficiency and optimize infection prevention efforts in high-prevalence hospital settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":13663,"journal":{"name":"Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":"774-777"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148271220","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}