American journal of infection control最新文献

{"title":"Impact of an electronic hand hygiene monitoring system on hand hygiene compliance.","authors":"Kelly Acree, Juliet Ferrelli, Jenna Li","doi":"10.1016/j.ajic.2025.04.005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2025.04.005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Health care worker hand hygiene (HH) is suboptimal. Electronic hand hygiene monitoring systems (EHHMS) record real-time HH events and may improve HH compliance. We evaluated if an EHHMS affected HH compliance.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>HH compliance of 6,711 inpatient health care workers was recorded in 9 hospitals for 30months using an EHHMS. Badge-wearing ratios (BWRs: number of staff wearing their monitoring badge/number of staff given a badge) and HH compliance rates were compared. Linear regression analysis and multivariate models compared BWRs across health care worker types and analyzed the interaction between BWRs and location.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There was a 1.9% increase in HH compliance for every 10-unit increase in BWR (t=6.65, P value <.001). Hospital location, health care worker type, and shift type significantly influenced HH compliance (F=115.7, df=[19,986], P value <.001, R²=0.69). BWRs and HH compliance were higher in hospitals that provided additional incentives to their health care workers.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Improved EHHMS badge-wearing correlated with increased HH compliance. Hospitals that provided incentives and placed a greater focus on HH had the most-improved HH compliance.</p>","PeriodicalId":7621,"journal":{"name":"American journal of infection control","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143963503","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the connection of health disparities and inequities with health care-acquired infections in North America: A scoping review of the literature.","authors":"Jessica Tarabay, Chad D Nix, Krista Doline, Jessica McClusky, Frankie Catalfumo, Caldwell A Lewin, Ria Gupta, Krystal Robinson, Rebecca Bartles","doi":"10.1016/j.ajic.2025.04.004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2025.04.004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Health care-associated infections (HAIs) pose a significant concern for patient safety, impacting one in 31 hospitalized patients in the United States. Traditional infection prevention strategies emphasize clinical and procedural factors. However, emerging evidence highlights the critical role of social determinants of health (SDOH). Factors such as race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, insurance coverage, language barriers, disability, and other social disadvantages contribute to HAI disparities. Despite this increasing recognition, limited research has systematically examined these relationships. In response, the Association for Professionals in Infection Prevention and Epidemiology (APIC) established a Health Equity Committee to evaluate the impact of SDOH on HAIs and advance meaningful action.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A literature review was conducted to synthesize findings on the intersection of HAIs and SDOH. A comprehensive search strategy identified 16 relevant studies published between January 2014 and March 2024, focusing on catheter-associated urinary tract infections, central line-associated bloodstream infections, Clostridioides difficile infections, and surgical site infections.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The findings revealed significant disparities in infection rates, readmission risks, and access to preventive measures. Black, Hispanic, and Asian patients experienced higher central line-associated bloodstream infections and catheter-associated urinary tract infections rates, particularly in pediatric populations. C difficile infections disproportionately affected individuals from disadvantaged neighborhoods and those insured through Medicare and Medicaid. Surgical site infections risks were higher among racial and ethnic minorities, especially in underserved areas with limited health care access. Additionally, hospitals serving socially vulnerable populations reported worse standardized infection ratios for HAIs yet were not consistently recognized in reimbursement penalties, highlighting systemic challenges in quality measurement.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>To reduce HAI disparities, health care systems must adopt multifaceted approaches that include enhanced data collection, health equity-focused infection prevention strategies, and policy reforms that address SDOH-driven risks. Prioritizing longitudinal studies and systematic analyses will be essential in advancing equitable health care and improving patient outcomes across diverse populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":7621,"journal":{"name":"American journal of infection control","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143952101","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A change of heart: Limitations of National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) and Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) surveillance strategies in identifying surgical site infections after heart transplant surgery.","authors":"Jessica Seidelman, Becky A Smith, Sana Arif, Sarah S Lewis, Erin B Gettler, Arthur W Baker, Polly Padgette, Brittain Wood, Melissa Williams, Peter Fleming, Jacob N Schroder, Carmelo Milano, Adam DeVore, Rachel A Miller, Barbara D Alexander, Manuela Carugati","doi":"10.1016/j.ajic.2025.04.002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2025.04.002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Surgical site infections (SSI) surveillance after heart transplantation is critical for preventing SSI. We analyzed the accuracy of 3 SSI surveillance systems: National-Healthcare-Safety-Network (NHSN), Society-of-Thoracic-Surgeons (STS), and detailed manual surveillance (TXID). National-Healthcare-Safety-Network and Society-of-Thoracic-Surgeons showed low sensitivity compared to TXID, highlighting the need for more accurate and efficient surveillance strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":7621,"journal":{"name":"American journal of infection control","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143962644","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Endoscope processing effectiveness: A reality check and call to action for infection preventionists and clinicians.","authors":"Cori L Ofstead, Abigail G Smart, Lydia L Hurst, Larry A Lamb","doi":"10.1016/j.ajic.2025.04.003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2025.04.003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Flexible endoscopes are heavily exposed to blood, mucus, and other secretions during procedures and may harbor billions of microbes before processing. Guidelines recommend thorough cleaning and sterilization or high-level disinfection (HLD) after each use.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This review describes evidence on the effectiveness of HLD from a robust review of peer-reviewed journals, adverse events reports posted by the Food and Drug Administration, and other government reports published during 2019-2024.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Although HLD theoretically eliminates viruses, fungi, and bacteria (except a few resilient spores), numerous studies found it did not reliably eliminate microbes in real-world settings, and a large proportion of endoscopes harbored substantial bioburden and potential pathogens. Dozens of endoscopy-associated outbreaks have been reported in the past 5years, including several involving multidrug-resistant organisms. When contaminated endoscopes or endoscopy-associated infections were discovered, investigators commonly found that personnel were skipping essential steps or doing them improperly.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>To reduce infection risk and enhance patient safety, infection preventionists, clinicians, sterile processing and departmental managers, and other leaders should review the evidence, perform risk assessments, and implement proactive strategies for quality improvement in their facilities.</p>","PeriodicalId":7621,"journal":{"name":"American journal of infection control","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143966620","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Real-life and in vitro evaluation of the antimicrobial effectiveness of a polycationic fabric coating.","authors":"Alejandro Gómez-Mejia, Jessica Franz, Mirjam Faes Hesse, Ashlesha Sonpar, Mahsa Zabara, Stefan Salentinig, Jules D P Valentin, Annelies S Zinkernagel, Silvio D Brugger, Aline Wolfensberger","doi":"10.1016/j.ajic.2025.04.001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2025.04.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Inanimate surfaces, including hospital textiles, are increasingly recognized to play a role in pathogen transmission. We aimed to evaluate a polycationic antimicrobial fabric coating in reducing bacterial burden in vitro and in hospital settings.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Cotton fabric patches (coated and uncoated) were exposed to bacterial contamination: (1) in vitro, by dry contamination with Staphylococcus aureus or Escherichia coli, and (2) in clinical settings. Recovery was performed by 2 methods: Swabbing (method 1) and sonicating (method 2). Colony forming units (CFU) per paired coated and uncoated fabric patch were compared.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>From the field tests, 48 pairs of fabric patches were analyzed. With method 1, the median bacterial CFU per fabric patch was 16 CFU on uncoated fabric and 39 CFU on coated fabric. With method 2, the median bacterial CFU per fabric patch was 132 CFU on uncoated fabric, and 0 CFU on coated fabric. In vitro assessment with 24 paired patches confirmed these findings.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Polymer-coated fabric effectively lowered bacterial burden when recovery was performed by liquid extraction, while effectiveness could not be demonstrated when bacteria were recovered with swabs. Further investigations are required to explore potential implications for effectiveness evaluation in clinical settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":7621,"journal":{"name":"American journal of infection control","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143959988","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Empowering patients through a perioperative prevention bundle to reduce surgical site infections in colorectal surgery.","authors":"Vladimir Nikolic, Ljiljana Markovic-Denic, Stefan Kmezic, Aleksandar Radovanovic, Djordje Nektarijevic, Jelena Djokic-Kovac, Djordje Knezevic, Andrija Antic","doi":"10.1016/j.ajic.2025.03.151","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ajic.2025.03.151","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Surgical site infections (SSIs) are common in colorectal surgery, with rates ranging from 5.4% to 30%. This study evaluated the impact of a perioperative prevention bundle on SSI incidence.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A prospective cohort study with a before-after analysis was conducted from April 2022 to April 2023. The intervention included patient education, preoperative and postoperative chlorhexidine bathing, and mandatory glove change before fascial closure.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The implementation of the perioperative prevention bundle resulted in a significant reduction in the overall SSI rate, from 18.5% to 3.8% (P = .016). Superficial SSIs were decreased from 11.1% to 0% (P = .012), while reductions in deep and organ-space SSIs were not statistically significant. Additionally, rehospitalization rates within 30 days dropped from 14.0% to 2.0% (P = .029). The intervention achieved full compliance among patients and staff.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The individualized approach likely contributed to high compliance, potentially enabling patients to take a more active role in their care. Further research is needed to address the challenges associated with deep and organ-space infections.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The implementation of a perioperative prevention bundle, emphasizing patient education and engagement, effectively reduced the incidence of SSIs and rehospitalization rates following colorectal surgery.</p>","PeriodicalId":7621,"journal":{"name":"American journal of infection control","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143787450","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Corrigendum to “High prevalence and genetic diversity of multidrug-resistant and extended-spectrum ß-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae in mothers and neonates in a Cameroonian labor ward” [Am J Infect Control. 2024;1273-1282]","authors":"Axelle Njeuna MSc ,&nbsp;Luria Leslie Founou PhD ,&nbsp;Raspail Carrel Founou PhD ,&nbsp;Patrice Landry Koudoum BSc ,&nbsp;Aurelia Mbossi BSc, MSc ,&nbsp;Ariel Blocker PhD ,&nbsp;Stephen D. Bentley PhD ,&nbsp;Lucien Etame Sone PhD","doi":"10.1016/j.ajic.2025.03.014","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ajic.2025.03.014","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":7621,"journal":{"name":"American journal of infection control","volume":"53 6","pages":"Page 746"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143762687","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Morbidity and absenteeism due to SARS-CoV-2 and seasonal influenza in health care personnel during the 2023 to 2024 season: A multicenter cohort study in Greece","authors":"Helena C. Maltezou MD, PhD ,&nbsp;Maria N. Gamaletsou MD, PhD ,&nbsp;Theodoros V. Giannouchos PhD, MS, MPharm ,&nbsp;Dimitra-Maria Koukou MD, PhD ,&nbsp;Flora Sourri RN ,&nbsp;Nikolaos Lemonakis RN ,&nbsp;Amalia Karapanou RN ,&nbsp;Sofia Zerva RN ,&nbsp;Athanasia Lourida MD, PhD ,&nbsp;Periklis Panagopoulos MD, PhD ,&nbsp;Dimitrios Hatzigeorgiou MD, PhD ,&nbsp;Nikolaos V. Sipsas MD, PhD","doi":"10.1016/j.ajic.2025.03.149","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ajic.2025.03.149","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>To assess the morbidity and absenteeism due to SARS-CoV-2 infection or influenza among health care personnel (HCP) in Greece in 2023 to 2024.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We followed 5,871 HCP from November 2023 to May 2024. A multivariable regression was used to estimate the association between length of absenteeism, HCP characteristics, and type of infection.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>There were 759 episodes of absenteeism during the study period. The mean duration of absence per episode was 4.5<!--> <!-->days and the total duration of absence was 3,434<!--> <!-->days. COVID-19 was diagnosed in 507 (8.6%) HCP, asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection in 10 (0.2%) HCP, and influenza in 88 (1.5%). COVID-19, influenza, and asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection accounted for 66.8%, 11.6%, and 1.3% of episodes of absenteeism, respectively. Overall, SARS-CoV-2 infection and influenza accounted for 76.5% and 9.7% of total days missed, respectively. Presenteeism was recorded in 113 (14.9%) HCP. The multivariable regression model found that having SARS-CoV-2 infection and having at least 1 comorbidity were associated with a mean of 1.76 and 0.25 more days of work absence compared with those with no SARS-CoV-2 infection and no comorbidity, respectively (confidence intervals: 1.55-1.98 and 0.05-0.46, respectively).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>COVID-19 remains the major driver of absenteeism among HCP.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7621,"journal":{"name":"American journal of infection control","volume":"53 6","pages":"Pages 685-689"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143750712","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Acknowledging the gaps in endoscope reprocessing-A call for research to inform real-world practice.","authors":"Frankie Catalfumo, Ria Gupta, Rebecca Crapanzano-Sigafoos","doi":"10.1016/j.ajic.2025.03.150","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ajic.2025.03.150","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":7621,"journal":{"name":"American journal of infection control","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143750710","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Artificial intelligence (AI) use for personal protective equipment training, remediation, and education in health care","authors":"Veronica Preda BSc(Med), MBBS(Hons), MPH, FRACP, PhD ,&nbsp;Zehurn Ong MD ,&nbsp;Chandana Wijeweera MD ,&nbsp;Terence Carney PhD ,&nbsp;Robyn Clay-Williams BEng, PhD ,&nbsp;Denuka Kankanamge BBMedSci, MD ,&nbsp;Tamara Preda BSc(Med), MBBS, FRACS, MMedSurg ,&nbsp;Ioannis Kopsidas MD, PhD John ,&nbsp;Michael Keith Wilson MD, FRACS","doi":"10.1016/j.ajic.2025.03.020","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ajic.2025.03.020","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Personal protective equipment (PPE) is a first-line transmission-based precaution for reducing the spread of nosocomial infections between health care workers (HCWs), patients, and staff. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted a problematic skill gap in effective PPE donning/doffing.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We performed a single-center, mixed-methods, prospective cohort study of 293 HCWs in Sydney, Australia. Participants were assessed using SXR AI-PPE, an artificial intelligence (AI) system that autonomously evaluates donning/doffing of PPE while providing real-time feedback on user technique.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Longitudinal results showed improved accuracy rates for correct donning/doffing after each guided session conducted at 3-monthly intervals, with a 100% accuracy rate for correct use of PPE after 2 guided sessions. These improvements were maintained with 3-monthly training sessions.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The SXR AI-PPE platform is a comprehensive tool capable of training PPE donning/doffing by HCWs in real time with implications for reducing PPE contamination and risk of nosocomial infections.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7621,"journal":{"name":"American journal of infection control","volume":"53 6","pages":"Pages 678-684"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143727511","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}