Jessica Howard-Anderson, Lindsey Gottlieb, Susan E. Beekmann, Philip Polgreen, Jesse T. Jacob, Daniel Z. Uslan
{"title":"Use of contact precautions for multidrug-resistant organisms and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: An Emerging Infections Network (EIN) survey","authors":"Jessica Howard-Anderson, Lindsey Gottlieb, Susan E. Beekmann, Philip Polgreen, Jesse T. Jacob, Daniel Z. Uslan","doi":"10.1017/ash.2023.374","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/ash.2023.374","url":null,"abstract":"Background: The CDC recommends routine use of contact precautions for patients infected or colonized with multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs). There is variability in implementation of and adherence to this recommendation, which we hypothesized may have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: In September 2022, we emailed an 8-question survey to Emerging Infections Network (EIN) physician members with infection prevention and hospital epidemiology responsibilities. The survey asked about the respondent’s primary hospital’s recommendations on transmission-based precautions, adjunctive measures to reduce MDRO transmission, and changes that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. We sent 2 reminder emails over a 1-month period. We used descriptive statistics to summarize the data and to compare results to a similar EIN survey (n = 336) administered in 2014 (Russell D, et al. doi:10.1017/ice.2015.246). Results: Of 708 EIN members, 283 (40%) responded to the survey, and 201 were involved in infection prevention. Most respondents were adult infectious diseases physicians (n = 228, 80%) with at least 15 years of experience (n = 174, 63%). Respondents were well distributed among community, academic, and nonuniversity teaching facilities (Table 1). Most respondents reported that their facility routinely used CP for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA, 66%) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE, 69%), compared to 93% and 92% respectively, in the 2014 survey. Nearly all (>90%) reported using contact precautions for Candida auris , carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE), and carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter spp, but there was variability in the use of contact precautions for carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and extended-spectrum β-lactamase–producing gram-negative organisms. In 2014, 81% reported that their hospital performed active surveillance testing for MRSA, and in 2022 this rate fell to 54% (Table 2). The duration of contact precautions varied by MDRO (Table 3). Compared to 2014, in 2022 facilities were less likely to use contact precautions indefinitely for MRSA (18% vs 6%) and VRE (31% vs 11%). Also, 180 facilities (90%) performed chlorhexidine bathing in at least some inpatients and 106 facilities (53%) used ultraviolet light or hydrogen peroxide vapor disinfection at discharge in some rooms. Furthermore, 89 facilities (44%) reported institutional changes to contact precautions policies after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic that remain in place. Conclusions: Use of contact precautions for patients with MDROs is heterogenous, and policies vary based on the organism. Although most hospitals still routinely use contact precautions for MRSA and VRE, this practice has declined substantially since 2014. Changes in contact-precaution policies may have been influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, and more specifically, contemporary public health guidance is needed to define who requires contact precaution","PeriodicalId":7953,"journal":{"name":"Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology","volume":"11 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135144465","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Waleed Malik, Justin Chan, Simon Dosovitz, Clyde Gilmore, Jeanne Cosico
{"title":"Mpox exposure on a congregate inpatient psychiatry unit: Description of the investigation and outcomes—New York City, 2022","authors":"Waleed Malik, Justin Chan, Simon Dosovitz, Clyde Gilmore, Jeanne Cosico","doi":"10.1017/ash.2023.315","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/ash.2023.315","url":null,"abstract":"Background: In May 2022, New York City (NYC) experienced a large outbreak of human mpox (clade IIb). Data on mpox transmission following exposure in healthcare facilities in nonendemic settings are limited. Because mpox was previously not seen in NYC, our healthcare staff may not always recognize a suspected case and therefore may neglect to implement timely infection prevention and control measures, leading to infectious exposures. The risk of transmission from unrecognized mpox may be higher in inpatient psychiatric units where direct physical contact is more common in the setting of common spaces for patients. In July 2022, a patient was admitted to NYC Health + Hospitals–Bellevue (Bellevue) psychiatry with signs and symptoms of mpox that were not recognized for 4 days, at which point the patient was tested for mpox and was isolated. We describe the investigation of staff and patients exposed during the 4 days prior to diagnosis and isolation of the index patient, and we report on the outcome mpox infection among those exposed. Methods: This study was a retrospective chart review of adult patients admitted to and staff working on an inpatient psychiatric unit where the patient with mpox was admitted to Bellevue, the largest municipal hospital in NYC. Each individual was classified regarding degree of exposure, based on criteria from the CDC, and was offered postexposure mpox vaccination where indicated. We describe the nature of contact with the patient for those with high-risk exposures. The outcome of interest was development of mpox infection during 21 days after last exposure. Results: In total, 29 patients and 84 staff members were identified to have been on the psychiatric unit prior to isolation of the index case of mpox. All exposed individuals were monitored for signs and symptoms of mpox for 21 days after last exposure. The exposed and unexposed patients were kept apart in the psychiatric unit. All patients who had contact were classified as having a low-to-intermediate risk exposure. Among 23 staff members exposed, 8 had high-risk exposures, 4 had intermediate-risk exposures, and 11 had low-risk exposures. Those with high-risk exposures were offered Jynneos as postexposure vaccination, but they declined. None of the exposed staff or patients developed mpox during the follow-up period. Conclusions: Mpox transmission was not observed despite several exposures in a congregate psychiatry unit. Given limited data, further studies are needed to better understand transmission risk in congregate healthcare settings. Disclosures: None","PeriodicalId":7953,"journal":{"name":"Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology","volume":"9 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135144600","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lucy Witt, Ahmed Babike, Gillian Smith, Sarah Satola, Mary Elizabeth Sexton, Jesse Jacob
{"title":"Carbapenemase genes and mortality in patients with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales, Atlanta, Georgia, 2011–2020","authors":"Lucy Witt, Ahmed Babike, Gillian Smith, Sarah Satola, Mary Elizabeth Sexton, Jesse Jacob","doi":"10.1017/ash.2023.226","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/ash.2023.226","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Carbapenemase genes in carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CP-CRE) may be transmitted between patients and bacteria. Reported rates of carbapenemase genes vary widely, and it is unclear whether having a carbapenemase gene portends worse outcomes given that all patients with CRE infections have limited treatment options. Methods: Using active population- and laboratory-based active surveillance data collected by the US CDC-funded Georgia Emerging Infections Program from 2011 to 2020, we assessed the frequency of carbapenemase genes in a convenience sample of CRE isolates using whole-genome sequencing (WGS), and we investigated risk factors for carbapenemase positivity. Only the first isolate per patient in a 30-day period was included. We compared characteristics of patients with CP-CRE and non–CP-CRE. Using multivariable log binomial regression, we assessed the association of carbapenemase gene positivity and 90-day mortality. Results: Of 284 CRE isolates, 171 isolates (60.2%) possessed a carbapenemase gene (Table 1), and KPC-3 was the most common carbapenemase gene (80.7%), with only 7 isolates possessing NDM (Table 2). No isolates possessed >1 carbapenemase gene, and most isolates were from urine (82.4%) (Table 1). Carbapenemase gene positivity was associated with lower age, male sex, black race, infection with Klebsiella pneumoniae , polymicrobial infection, having an indwelling medical device, receiving chronic dialysis, and prior stay in a long-term acute-care hospital, long-term care facility, and/or prior hospitalization in the last year. The 90-day mortality rates were similar in patients with non–CP-CRE and CP-CRE: 24.8% versus 25.7% ( P = .86). In multivariable analysis, carbapenemase gene presence was not associated with 90-day mortality (adjusted risk ratio, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.50–1.35) when adjusting for CCI, infection with Klebsiella pneumoniae , and chronic dialysis use. Conclusions: The frequency of CP-CRE among CRE was high in this study, but unlike prior studies, the 90-day mortality rates wer similar in patients with CP-CRE compared to non–CP-CRE. Our results provide novel associations (eg, lower age, male sex, infection with Klebsiella pneumoniae , and indwelling medical devices) that infection preventionists could use to target high-risk patients for screening or isolation prior to CP-CRE detection. Disclosure: None","PeriodicalId":7953,"journal":{"name":"Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135144604","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Taissa Bej, Brigid Wilson, Federico Perez, Robin Jump
{"title":"Change to hospitalist providers had a minimal influence on overall antibiotic use in a VA long-term care setting","authors":"Taissa Bej, Brigid Wilson, Federico Perez, Robin Jump","doi":"10.1017/ash.2023.334","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/ash.2023.334","url":null,"abstract":"Background: In long-term care settings, practice patterns among practitioners are stronger determinants of antibiotic use than resident characteristics. In July 2021, hospitalists from the acute medicine service replaced geriatricians and assumed the care of residents in a 110-bed community living center (CLC) at a large academic Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center. We assessed changes in antibiotic use associated with that change of practitioners to guide stewardship efforts. We hypothesized that antibiotic use in the CLC would shift, reflecting the practice pattern of practitioners accustomed to treating patients in acute-care settings. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study from July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2022, 1 year before and after the change of practitioners on July 1, 2021. We assessed resident characteristics and the following metrics of antibiotic use at monthly intervals: days of therapy (DOT) per 1,000 bed days of care (BDOC), antibiotic starts per 1,000 BDOC, and mean length of therapy (LOT) in days. We also compared the DOT per 1,000 BDOC for various antibiotics, in groups and individually. Results: In the years before and after the change of practitioners on July 1, 2021, the characteristics of CLC residents were comparable. Before and after July 1, 2021, monthly DOT per 1,000 BDOC (Fig. 1A), antibiotic starts per 1,000 BDOC, and mean LOT (Fig. 1B) were similar. After July 1, 2021, the use of fluoroquinolones decreased (14.31 vs 5.83 DOT per 1,000 BDOC; P < .01), and variations in anti-MRSA, narrow-spectrum, and broad-spectrum hospital agents were small, whereas the use of broad-spectrum community agents increased (29.42 vs 47.81 DOT per 1,000 BDOC; P < .01) (Fig. 2A). Within this group, there was increased use of doxycycline (7.42 vs 19.13 DOT per 1,000 BDOC; P < .01), ertapenem (2.03 vs 4.58 DOT per 1,000 BDOC; P < .01), and, modestly, azithromycin (0.40 vs 1.80 DOT per 1,000 BDOC) (Fig. 2B). Conclusions: The overall use of antibiotics, as measured by DOT, antibiotic starts, and LOT did not change after hospitalists assumed care of CLC residents. However, a notable decrease was observed in the use of fluoroquinolones, and an increase was observed in the use of doxycycline and ertapenem. Stewardship that is tailored to the type of provider and incorporates their practice patterns is needed to reinforce the prudent use of antibiotics. Disclosures: None","PeriodicalId":7953,"journal":{"name":"Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology","volume":"37 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135144606","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Eunjung Lee, Tae Hyong Kim, Se Yoon Park, Jongtak Jung, Yae Jee Baek
{"title":"The effectiveness of the appropriate prophylactic antibiotic use program for surgery","authors":"Eunjung Lee, Tae Hyong Kim, Se Yoon Park, Jongtak Jung, Yae Jee Baek","doi":"10.1017/ash.2023.233","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/ash.2023.233","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Evaluation of the adequacy of prophylactic antibiotics in surgery has been implemented as a national policy in Korea since August 2007, and the appropriate use of prophylactic antibiotics has improved. However, antibiotic prescriptions that are not recommended or discontinuation of prophylactic antibiotic administration within 24 hours after surgery are still not well done. This study introduced a program to improve the adequacy of prophylactic antibiotics for surgery and analyzed its effects. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the effectiveness of the appropriate prophylactic antibiotic use program for surgery conducted at a university hospital in Seoul. The participants were patients aged ≥18 years who underwent any of 18 types of surgery. The program started was implemented in June 2020. First, a computer system was used to confirm the antibiotic prescription recommended for each surgery. It also assessed whether the number of days of administration was exceeded, whether antibiotics were prescribed in combination, and whether antibiotics prescribed for discharge medicine were checked in 4 steps. A pop-up window appeared in each patient record to enter the reason for the prescription. If the reason was appropriate, the prescription was allowed, but if not, the prescription was restricted. In addition, infectious diseases physicians and an insurance review team visited each department to conduct an education session. To analyze the effect 3 months before activity (January–March 2020) and 3 months after activity (October–December 2020), we compared the first antibiotic administration rate within 1 hour prior to skin incision, the recommended prophylactic antibiotic administration rate, and surgery type. The rate of discontinuation of prophylactic antibiotics within 24 hours after administration and the rate of prescription of prophylactic antibiotics at discharge were compared. Results: In total, 1,339 surgeries during the study period were included in the analysis. There were 695 cases before the introduction of the program and 644 cases after the introduction. The rate of first antibiotic use within 1 hour prior to skin incision was 93.1%–99.5% ( P < .001), the rate of recommended prophylactic antibiotic administration was 85.0%–99.2% ( P < .001), and the rate of discontinuation of antibiotic administration within 24 hours after surgery improved from 51.8% to 98.3% ( P < .001), respectively. The prescription rate of antibiotics at discharge improved from 20.7% to 0.8% ( P <.001) (Table 1). Conclusions: A computerized program to improve the adequacy of prophylactic antibiotic use in surgery combined with education of medical staff was very effective. Disclosure: None","PeriodicalId":7953,"journal":{"name":"Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology","volume":"253 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135144721","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Christel Valdez, Cybele Abad, Karl Evans Henson, Mark Carascal, Raul Destura
{"title":"Polyclonal <i>Burkholderia cepacia</i> complex outbreak caused by contaminated chlorhexidine gluconate solution","authors":"Christel Valdez, Cybele Abad, Karl Evans Henson, Mark Carascal, Raul Destura","doi":"10.1017/ash.2023.358","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/ash.2023.358","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Burkholderia cepacia complex is an opportunistic environmental pathogen that has been linked to nosocomial outbreaks. We describe an outbreak of bacteremia caused by Burkholderia cenocepacia from a contaminated chlorhexidine gluconate solution. Methods: The hospital infection control team carried out an outbreak investigation on February 21, 2021, when 3 adult hemodialysis patients developed B. cenocepacia bacteremia. Patient demographics and clinical profile were reviewed retrospectively. Potential sources of infection were identified, and environmental screening was performed in several units. Processes of catheter care in the hemodialysis unit were reviewed. Water samples from the hemodialysis unit, and samples of solutions used in patient care were sent for culture. Isolates from patients and from environmental samples were sent for 16S rRNA gene sequencing to determine genetic relatedness. Results: In total, 16 patients, 8 of whom were male, developed B. cenocepacia bacteremia during the investigated period. The median age was 68 years (range, 19–83), and 15 of 16 had at least 1 comorbidity. All patients used a central venous catheter (CVC) for hemodialysis, and 11 (70%) of these 16 were temporary. Chlorhexidine gluconate solution was routinely used as part of CVC care and 1 bottle was shared among 4 hemodialysis stations. On suspicion of contamination, all identified chlorhexidine bottles were recalled on February 26, 2021, and random samples from 15 opened and 19 unopened bottles were sent for culture from the following units: hemodialysis (n = 2), ICU (n = 14), wards (n = 6), and 4 each from transplant surgery, and delivery suites. O0f 34 sampled bottles, 17 grew B. cenocepacia : 8 opened and 9 unopened bottles. The Bayesian inference tree (Fig. 1) supports the hypothesis that patient samples and the samples from the chlorhexidine solutions were most probably related to each other based on the 16S rRNA sequences. However, the individual identities of the specific sample sequences could not be determined using the analyzed region of the gene, possibly due to low quality of the sequences received. No new cases of B. cenocepacia were identified after recall of the chlorhexidine solution, and the outbreak was deemed resolved on March 24, 2021. Conclusions: Medical solutions routinely used in patient care can cause outbreaks and should be suspected as a potential source of infection by infection control teams. Disclosures: None","PeriodicalId":7953,"journal":{"name":"Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology","volume":"102 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135144736","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Shinya Hasegawa, Jonas Church, Eli Perencevich, Michihiko Goto
{"title":"Diagnostic accuracy of antibiograms in predicting the risk of antimicrobial resistance for individual patients","authors":"Shinya Hasegawa, Jonas Church, Eli Perencevich, Michihiko Goto","doi":"10.1017/ash.2023.276","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/ash.2023.276","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Many clinical guidelines recommend that clinicians should use antibiograms to decide on empiric antimicrobial therapy. However, antibiograms aggregate epidemiologic data without consideration for any other factors that may affect the risk of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and little is known about an antibiogram’s reliability in predicting antimicrobial susceptibility. We assessed the diagnostic accuracy of antibiograms as a prediction tool for E. coli clinical isolates in predicting the risk of AMR for individual patients. Methods: We extracted microbiologic and patient-level data from the nationwide clinical data warehouse of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). We assessed the diagnostic accuracy of the antibiogram for 3 commonly used antimicrobial classes for E. coli : ceftriaxone, fluoroquinolones, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. First, we retrospectively generated facility-level antibiograms for all VHA facilities from 2000 to 2019 using all clinical culture specimens positive for E. coli , according to the latest Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute guideline. Second, we created a patient-level data set by including only patients who did not have a positive culture for E. coli in the preceding 12 months. Then we assessed the diagnostic accuracy of an antibiogram for E. coli to predict resistance for the isolates in the following calendar year, using logistic regression models with percentages in the antibiogram as dependent variables. We also set 5 stepwise thresholds at 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, and 98%, and we calculated sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for each antimicrobial. Results: Among 127 VHA hospitals, 1,484,038 isolates from 704,779 patients were available for analysis. The area under the ROC curve (AU-ROC) was 0.686 for ceftriaxone, 0.637 for fluoroquinolones, and 0.578 for trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, suggesting their relatively poor prediction performances (Fig. 1). The sensitivity and specificity of the antibiogram widely varied by antimicrobial groups and thresholds, with substantial trade-offs. Along with AU-ROC, these metrics suggest poor prediction performances when antibiograms are used as the sole prediction tool (Fig. 2). Conclusions: Antibiograms for E. coli have poor performances in predicting the risk of AMR for individual patients when they are used as a sole tool, and their contribution to the clinical decision making may be limited. Clinicians should also consider other clinical and epidemiologic data when interpreting antibiograms, and guideline statements that suggest antibiogram as a valuable tool for decision making in empiric therapy may need to be reconsidered. Further studies are needed to evaluate the contribution of antibiograms when combined with other patient-level factors. Disclosures: None","PeriodicalId":7953,"journal":{"name":"Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology","volume":"3 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135144742","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Stacy Park, Shireen Kotay, Katie Barry, Joanne Carroll, April Attai, William Guilford, Amy Mathers
{"title":"Some like it hot: Variable impact of a tailpiece heating device on different gram-negative bacteria","authors":"Stacy Park, Shireen Kotay, Katie Barry, Joanne Carroll, April Attai, William Guilford, Amy Mathers","doi":"10.1017/ash.2023.318","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/ash.2023.318","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Transmission of multidrug-resistant bacteria to patients from colonized hospital sink drains has prompted attempts to interrupt transmission through a variety of interventions directed at the wastewater environment. We previously found that use of a heating device designed to disrupt biofilm formation between the P trap and the sink drain, which is the major point of dispersal of bacteria to the patient-care environment, was associated with reduced risk of detectable gram-negative organisms on hospital sink drains. However, there was no observed effect on some important pathogens, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia . We hypothesized that heating to a higher temperature would provide additional efficacy in preventing drain colonization. Methods: As part of a previous randomized study, 54 tailpiece heaters were installed in 3 intensive care units in an academic hospital and 2 acute-care units in an associated regional hospital; half of these devices were shams (ie, no heat). The devices were programmed to heat for 1 hour every fourth hour. Prior to this study, a device update increased the heating temperature (during the previous study the median heated temperature was 65.9°C). Sink drains and P traps were sampled monthly. Samples were assessed for semiquantitative growth of gram-negative bacteria on MacConkey agar, looking especially for P. aeruginosa and S. maltophilia . Frontline personnel were blinded to device assignment. Results: The mean heated temperature reached was 74.4°C. Based on proportional odds logistic regression (wherein the odds ratio reflects the likelihood of a given sample falling in a lower microbiologic burden level versus the levels above it), the heating device was associated with increased likelihood of lower microbiologic burden at the drain level for general growth on MacConkey agar (OR, 2.47; 95% CI, 1.11–5.51) and for growth of S. maltophilia (OR, 5.39; 95% CI, 2.20–13.18). The device did not have an effect on burden of Enterobacterales (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 0.58–3.24). For P. aeruginosa , there was a trend toward decreased likelihood of lower microbiologic burden (OR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.18–1.07) that did not reach statistical significance at the drain level, and the heating device was associated with decreased likelihood of lower microbiologic burden of P. aeruginosa at the P-trap level (OR, 0.20; 95% CI, 0.10–0.39). Conclusions: Heat disruption of biofilm between the P trap and sink may be a promising strategy for prevention of hospital sink drain colonization; however, the impact is variable across different bacterial species. Further understanding of the dynamics of the microbiome within wastewater is needed. Disclosures: None","PeriodicalId":7953,"journal":{"name":"Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology","volume":"10 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135144857","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ralph Tayyar, Melanie Kiener, Jane W. Liang, Gustavo Contreras Anez, Guillermo Rodriguez Nava, Alex Zimmet, Caitlin A. Contag, Krithika Srinivasan, Lucy Tompkins, Aruna Subramanian, John Shepard, Benjamin A. Pinsky, Jorge Salinas
{"title":"Low infectivity among asymptomatic patients with a positive SARS-CoV-2 admission test at a tertiary-care center, 2020–2022","authors":"Ralph Tayyar, Melanie Kiener, Jane W. Liang, Gustavo Contreras Anez, Guillermo Rodriguez Nava, Alex Zimmet, Caitlin A. Contag, Krithika Srinivasan, Lucy Tompkins, Aruna Subramanian, John Shepard, Benjamin A. Pinsky, Jorge Salinas","doi":"10.1017/ash.2023.218","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/ash.2023.218","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Many hospitals have implemented admission SARS-CoV-2 testing to evaluate for the need for transmission-based precautions. However, a positive test in an asymptomatic patient may represent (1) active infection, signifying infectiousness; (2) false positivity; or (3) past infection with prolonged viral shedding. We used a strand-specific SARS-CoV-2 reverse real-time polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) assay to assess infectivity among asymptomatic patients with a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR admission test. Methods: We used a 2-step rRT-PCR specific to the minus strand of the SARS-CoV-2 envelope gene. We reviewed records of patients with a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR who were also tested for the strand-specific SARS-CoV-2 PCR within 2 days of admission at Stanford Health Care during July 2020–April 2022. We restricted our analysis to each patient’s first test. We calculated the percentage of detectable minus strand-specific tests among asymptomatic patients over time and gathered descriptive statistics for age, sex, and immunocompromised state. Results: In total, 848 admitted patients had strand-specific SARS-CoV-2 assays performed. Of 532 patients with a strand-specific assay done within 2 days of admission, 242 (45%) were asymp tomatic. Among asymptomatic patients, the mean age was 56 years (range, 19–99), 133 (55%) were male, 50 (21%) had immunocompromising conditions, and 30 (12%) were admitted for a surgical procedure. In total, 21 (9%; range, 4%–25% per quarter) had detectable minus strand-specific assays (Fig. 1). Conclusions: Most asymptomatic patients tested for SARS-CoV-2 on admission were not infectious. Hospitals using SARS-CoV-2 PCR admission testing may need to re-evaluate the continued use of this practice. Fig. 1. Minus strand-specific SARS-CoV-2 assay percentage positivity per quarter among asymptomatic patients tested within 2 days of admission. The peak positivity in November 2021–January 2022 quarter coincided with the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant surge in our county. Disclosure: None","PeriodicalId":7953,"journal":{"name":"Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology","volume":"2 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135144860","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Correlating symptoms to infectivity among vaccinated healthcare workers with COVID-19","authors":"Abdulaziz Almulhim, Francine Touzard Romo, Leonard Mermel, Amy Mathers, Joshua Eby","doi":"10.1017/ash.2023.344","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/ash.2023.344","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Directing COVID-19 diagnostic testing to healthcare workers (HCWs) who are likely to be infected has potential to reduce staffing shortages and decrease opportunity for in-hospital transmission; however, HCWs with COVID-19 may exhibit a range of symptoms. We assessed the burden of symptoms in relation to cycle threshold (Ct) values as a surrogate for viral shedding in vaccinated healthcare workers. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed employee health records of COVID-19–vaccinated employees who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 between December 2020 and January 2022 at 2 academic hospital systems. We reviewed demographic data, reasons for testing including symptoms, exposure history, medical history, vaccination dates, Ct values, and genotypes when available. We compared mean Ct values between symptomatic and minimally symptomatic cases using independent sample t tests. Patients were defined as minimally symptomatic if they had no symptoms or a single symptom that is not cough, fever, or anosmia at the time of testing. Patients were defined as more symptomatic if they reported >1 symptom or cough, fever, or anosmia. Results: In total, 298 HCWs tested positive for COVID-19. Most positive cases were female (73%), white (78%), and had patient-facing roles (77%). Genotypic testing (n = 109) revealed that most genotypes belonged to the SARS-CoV-2 delta variant (AY lineages, B1.617.2). More cases were minimally symptomatic (62%) than were more symptomatic (38%). None required hospitalization during the study period. Mean Ct values (n = 141) showed no significant difference between more symptomatic and minimally symptomatic cases (19.8 vs 20.6; P = .40) (Fig. 1). Also, there was no significant difference in mean Ct value, comparing those with vaccination 90 days prior to positive (20.52 vs 19.88; P = .537). Conclusions: Our study shows no significant difference in cycle threshold values between minimally symptomatic and more symptomatic infections in vaccinated HCWs. In addition, HCWs exhibit high viral load even when infected within 90 days after vaccination. When considering whether to attend work, HCWs should be aware that mild symptoms and recent vaccination do not necessarily reflect low transmissibility and that they should follow CDC guidance regarding when to return to work. Disclosures: None","PeriodicalId":7953,"journal":{"name":"Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology","volume":"11 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135144867","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}