Johan Struwe

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections in health care workers (HCWs): guidelines for prevention of transmission of HBV and HCV from HCW to patients

The transmission of viral hepatitis from health care workers (HCW) to patients is of worldwide concern. Since the introduction of serologic testing in the 1970s there have been over 45 reports of hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmission from HCW to patients, which have resulted in more than 400 infected patients. In addition there are six published reports of transmissions of hepatitis C virus (HCV) from HCW to patients resulting in the infection of 14 patients. Additional HCV cases are known of in the US and UK, but unpublished. At present the guidelines for preventing HCW to patient transmission of viral hepatitis vary greatly between countries. It was our aim to reach a Europe-wide consensus on this issue. In order to do this, experts in blood-borne infection, from 16 countries, were questioned on their national protocols. The replies given by participating countries formed the basis of a discussion document. This paper was then discussed at a meeting with each of the participating countries in order to reach a Europe-wide consensus on the identification of infected HCWs, protection of susceptible HCWs, management and treatment options for the infected HCW. The results of that process are discussed and recommendations formed. The guidelines produced aim to reduce the risk of transmission from infected HCWs to patients. The document is designed to complement existing guidelines or form the basis for the development of new guidelines. This guidance is applicable to all HCWs who perform EPP, whether newly appointed or already in post.

Epidemiology and Molecular Characterization of Clostridium difficile Strains from Patients with Diarrhea: Low Disease Incidence and Evidence of Limited Cross-Infection in a Swedish Teaching Hospital

ABSTRACT We prospectively studied the epidemiology of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) in a 900-bed hospital over the course of 12 months by PCR-ribotyping of C. difficile isolates. A total of 304 cases were diagnosed, corresponding to an overall incidence of 7/1,000 admissions, with higher rates in nephrology, hematology, and organ transplantation wards (37, 30, and 21/1,000), and 72% were classified as hospital associated (onset in hospital or onset at home but after a hospital stay within 2 months). All 382 isolates from 227 of 304 (75%) patients available for PCR-ribotyping were typeable, yielding 70 PCR-ribotypes. The three most common types comprised 30% of hospital-associated and 34% of community-associated cases, indicating import via admitted patients as a major source of C. difficile strains occurring in the hospital. Of the 227 patients studied, 38% each contributed 2 to 13 fecal samples positive for C. difficile over the course of the study period. Repeat isolates of the same PCR-ribotype as the first isolate were found in 79% of these patients and in 95% of specimens delivered within 30 days, compared to 63% of those obtained at 31 to 204 days. Nosocomial acquisition of CDAD, defined as the proportion of cases sharing C. difficile type and admitted to the same ward within 2 or 12 months, was 20% and 32% of hospital-associated cases and 14% and 23% of all cases, respectively. Thus, most CDAD cases diagnosed over the course of the study period, including those associated with hospitalization, appeared to be caused by endogenous C. difficile strains rather than by strains truly being acquired in the hospital.

Molecular Epidemiological Analysis of Escherichia coli Isolates Producing Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamases for Identification of Nosocomial Outbreaks in Stockholm, Sweden

ABSTRACT From June to October of 2002, a cluster of Escherichia coli isolates producing extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) was detected in Stockholm. The isolates were grouped into two clones, one of which had already circulated in the same area before the outbreak. CTX-M-type ESBLs and coresistance to ciprofloxacin were identified in the strains.

Marked Differences in Antibiotic Use and Resistance Between University Hospitals in Vilnius, Lithuania, and Huddinge, Sweden

Antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance was compared between Vilnius and Huddinge University hospitals. Drug use data were expressed in number of defined daily doses/100 bed-days; antimicrobial resistance were given as percentages of resistant isolates. Thirty-five and 48 different antibiotic drugs were used in Vilnius and Huddinge, respectively. The overall consumption of antibiotics was 15 DDD/100 bed-days in Vilnius and 43 DDD/100 bed-days in Huddinge. Benzylpenicillin, ampicillin, and aminoglycosides were the major antibiotics in Vilnius; beta-lactamase-resistant penicillins, cefalosporins, and quinolones in Huddinge. In Vilnius, gentamicin made up one-quarter of the use. Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative isolates from wounds and blood were more resistant to gentamicin in Vilnius. S. aureus was more often methicillin resistant in Vilnius than in Huddinge. There was no S. aureus-resistant to vancomycin in either hospital. The vancomycin-resistant enterococci made up from 4% to 10% in Vilnius hospital, but they were not detected in Huddinge hospital (0%). The majority of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates were sensitive to benzylpenicillin in both hospitals. The higher resistance of microorganisms to some antibiotics in Vilnius may be explained by heavy use of few antibiotics. Lower level of hygiene procedures, sampling bias, and other methodological issues may also have contributed. Guidelines for antibiotic use and hygienic procedures are now under development in Vilnius.

ICU stay promotes enrichment and dissemination of multiresistant coagulase-negative staphylococcal strains

Patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) are prone to be colonized and infected by multi-resistant bacteria. It is previously known that nosocomial infections are often preceded by cross-transmission events. The aim of the present investigation was to study the impact of the patients length of ICU stay on the resistance patterns, diversity and dissemination of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) within and between patients. Two groups of patients were studied, including 20 consecutive patients sampled within 2 h from admission (short-stayers, SS), and all patients treated for at least 5 d in the ICU (long-stayers, LS), available for sampling every second week (n = 15). Sampling was performed from 5 sites: oropharynx, nares, neck, axilla and perineum. A total of 868 CoNS isolates deriving from LS patients and 403 isolates from SS patients were analysed for antimicrobial susceptibility, clonal diversity and dissemination within and between patients. The highest resistance rates were seen for oxacillin and ciprofloxacin, being 92% and 83%, respectively. Long-stayers were at significantly higher risk of being colonized with CoNS isolates resistant against oxacillin, clindamycin, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin as well as with multiresistant strains. By genotyping 22 phenotypes that were shared among at least 2 patients, 32 PFGE types of which 16 colonized more than 1 individual were identified. One of the clones was isolated from 10 individuals, including 2 SS patients, indicating an epidemic strain. Prolonged ICU stay was significantly correlated to decreased clonal diversity, increased endogenous dissemination of resistant strains and cross-transmission. The results emphasize the importance of good infection control practice, especially in this vulnerable group of patients.

Healthcare associated infections in university hospitals in Latvia, Lithuania and Sweden: a simple protocol for quality assessment.

Surveillance of healthcare associated infections is an overlooked parameter of good clinical practice in most healthcare institutions, due to the workload demanded in the absence of adequate IT-systems. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether a simple protocol could be used to estimate the burden of healthcare associated infections in three university hospitals in Huddinge in Sweden, Riga in Latvia and Vilnius in Lithuania and form the basis for initiating a long term follow up system. The medical records of all patients receiving antibiotics were reviewed according to a standardised protocol, focusing on the indications for the drugs and on the frequency of hospital acquired infection (HAI) in a point-prevalence survey. Only comparable specialities were included. The proportion of patients treated with antibiotics (prophylaxis not included) were 63/280 (22%) in Huddinge, 73/649 (11%) in Riga and 99/682 (15%) in Vilnius. The proportion of admitted patients treated for a HAI were 15%, 3% and 4%, respectively, (both comparisons Huddinge versus other centres P<0.001). Surgical site infections were most common, followed by infections with an onset more than 2 days after admission without any of the other registered risk factors present. Our inexpensive and simple method showed that healthcare associated infections were a significant problem among patients admitted to Huddinge. The figures obtained can be used for further discussion and form a baseline for follow up at the local level. The comparison of figures between centres was far less relevant than the process the study created.

Fighting antibiotic resistance in Sweden--past, present and future.

ZusammenfassungMit dem vermehrten Auftreten von Pneumokokken mit eingeschränkter Empfindlichkeit gegenüber Penicillin und von Methicillin-resistentem Staphylococcus aureus wurden in Schweden Forderungen laut, durch zielgerichtete Maßnahmen einem Überschreiten kritischer Schwellenwerte der Resistenzraten vorzubeugen. Anfangs der 1990er Jahre fand sich Schweden aufgrund niedriger Antibiotika-Resistenzraten und eines geringen Antibiotikaverbrauchs in einer sehr günstigen Ausgangssituation. Eine Durchsicht der bisherigen schwedischen Erfahrungen im Lichte neuer und zukünftiger Herausforderungen war das Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit. Daten zur Resistenzsituation in Schweden, zu Antibiotikaverbrauch, Meldungen anzeigepflichtiger Erkrankungen, Ausbruchskontrolle und Notfallpläne sowie einschlägige wissenschaftlicher Publikationen wurden ausgewertet. In Schweden ist durch gut etablierte mikrobiologische Diagnostiklaboratorien und durch die Möglichkeit, klinische Proben ohne finanzielle Restriktionen zum kulturellen Erregernachweis einsenden zu können, der Aufbau von Resistenz-Surveillancesystemen erleichtert. Antibiotikaverbrauchsdaten können für den Humanbereich seit über 20 Jahren problemlos erhoben werden. Gesetzliche Vorgaben erlaubten die Bildung intersektoraler Gruppen, sogenannter Strama (Swedish Strategic Programme Against Antibiotic Resistance)-Gruppen, zur Resistenzüberwachung auch in den Bereichen Veterinärmedizin und Lebensmittelproduktion auf regionaler Basis. Als Schwachstelle für die Surveillance von Antibiotikaresistenzen wurden unzureichende Datenverarbeitungssysteme ausgemacht. Die Grundstruktur eines dezentralisierten Überwachungssystems hat dazu geführt, dass sich sowohl geplante Maßnahmen als auch konkrete Vorgaben regional sehr unterschiedlich entwickelt haben. Die Tatsache, dass es Schweden bislang gelungen ist, die Problematik der antimikrobiellen Resistenz weitgehend zu beherrschen, kann mit der engen Kooperation zwischen Humanbereich und Vetrinärmedizin und den – mit Unterstützung der Regierung – bereits frühzeitig gesetzten Maßnahmen erklärt werden. Durch laufende Überarbeitung der einschlägigen Gesetze und der Surveillance-Systeme wird derzeit versucht, dem rezenten Anstieg von Breitspektrumbetalaktamasen-bildenden Keimen in Schweden und dem dadurch bedingten Anstieg des Antibiotikaverbrauchs entgegen zu wirken.SummarySweden has been in the favorable situation of having limited antibiotic resistance and low antibiotic consumption. When pneumococci with reduced susceptibility to penicillin and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus emerged during the 1990s, professionals and relevant authorities called for extensive action plans to avoid the critical threshold levels of resistance experienced in other countries. The purpose of this paper is to examine Swedish experiences in light of new and future challenges by reviewing Swedish data on antibiotic resistance and antibiotic use, notifications, outbreak control, action plans and scientific papers. The tradition of liberal performance of clinical cultures, together with well functioning diagnostic laboratories, has formed a basis for close collaboration and development of surveillance within quality assurement programs. For more than 20 years the pharmacy monopoly in Sweden has made it possible to collect well defined data on antibiotic sales at the county level with almost 100% coverage. Multisectorial collaboration was set up in regional Strama (Swedish Strategic Programme Against Antibiotic Resistance) groups. Large diagnosis-prescribing surveys have been undertaken, and the concept of basic hygiene precautions was introduced, together with extensive programs for early case finding. However, surveillance has been hampered by inadequate IT systems and some difficulties in collecting relevant data on antibiotic sales at the national level. Also, a decentralized system with 21 counties and regions has resulted in divergence of action plans and rules. The containment of antibiotic resistance thus far may be explained by the early response in human and veterinary medicine and close multisectorial collaboration, supported by the government, before problems got out of hand. Nevertheless, rapidly growing problems with bacteria that produce extended beta-lactamases have recently emerged and antibiotic sales have started to increase again. The outcome of ongoing revision of legislation and surveillance will have great impact on the future possibilities of limiting antibiotic resistance in Sweden.

Differences in antibiotic prescribing in three university hospitals in the Baltic region revealed by a simple protocol for quality assessment of therapeutic indications

OBJECTIVE To identify inexpensive and simple quality parameters for the surveillance of antibiotic use in hospital settings. METHODS A modified point-prevalence study was conducted in three university hospitals in Huddinge, Sweden, Riga, Latvia, and Vilnius, Lithuania. Each ward was visited once during May in the year 2002. All patients receiving antibiotics were identified and their medical records were reviewed by the authors according to the same protocol. Only data from corresponding departments were evaluated and compared. RESULTS The prevalence of antibiotic use was 35%, 25% and 24% in Huddinge, Riga and Vilnius, respectively. Almost 2/3 of antibiotics were prescribed for treatment and 1/3 for either surgical or medical prophylaxis. Parenteral administration was significantly more common in Riga and Vilnius than in Huddinge. The most commonly prescribed antibiotics were cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones. Prescription of antibiotics for different diagnoses showed large variation between and within hospitals. The first or second generation cephalosporins were prescribed in most cases of surgical prophylaxis. The duration of surgical prophylaxis exceeded one day in 57%, 63% and 87% of cases in Huddinge, Riga and Vilnius, respectively. All antibiotics in Huddinge, and all except five in Riga were supplied by the hospital pharmacy. Antibiotics bought by patients and donated made up 41% of prescribed antibiotics in Vilnius. CONCLUSION This point-prevalence survey using a simple and inexpensive method for benchmarking demonstrated quantitative and qualitative differences in the use of antibiotics between three university hospitals in the Baltic region, differences that now calls for explanations to their rationality. We suggest that the choice of an antibiotic, rates of intravenously administered treatment and duration of surgical prophylaxis are examples of suitable indicators of rational antibiotic use within a hospital but that comparison of such rates between hospitals is less meaningful.

National surveillance of surgical-site infection through register-based analysis of antibiotic use after inguinal hernia repair.

Systematic surveillance of surgical‐site infections is not standard. The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to evaluate the feasibility of using existing national health registers for surveillance of postoperative antibiotic treatment suggestive of surgical‐site infection.

Pathogens in the lower respiratory tract of intensive care unit patients: Impact of duration of hospital care and mechanical ventilation

Abstract Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), the most common hospital-acquired infection in intensive care unit (ICU) patients, is caused by bacteria in the lower respiratory tract of mechanically ventilated patients. Methods: The current study was focused on 443 bacterial isolates from the lower respiratory tract of mechanically ventilated ICU patients (n = 346) in a Swedish University Hospital. Data were obtained from a prospective infection control database covering 9 y (2002–2010). We analysed the correlation between duration of hospital care and mechanical ventilation at the time of sampling on the occurrence of different pathogens. Results: Duration of hospital care and mechanical ventilation prior to sampling was similarly short for Streptococcus pneumoniae, beta-streptococci, and Haemophilus influenzae (≤ 2 days). In contrast, duration of hospital care and mechanical ventilation were longest for Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (6 and 11 days). For Staphylococcus aureus, the most common Gram-positive isolate, the duration was longer than for S. pneumoniae but shorter than for most Gram-negative bacteria. With the exception of S. maltophilia and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the median duration of mechanical ventilation was short and similar for most bacteria. In samples taken on the first day of mechanical ventilation, the rate of pathogens expected to be resistant to cefotaxime was 23%. Conclusions: The occurrence of pathogens with high antibiotic resistance in the lower respiratory tract increases with increased duration of hospital care and mechanical ventilation. An equally important result is that pathogens resistant to third-generation cephalosporins were more common than expected, even after a very short duration of hospital care and mechanical ventilation.