Shelley S. Magill

Multistate Point-Prevalence Survey of Health Care–Associated Infections

BACKGROUND Currently, no single U.S. surveillance system can provide estimates of the burden of all types of health care-associated infections across acute care patient populations. We conducted a prevalence survey in 10 geographically diverse states to determine the prevalence of health care-associated infections in acute care hospitals and generate updated estimates of the national burden of such infections. METHODS We defined health care-associated infections with the use of National Healthcare Safety Network criteria. One-day surveys of randomly selected inpatients were performed in participating hospitals. Hospital personnel collected demographic and limited clinical data. Trained data collectors reviewed medical records retrospectively to identify health care-associated infections active at the time of the survey. Survey data and 2010 Nationwide Inpatient Sample data, stratified according to patient age and length of hospital stay, were used to estimate the total numbers of health care-associated infections and of inpatients with such infections in U.S. acute care hospitals in 2011. RESULTS Surveys were conducted in 183 hospitals. Of 11,282 patients, 452 had 1 or more health care-associated infections (4.0%; 95% confidence interval, 3.7 to 4.4). Of 504 such infections, the most common types were pneumonia (21.8%), surgical-site infections (21.8%), and gastrointestinal infections (17.1%). Clostridium difficile was the most commonly reported pathogen (causing 12.1% of health care-associated infections). Device-associated infections (i.e., central-catheter-associated bloodstream infection, catheter-associated urinary tract infection, and ventilator-associated pneumonia), which have traditionally been the focus of programs to prevent health care-associated infections, accounted for 25.6% of such infections. We estimated that there were 648,000 patients with 721,800 health care-associated infections in U.S. acute care hospitals in 2011. CONCLUSIONS Results of this multistate prevalence survey of health care-associated infections indicate that public health surveillance and prevention activities should continue to address C. difficile infections. As device- and procedure-associated infections decrease, consideration should be given to expanding surveillance and prevention activities to include other health care-associated infections.

Changes in Incidence and Antifungal Drug Resistance in Candidemia: Results From Population-Based Laboratory Surveillance in Atlanta and Baltimore, 2008–2011

BACKGROUND Candidemia is common and associated with high morbidity and mortality; changes in population-based incidence rates have not been reported. METHODS We conducted active, population-based surveillance in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia, and Baltimore City/County, Maryland (combined population 5.2 million), during 2008-2011. We calculated candidemia incidence and antifungal drug resistance compared with prior surveillance (Atlanta, 1992-1993; Baltimore, 1998-2000). RESULTS We identified 2675 cases of candidemia with 2329 isolates during 3 years of surveillance. Mean annual crude incidence per 100 000 person-years was 13.3 in Atlanta and 26.2 in Baltimore. Rates were highest among adults aged ≥65 years (Atlanta, 59.1; Baltimore, 72.4) and infants (aged <1 year; Atlanta, 34.3; Baltimore, 46.2). In both locations compared with prior surveillance, adjusted incidence significantly declined for infants of both black and white race (Atlanta: black risk ratio [RR], 0.26 [95% confidence interval {CI}, .17-.38]; white RR: 0.19 [95% CI, .12-.29]; Baltimore: black RR, 0.38 [95% CI, .22-.64]; white RR: 0.51 [95% CI: .29-.90]). Prevalence of fluconazole resistance (7%) was unchanged compared with prior surveillance; 32 (1%) isolates were echinocandin-resistant, and 9 (8 Candida glabrata) were multidrug resistant to both fluconazole and an echinocandin. CONCLUSIONS We describe marked shifts in candidemia epidemiology over the past 2 decades. Adults aged ≥65 years replaced infants as the highest incidence group; adjusted incidence has declined significantly in infants. Use of antifungal prophylaxis, improvements in infection control, or changes in catheter insertion practices may be contributing to these declines. Further surveillance for antifungal resistance and efforts to determine effective prevention strategies are needed.

Spread of Cryptococcus gattii into Pacific Northwest Region of the United States

This organism should be recognized as an emerging pathogen in the United States.

Prevalence of Healthcare-Associated Infections in Acute Care Hospitals in Jacksonville, Florida

OBJECTIVE To determine healthcare-associated infection (HAI) prevalence in 9 hospitals in Jacksonville, Florida; to evaluate the performance of proxy indicators for HAIs; and to refine methodology in preparation for a multistate survey. DESIGN Point prevalence survey. PATIENTS Acute care inpatients of any age. METHODS HAIs were defined using National Healthcare Safety Network criteria. In each facility a trained primary team (PT) of infection prevention (IP) staff performed the survey on 1 day, reviewing records and collecting data on a random sample of inpatients. PTs assessed patients with one or more proxy indicators (abnormal white blood cell count, abnormal temperature, or antimicrobial therapy) for the presence of HAIs. An external IP expert team collected data from a subset of patient records reviewed by PTs to assess proxy indicator performance and PT data collection. RESULTS Of 851 patients surveyed by PTs, 51 had one or more HAIs (6.0%; 95% confidence interval, 4.5%-7.7%). Surgical site infections ([Formula: see text]), urinary tract infections ([Formula: see text]), pneumonia ([Formula: see text]), and bloodstream infections ([Formula: see text]) accounted for 75.8% of 58 HAIs detected by PTs. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common pathogen, causing 9 HAIs (15.5%). Antimicrobial therapy was the most sensitive proxy indicator, identifying 95.5% of patients with HAIs. CONCLUSIONS HAI prevalence in this pilot was similar to that reported in the 1970s by the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Study on the Efficacy of Nosocomial Infection Control. Antimicrobial therapy was a sensitive screening variable with which to identify those patients at higher risk for infection and reduce data collection burden. Additional work is needed on validation and feasibility to extend this methodology to a national scale.

Triazole cross-resistance among Candida spp.: case report, occurrence among bloodstream isolates, and implications for antifungal therapy.

ABSTRACT Candida spp. are common causes of bloodstream infections among hospitalized patients. Fluconazole (FLC) remains a first-line therapy for candidemia; and voriconazole (VRC), an expanded-spectrum triazole, was recently approved for the treatment of candidemia in nonneutropenic patients. In vitro studies have suggested that VRC has potent activity against Candida spp. with reduced susceptibilities to FLC. We present a case report of invasive candidiasis and candidemia due to a Candida glabrata isolate that developed resistance to all currently available triazole antifungals after a course of FLC treatment. This case prompted us to determine the frequency of cross-resistance among bloodstream Candida isolates collected during a recent 12-month period at a large, academic medical center. FLC MICs were determined for 125 of 153 isolates (81.7%). Thirty of 125 isolates (24%) were resistant or showed reduced susceptibilites to FLC (MICs ≥ 16 μg/ml). When 28 of these 30 isolates were tested for their VRC susceptibilities, 9 (32%) had MICs that were ≥2 μg/ml. Five of these nine isolates were C. glabrata, two isolates were Candida tropicalis, one isolate was Candida albicans, and one isolate was Candida parapsilosis. All five Candida krusei isolates tested had VRC MICs ≤0.5 μg/ml. These data have prompted the introduction of reflexive FLC susceptibility testing of first bloodstream Candida isolates at our institution. The case report and our data also suggest that VRC should be avoided as initial therapy in unstable patients with invasive candidiasis, particularly in the setting of prior azole exposure. Studies are needed to define the clinical significance of in vitro resistance to the newer antifungal agents.

Developing a new, national approach to surveillance for ventilator-associated events*.

Objective:To develop and implement an objective, reliable approach to surveillance for ventilator-associated events in adult patients. Design:The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) convened a Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP) Surveillance Definition Working Group in September 2011. Working Group members included representatives of stakeholder societies and organizations and federal partners. Main results:The Working Group finalized a three-tier, adult surveillance definition algorithm for ventilator-associated events. The algorithm uses objective, readily available data elements and can identify a broad range of conditions and complications occurring in mechanically ventilated adult patients, including but not limited to VAP. The first tier definition, ventilator-associated condition (VAC), identifies patients with a period of sustained respiratory deterioration following a sustained period of stability or improvement on the ventilator, defined by changes in the daily minimum fraction of inspired oxygen or positive end-expiratory pressure. The second tier definition, infection-related ventilator-associated complication (IVAC), requires that patients with VAC also have an abnormal temperature or white blood cell count, and be started on a new antimicrobial agent. The third tier definitions, possible and probable VAP, require that patients with IVAC also have laboratory and/or microbiological evidence of respiratory infection. Conclusions:Ventilator-associated events surveillance was implemented in January 2013 in the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network. Modifications to improve surveillance may be made as additional data become available and users gain experience with the new definitions.

Prevalence of Antimicrobial Use in US Acute Care Hospitals, May-September 2011

IMPORTANCE Inappropriate antimicrobial drug use is associated with adverse events in hospitalized patients and contributes to the emergence and spread of resistant pathogens. Targeting effective interventions to improve antimicrobial use in the acute care setting requires understanding hospital prescribing practices. OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of and describe the rationale for antimicrobial use in participating hospitals. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS One-day prevalence surveys were conducted in acute care hospitals in 10 states between May and September 2011. Patients were randomly selected from each hospitals morning census on the survey date. Data collectors reviewed medical records retrospectively to gather data on antimicrobial drugs administered to patients on the survey date and the day prior to the survey date, including reasons for administration, infection sites treated, and whether treated infections began in community or health care settings. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Antimicrobial use prevalence, defined as the number of patients receiving antimicrobial drugs at the time of the survey divided by the total number of surveyed patients. RESULTS Of 11,282 patients in 183 hospitals, 5635 (49.9%; 95% CI, 49.0%-50.9%) were administered at least 1 antimicrobial drug; 77.5% (95% CI, 76.6%-78.3%) of antimicrobial drugs were used to treat infections, most commonly involving the lower respiratory tract, urinary tract, or skin and soft tissues, whereas 12.2% (95% CI, 11.5%-12.8%) were given for surgical and 5.9% (95% CI, 5.5%-6.4%) for medical prophylaxis. Of 7641 drugs to treat infections, the most common were parenteral vancomycin (1103, 14.4%; 95% CI, 13.7%-15.2%), ceftriaxone (825, 10.8%; 95% CI, 10.1%-11.5%), piperacillin-tazobactam (788, 10.3%; 95% CI, 9.6%-11.0%), and levofloxacin (694, 9.1%; 95% CI, 8.5%-9.7%). Most drugs administered to treat infections were given for community-onset infections (69.0%; 95% CI, 68.0%-70.1%) and to patients outside critical care units (81.6%; 95% CI, 80.4%-82.7%). The 4 most common treatment antimicrobial drugs overall were also the most common drugs used for both community-onset and health care facility-onset infections and for infections in patients in critical care and noncritical care locations. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this cross-sectional evaluation of antimicrobial use in US hospitals, use of broad-spectrum antimicrobial drugs such as piperacillin-tazobactam and drugs such as vancomycin for resistant pathogens was common, including for treatment of community-onset infections and among patients outside critical care units. Further work is needed to understand the settings and indications for which reducing antimicrobial use can be most effectively and safely accomplished.

Strategies to Prevent Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in Acute Care Hospitals: 2014 Update

Previously published guidelines are available that provide comprehensive recommendations for detecting and preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). The intent of this document is to highlight practical recommendations in a concise format to assist acute care hospitals in implementing and prioritizing strategies to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and other ventilator-associated events (VAEs) and to improve outcomes for mechanically ventilated adults, children, and neonates. This document updates “Strategies to Prevent Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in Acute Care Hospitals,” published in 2008. This expert guidance document is sponsored by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and is the product of a collaborative effort led by SHEA, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), the American Hospital Association (AHA), the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), and The Joint Commission, with major contributions from representatives of a number of organizations and societies with content expertise. The list of endorsing and supporting organizations is presented in the introduction to the 2014 updates.

Objective surveillance definitions for ventilator-associated pneumonia.

Objectives:The subjectivity and complexity of surveillance definitions for ventilator-associated pneumonia preclude meaningful internal or external benchmarking and therefore hamper quality improvement initiatives for ventilated patients. We explored the feasibility of creating objective surveillance definitions for ventilator-associated pneumonia. Design:We identified clinical signs suitable for inclusion in objective definitions, proposed candidate definitions incorporating these objective signs, and then applied these definitions to retrospective clinical data to measure their frequencies and associations with adverse outcomes using multivariate regression models for cases and matched controls. Setting:Medical and surgical intensive care units in eight U.S. hospitals (four tertiary centers, three community hospitals, and one Veterans Affairs institution). Patients:Eight thousand seven hundred thirty-five consecutive episodes of mechanical ventilation for adult patients. Interventions:We evaluated 32 different candidate definitions composed of different combinations of the following signs: three thresholds for respiratory deterioration defined by sustained increases in daily minimum positive end-expiratory pressure or FIO2 after either 2 or 3 days of stable or decreasing ventilator settings, abnormal temperature, abnormal white blood cell count, purulent pulmonary secretions defined by neutrophils on Gram stain, and positive cultures for pathogenic organisms. Measurements and Main Results:Ventilator-associated pneumonia incidence, attributable ventilator days, hospital days, and hospital mortality. All candidate definitions were significantly associated with increased ventilator days and hospital days, but only definitions requiring objective evidence of respiratory deterioration were significantly associated with increased hospital mortality. Significant odds ratios for hospital mortality ranged from 1.9 (95% confidence interval 1.2–2.9) to 6.1 (95% confidence interval 2.2–17). Requiring additional clinical signs beyond respiratory deterioration alone decreased event rates, had little impact on attributable lengths of stay, and diminished sensitivity and positive predictive values for hospital mortality. Conclusions:Objective surveillance definitions that include quantitative evidence of respiratory deterioration after a period of stability strongly predict increased length of stay and hospital mortality. These definitions merit further evaluation of their utility for hospital quality and safety improvement programs.

The Preventability of Ventilator-Associated Events: The CDC Prevention Epicenters’ Wake Up and Breathe Collaborative

RATIONALE The CDC introduced ventilator-associated event (VAE) definitions in January 2013. Little is known about VAE prevention. We hypothesized that daily, coordinated spontaneous awakening trials (SATs) and spontaneous breathing trials (SBTs) might prevent VAEs. OBJECTIVES To assess the preventability of VAEs. METHODS We nested a multicenter quality improvement collaborative within a prospective study of VAE surveillance among 20 intensive care units between November 2011 and May 2013. Twelve units joined the collaborative and implemented an opt-out protocol for nurses and respiratory therapists to perform paired daily SATs and SBTs. The remaining eight units conducted surveillance alone. We measured temporal trends in VAEs using generalized mixed effects regression models adjusted for patient-level unit, age, sex, reason for intubation, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score, and comorbidity index. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS We tracked 5,164 consecutive episodes of mechanical ventilation: 3,425 in collaborative units and 1,739 in surveillance-only units. Within collaborative units, significant increases in SATs, SBTs, and percentage of SBTs performed without sedation were mirrored by significant decreases in duration of mechanical ventilation and hospital length-of-stay. There was no change in VAE risk per ventilator day but significant decreases in VAE risk per episode of mechanical ventilation (odds ratio [OR], 0.63; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.42-0.97) and infection-related ventilator-associated complications (OR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.17-0.71) but not pneumonias (OR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.19-1.3). Within surveillance-only units, there were no significant changes in SAT, SBT, or VAE rates. CONCLUSIONS Enhanced performance of paired, daily SATs and SBTs is associated with lower VAE rates. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT 01583413).