TY - JOUR
T1 - Infection prevention practices in adult intensive care units in a large community hospital system after implementing strategies to reduce health care-associated, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections
AU - Moody, Julia
AU - Septimus, Edward
AU - Hickok, Jason
AU - Huang, Susan S.
AU - Platt, Richard
AU - Gombosev, Adrijana
AU - Terpstra, Leah
AU - Avery, Taliser
AU - Lankiewicz, Julie
AU - Perlin, Jonathan B.
N1 - Funding Information:
This project was primarily funded by HCA , with secondary funding from the CDC Prevention Epicenter Cooperative Agreement 1U01CI000344 and Contract No. HHSA29020050033I from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality , US Department of Health and Human Services, as part of the Developing Evidence to Inform Decisions about Effectiveness (DEcIDE) program.
PY - 2013/2
Y1 - 2013/2
N2 - Background: A range of strategies and approaches have been developed for preventing health care-associated infections. Understanding the variation in practices among facilities is necessary to improve compliance with existing programs and aid the implementation of new interventions. Methods: In 2009, HCA Inc administered an electronic survey to measure compliance with evidence-based infection prevention practices as well as identify variation in products or methods, such as use of special approach technology for central vascular catheters and ventilator care. Responding adult intensive care units (ICUs) were those considering participation in a clinical trial to reduce health care-associated infections. Results: Responses from 99 ICUs in 55 hospitals indicated that many evidenced-based practices were used consistently, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) screening and use of contact precautions for MRSA-positive patients. Other practices exhibited wide variability including discontinuation of precautions and use of antimicrobial technology or chlorhexidine patches for central vascular catheters. MRSA decolonization was not a predominant practice in ICUs. Conclusion: In this large, community-based health care system, there was substantial variation in the products and methods to reduce health care-associated infections. Despite system-wide emphasis on basic practices as a precursor to adding special approach technologies, this survey showed that these technologies were commonplace, including in facilities where improvement in basic practices was needed.
AB - Background: A range of strategies and approaches have been developed for preventing health care-associated infections. Understanding the variation in practices among facilities is necessary to improve compliance with existing programs and aid the implementation of new interventions. Methods: In 2009, HCA Inc administered an electronic survey to measure compliance with evidence-based infection prevention practices as well as identify variation in products or methods, such as use of special approach technology for central vascular catheters and ventilator care. Responding adult intensive care units (ICUs) were those considering participation in a clinical trial to reduce health care-associated infections. Results: Responses from 99 ICUs in 55 hospitals indicated that many evidenced-based practices were used consistently, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) screening and use of contact precautions for MRSA-positive patients. Other practices exhibited wide variability including discontinuation of precautions and use of antimicrobial technology or chlorhexidine patches for central vascular catheters. MRSA decolonization was not a predominant practice in ICUs. Conclusion: In this large, community-based health care system, there was substantial variation in the products and methods to reduce health care-associated infections. Despite system-wide emphasis on basic practices as a precursor to adding special approach technologies, this survey showed that these technologies were commonplace, including in facilities where improvement in basic practices was needed.
KW - ICU
KW - Infection prevention and control practices
KW - Intensive care unit
KW - MRSA
KW - Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
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U2 - 10.1016/j.ajic.2012.02.017
DO - 10.1016/j.ajic.2012.02.017
M3 - Article
C2 - 22748841
AN - SCOPUS:84873091792
SN - 0196-6553
VL - 41
SP - 126
EP - 130
JO - American Journal of Infection Control
JF - American Journal of Infection Control
IS - 2
ER -