Rethinking Contact Precautions for the Control of Endemic Drug Resistant Organisms

Should we relax contact precautions as currently practiced, particularly for the control of endemic hospital pathogens such as MRSA and VRE? 

We think so and recently published a manuscript in Current Infectious Diseases Reports arguing the above point.

Much of our argument is based on the premise of a horizontal infection control program, one in which all infections are targeted by multipotent, broad based infection prevention interventions. With this strategy, hospital acquired infections may be controlled, thus limiting the need for contact precautions, particularly for certain pathogens.

Change may be in the air.

Nurses as Barometers of Quality Patient Care

Source: Fisk.edu

Without doubt, nurses spend more time with patients than other healthcare workers so their opinions on patient safety should matter.

It now appears that nursing assessment of patient care is statistically associated with improved patient outcomes.

Investigators from the University of Pennsylvania assessed hospital quality by aggregating hospital nurses' responses to report on quality of care.  The results are published here. 

The result? A 10% increment in the proportion of nurses reporting excellent quality of care was associated with lower odds of mortality and failure to rescue; greater patient satisfaction; and higher composite process of care scores for acute myocardial infarction, pneumonia, and surgical patients. 

Ask the nurses about patient safety and quality of care, their opinions matter.

Hepatitis B: The Importance of Vaccination, Immunity and Transmission from Healthcare Worker to Patient

Source: ct.gov

I am back from the ID Week- Infectious Diseases Society of America Conference in San Diego. Thank you to those of you who followed the blog during the trip.

Here is an article that caught my eye this morning, on the transmission of Hepatitis B from an Orthopedic surgeon to several patients. The manuscript highlights several critical points, namely, the importance of universal Hepatitis B vaccination and of assessing response to the vaccine. More importantly, the article underscore the need to evaluate the clinical practice, with possible restrictions on the performance of invasive procedures, for healthcare workers infected with Hepatitis B virus.

Back to the grind.

ID Week 2012- Day 3

The last 3 days have been action packed. Dr. Edmond has been the star with three important presentations.

This afternoon we presented one of our studies on the surveillance of bloodstream and catheter associated urinary tract infections outside the ICU. It was well received.

Later in the day I caught up with Dr. Chiu-Bin Hsiao, a colleague of mine from the my spell at the University at Buffalo- Erie County Medical Center.

Heading back to Richmond tomorrow.

ID Week 2012 Day 2-Part Deux

The scientific program so far has been excellent. Drs. Stevens, Edmond and I paused in the poster hall for a photo opportunity.

Later in the day, I snapped a photo of the San Diego cityscape and of the day's end.

ID Week 2012- Day 2

We are off to a fine start here in San Diego.

Our very own Dr. Michael Edmond was masterful, in front of a large crowd, during the clinical controversies in infectious diseases session. He successfully argued in an eloquent debate that the current state of science cannot prevent all hospital acquired infections.

More to come so stay tuned.

En Route- Infectious Diseases Society of America Conference 2012

Drs Stevens, Edmond and I will soon be at the 2012 ID Week conference.

Stay tuned.