patient and populations and healthcare settings that needed sustained , focused , and funded research .
Several areas in post-acute care and nursing home infection prevention were identified as high priority for investigation .
The first priority is to develop practical interventions to reduce common HAIs and transmission of MDROs , which can be implemented and sustained in accordance with available resources in post-acute and nursing home settings . As Kwon , et al . ( 2024 ) point out , “ Infection prevention in post-acute care facilities and in nursing homes is challenging … Pervasive staff and leadership turnover affects overall care , including infections , patient satisfaction , and quality-of-care … MDRO infections are common , difficult to treat , and remain a major concern within the post-acute and nursing home setting . The estimated rate of MDRO infections among nursing home residents across the U . S . is 4.2 percent , ranging from 1.9 percent to 11.4 percent in individual states , based on the CMS Long-Term Care Minimum Data Set . Over half of all nursing home residents are colonized with MDROs .”
The second priority is to conduct welldesigned epidemiologic studies to evaluate
the role of environmental contamination in transmission of viral and bacterial pathogens in nursing homes . As Kwon , et al . ( 2024 ) explain , “ Environmental contamination with MDROs is prevalent and persistent . Findings from a cluster randomized trial suggest that implementation of multicomponent interventions , including enhanced barrier precautions , chlorhexidine bathing , MDRO surveillance , environmental cleaning , hand hygiene promotion , and healthcare personnel education and feedback can reduce the odds of MDRO prevalence in patients ’ environment by 43 percent . Hence , future studies that build on these findings are needed urgently . These studies should use a variety of research methods , including cluster or stepped-wedge study designs and implementation science to design practical , sustainable , and cost-effective interventions with the explicit goal of reducing clinical infections due to MDROs while maintaining residents ’ dignity , recreational activities , and independence .”
The third priority is to develop and test individual , facility-level and systemic strategies to support infection prevention training and practices in post-acute and nursing home settings , including developing models for collaboration with local and
national entities to promote rapid responses to infectious outbreaks and pandemics . As Kwon , et al . ( 2024 ) note , “ CMS requires that nursing homes have robust infection prevention programs . Yet , infection prevention training for nursing home personnel often remains underdeveloped . A cross-sectional survey of 2,514 randomly sampled nursing homes on infection preventionist training , staff turnover , and infection prevention program characteristics , found that less than 3 percent of infection preventionists were certified in infection prevention . Training and education of nursing home staff is integral to reducing infection risk and antimicrobial overuse in nursing homes . example , the non-evidencebased practice of excess urine culture ordering in catheterized patients leads to antibiotic exposure and therefore risk of infection with MDROs . Further investigation into educational interventions to empower nursing home residents , which can be individually tailored , interactive , or structured also will benefit nursing homes ’ safety .”
Reference :
Kwon JH , Advani SD , et al . A call to action : the SHEA research agenda to combat healthcare-associated infections . Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol . ( 2024 ), 1-18 . doi : 10.1017 / ice . 2024.125
The Key is Building the Best Strategies to Prevent Infections
IP & C Consulting can assist you with :
Developing a healthcare institution ’ s infection prevention program
Helping a business , organization , or sports team that needs a plan for preventing infections , including COVID-19
Melissa Travis , MSN , RN , CIC has 20 years of experience in infection prevention techniques , working in a variety of settings , including an acute-care hospital , large teaching academic medical center , inpatient rehabilitation hospital , public health setting , and even a sports team . Missy received a bachelors of science in nursing from University of Kentucky , a bachelors of science in nursing arts from Georgetown College , and a masters of science in nursing from Vanderbilt University . She is an RN in Tennessee and certified in infection control .
To contact IP & C Consulting , LLC : mobile : ( 615 ) 807-0428 email : missytravis @ ipandcconsulting . com website : www . ipandcconsulting . com
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