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Response to infection control challenges in the deployed setting: Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.
Duane R Hospenthal1, Helen K Crouch, Judith F English
1Infectious Disease Service, San Antonio Military Medical Center, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas 78234, USA. duane.hospenthal@amedd.army.mil
The Journal of Trauma
|July 13, 2010
Summary
Military healthcare faced challenges with multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) infections. Enhanced infection control (IC) practices and awareness in deployed facilities improved outcomes, reducing MDRO transmission.
Area of Science:
- Military Medicine
- Infectious Disease Control
- Public Health
Background:
- Multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) infections, particularly Acinetobacter, pose significant challenges in military healthcare settings.
- Nosocomial transmission of MDROs within deployed medical treatment facilities (MTFs) contributes to these infections.
- Previous reviews identified barriers to effective infection prevention and control (IC) practices in deployed environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To enhance infection prevention and control (IC) practices in deployed military medical treatment facilities (MTFs).
- To address the challenges posed by multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) among injured military personnel.
- To improve the tracking and management of MDRO colonization in deployed settings.
Main Methods:
- Focused efforts on educating leaders and deploying personnel about IC basics.
- Developed and disseminated deployed IC resources and standardized admission screening for MDRO colonization.
- Conducted a follow-up review in 2009 to assess progress in IC practices.
Main Results:
- Increased awareness and emphasis on fundamental IC practices, including hand hygiene and isolation precautions.
- Enhanced IC expertise through standardization, predeployment training, teleconsultation, and online resources.
- Established standardized admission screening for MDRO colonization, leading to improved IC practices and command emphasis in the Iraqi theater.
Conclusions:
- Sustaining robust IC efforts in deployed settings remains challenging, even in stable operational environments.
- Innovative strategies were implemented to bolster expertise and practices, aiming to mitigate MDRO infections.
- Improvements in IC practices were observed, highlighting the effectiveness of targeted interventions.
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