[The Infection RIsk Scan in clinical practice: improving infection prevention and antibiotic use through...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare-associated infections
• Infection prevention and control
• Antimicrobial resistance

Background:

• Rising rates of Highly Resistant Micro-Organisms (HRMO) necessitate enhanced infection prevention strategies in healthcare facilities.
• Current infection prevention measures require standardization for effective monitoring of antibiotic use and resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate the Infection Risk Scan (IRIS) as a new, standardized method for infection prevention and antibiotic use monitoring.
• To assess the effectiveness of IRIS in identifying risks and guiding improvements in healthcare settings.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional, observational study design was employed.
• The Infection Risk Scan (IRIS) objectively measures variables including HRMO dissemination, antibiotic and device use, environmental and personal hygiene, and infection control preconditions.
• IRIS generates a risk profile and improvement chart for targeted interventions and quality cycles.

Main Results:

• IRIS was successfully implemented in 5 hospital departments, 1 rehabilitation clinic, and 19 nursing homes.
• Hospital departments showed significant improvements in hand hygiene compliance (43% to 66%) and reduced environmental contamination after 3 IRIS cycles.
• A previously undetected HRMO outbreak was discovered in one nursing home through IRIS implementation.

Conclusions:

• The IRIS method facilitates comparison between healthcare departments and institutions, promoting standardization.
• IRIS provides a valuable tool for measuring risks and outcomes in infection prevention and antibiotic stewardship.
• The study demonstrates IRIS's potential to drive quality improvement cycles in infection control.