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Prevention of hospital-acquired infections: A construct during Covid-19 pandemic
Manasij Mitra1, Amrita Ghosh2, Ranabir Pal3
1Department of Anesthesiology, MGM Medical College and LSK Hospital, Kishanganj, Bihar, India.
Insights
The COVID-19 pandemic saw a significant decrease in hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), including CAUTI, CLABSI, and SSI. Enhanced hand hygiene compliance among healthcare workers was a key factor in reducing these infection rates.
Area of Science:
- Infection Control
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are a significant concern in healthcare settings.
- The COVID-19 pandemic prompted changes in healthcare practices, potentially impacting HAI rates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on four key HAIs: CAUTI, CLABSI, VAP, and SSI.
- To evaluate changes in hand hygiene compliance among healthcare workers during the pandemic.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective data mining of infection control surveillance data from January 2019 to December 2020.
- Analysis conducted in a 700-bed multispecialty teaching hospital in Eastern India.
- Control charts used to monitor monthly HAI trends.
Main Results:
- Significant reductions observed in catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) by 28.01%, central-line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) by 37.61%, and surgical site infections (SSI) by 62.39%.
- Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) peaked in November 2019.
- Hand hygiene compliance rates showed a sharp upward trend throughout the study period.
Conclusions:
- The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the critical importance of hand hygiene and standard infection control practices.
- Adherence to WHO and CDC guidelines for infection control can substantially decrease HAI rates.
- Increased hand hygiene compliance is linked to reduced HAI incidence.
Introduction:
Hospital-acquired infection (HAI) rates were reported to have declined in healthcare settings during the Covid-19 pandemic. Needless to mention that HAI is of paramount interest and relevance to a primary care physician who need to care from womb to tomb inside pandemic.
Objectives:
This study was conducted to find the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on the four parameters of HAIs, namely, catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), central-line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and surgical site infections (SSIs) with hand hygiene compliance rates among healthcare workers.
Materials And Methods:
This retrospective data mining was undertaken in a 700 bed multispecialty teaching hospital in the Eastern India which was a Government of Bihar approved speciality Covid Care Hospital. Data from the monthly routine infection control monitoring and surveillance activities was collated from January 2019 to December 2020. Control charts with upper and lower control limit set at mean ± 1 SD were used to monitor monthly trends of HAIs.
Results:
The CAUTI rates reduced by 28.01%; the CLABSI rates declined by 37.61%, the SSI rates reduced by 62.39%, while the highest VAP rates were reported in November 2019 (1.9 per 1000 ventilator days). The hand hygiene compliance rates from January 2019 to December 2020 among different healthcare staffs showed a sharply rising trend.
Conclusion:
Covid-19 pandemic highlighted paramount importance regarding compliance to hand hygiene and implementation of standard infection control practices as recommended by World Health Organisation and Centres for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC), which can drastically reduce range of HAIs.
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