Active screening and patient-placement and cohort-placement strategies to decrease carbapenem-resistant gram-negative...

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Hospital Epidemiology
• Antimicrobial Resistance

Background:

• Carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacilli (CR-GNB) pose a significant threat in healthcare settings.
• Effective control strategies are crucial to mitigate CR-GNB transmission and infections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of CR-GNB colonization screening and cohorting strategies on infection and colonization rates.
• To assess the effectiveness of interventions implemented in high-risk hospital departments.

Main Methods:

• Initiation of CR-GNB colonization screening in January 2017 across PICU, NICU, neonatal wards, and hematology.
• Introduction of CR-GNB cohort and patient-placement strategies in January 2018.
• Monitoring of CR-GNB colonization and infection rates from 2017 to 2021.

Main Results:

• A decrease in CR-GNB colonization rates was observed following the implementation of screening and cohorting strategies.
• Infection rates attributed to CR-GNB also showed varying degrees of reduction during the study period.
• The interventions demonstrated a positive impact on controlling CR-GNB in high-risk hospital areas.

Conclusions:

• Hospital-wide implementation of CR-GNB screening and strategic patient placement can effectively reduce colonization and infection rates.
• These findings underscore the importance of proactive surveillance and control measures in preventing the spread of antimicrobial-resistant organisms.
• Continued vigilance and adaptation of strategies are necessary to combat the evolving challenge of CR-GNB.