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Showing results for tags 'Healthcare associated infection'.
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Content ArticleThis systematic analysis in The Lancet used data covering 471 million individual records from systematic literature reviews, hospital systems, surveillance systems and other sources. The authors, an international research collective called the Antimicrobial Resistance Collaborators, used this data to estimate deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) that have come about as a result of bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR). They estimated that, in 2019, 1.27 million deaths were directly attributable to AMR, with the three primary infections involved being lower respiratory and thorax infections, bloodstream infections and intra-abdominal infections. Their analysis shows that AMR death rates were highest in some lower- and middle-income countries, making AMR not only a major health problem globally, but a particularly serious problem for some of the poorest countries in the world.
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News ArticleAntimicrobial resistance poses a significant threat to humanity, health leaders have warned, as a study reveals it has become a leading cause of death worldwide and is killing about 3,500 people every day. More than 1.2 million – and potentially millions more – died in 2019 as a direct result of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections, according to the most comprehensive estimate to date of the global impact of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The stark analysis covering more than 200 countries and territories was published in the Lancet. It says AMR is killing more people than HIV/Aids or malaria. Many hundreds of thousands of deaths are occurring due to common, previously treatable infections, the study says, because bacteria that cause them have become resistant to treatment. “These new data reveal the true scale of antimicrobial resistance worldwide, and are a clear signal that we must act now to combat the threat,” said the report’s co-author Prof Chris Murray, of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. “We need to leverage this data to course-correct action and drive innovation if we want to stay ahead in the race against antimicrobial resistance.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 20 January 2022
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Content ArticleIn this article in Becker's Hospital Review, Mackenzie Bean highlights five of the most pressing safety issues for healthcare systems and hospitals to address in 2022:Foundational safety workSupporting the healthcare workforceIntegrating equity into safety workDiagnostic harmHealthcare-associated infections
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News ArticleThe NHS must apply Covid infection prevention and control measures more robustly if it is to avoid a steep rise in infections within healthcare settings, a senior doctor at NHS England has said. The warning came from NHS England national clinical director for antimicrobial resistance and infection prevention and control Mark Wilcox during a webinar for NHS leaders. He said that the effectiveness of the vaccination programme had led “understandably” to the NHS being more relaxed when it came to Covid IPC. However, he warned that “the effectiveness of the vaccines has diminished substantially with respect to two doses” because of the omicron variant, and that “if we carry on with the level of IPC that we have been lulled into then we will see very significant problems with nosocomial infection”. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 14 December 2021
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News Article
Change to sepsis advice after mums' herpes deaths
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Advice on how new mothers with sepsis should be treated is to change after two women died of a herpes infection. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says viral sources of infections should be considered and appropriate treatment offered. This comes after the BBC revealed one surgeon might have infected the mothers while performing Caesareans on them. The East Kent Hospitals Trust said it had not been possible to identify the source of either infection. Kimberley Sampson, 29, and Samantha Mulcahy, 32, died of an infection caused by the herpes virus 44 days apart in 2018, shortly after giving birth by Caesarean section. Their families were told there was no link between the deaths but BBC News revealed on Monday that both operations had been carried out by the same surgeon. Documents we uncovered showed that the trust had been told two weeks after the second death that "it does look like surgical contamination". Edward Morris, President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, which set standards in maternity care, said routine investigation and management of maternal sepsis "should always consider viral sources of infection, and appropriate changes should be instituted to support earlier diagnosis and treatment". Medics treating Ms Sampson and Mrs Mulcahy assumed they were suffering from a bacterial infection and didn't prescribe the anti-viral medication that may had saved their lives. The Royal College said the two deaths should be "fully investigated" as "surgical infection appears to be a significant possibility". But BBC News has learned that the East Kent Hospitals Trust, which treated both women, never told the coroner's office that the same surgeon had carried out both operations or that an investigation they had ordered had suggested the virus strains the two women had died from appeared to be "epidemiologically linked". Read full story Source: BBC News, 23 November 2021 -
News Article
Widow demands answers over Covid official's death
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The widow of a top Scottish government official, who died after contracting Covid, believes the full details of his illness were concealed to protect the reputation of a troubled hospital. Andrew Slorance, Scottish government's head of response and communication unit, in charge of its handling of the Covid pandemic, went into Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital for cancer treatment a year ago. His wife Louise believes he caught Covid there as well as another life-threatening infection. Andrew went in to the £850m flagship Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QUEH) at the end of October 2020 for a stem cell transplant and chemotherapy as part of treatment for Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL). He died nearly six weeks into his stay, with the cause of his death listed as Covid pneumonia. But after requesting a copy of his medical notes, Mrs Slorance discovered her husband had also been treated for an infection caused by a fungus called aspergillus, which had not been discussed with either of them during his hospital stay. The infection is common in the environment but can be extremely dangerous for people with weak immune systems. Mrs Slorance questions whether it may have played a part in her husband's death, and if so, why she was not told? She told the BBC: "I think somebody and probably a number of people have made an active decision not to inform his family of that infection, either during his admission or post-death." Mrs Slorance believes that officials wanted to protect the hospital, which is already the subject of a public inquiry, and its reputation, "no matter what the cost". Mrs Slorance says a full investigation should take place into incidences of aspergillus at the hospital campus. In response, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: "We are sorry that the family are unhappy with aspects of Mr Slorance's treatment, details of which were discussed with the family at the time. "While we cannot comment on individual patients, we do not recognise the claims being made. We are confident that the appropriate care was provided. There has been a clinical review of this case and we would like to reassure the family that we have been open and honest and there has been no attempt to conceal any information from them." Read full story Source: BBC News, 18 November 2021 -
Content Article
Infection control matters: podcast series
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Infection control
In this podcast series, Professor Brett Mitchell (from the University of Newcastle Australia), Associate Professor Deborah Friedman (Barwon Health), Martin Kiernan (University of West London and University of Newcastle) and Associate Professor Philip Russo (Monash University) discuss new research and issues on the topic of infection prevention and control. They talk to doctors, nurses, clinicians, academics and administrators. -
News ArticleSome acute trusts have failed to report large numbers of hospital-acquired covid infections as patient safety incidents, despite NHS England describing this as ‘fundamental’. HSJ examined the numbers of “infection control” patient safety incidents reported to the national reporting and learning system in 2020-21, and compared this to separate NHS England data on covid infections most likely to have been acquired in hospital. The number of incidents reported to the NRLS in the 12-month period should in theory be higher, as it covers all types of hospital-acquired infections, while the NHSE data only covered covid infections in the last seven months of the year. This appears to hold true nationally, with almost 59,000 incidents reported to the NRLS, compared to around 36,000 likely hospital-acquired covid infections suggested by the NHSE data. But for around a third of trusts, the incident numbers reported to the NRLS were smaller, with some appearing to report very low numbers. Helen Hughes, chief executive of patient safety charity Patient Safety Learning, said: “The scale of the under-reporting set out in these findings is particularly concerning.” “As this data informs assessment of performance at both organisational and national levels, it is possible that this could create a false assurance about the extent of harm in this period,” Ms Hughes said. “Where organisations are now retrospectively completing serious incident reports, there are obvious questions as to whether key insights will have been lost as memories of incidents fade over time and their causes.” “However, they rely on the capacity and commitment of staff behind them. The pandemic has placed an enormous strain on the health service and we have heard from staff the time constraints this has put on them to report patient safety incidents,” she added. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 15 October 2021
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Event
Managing the burden of wounds by focusing on prevention
Sam posted an event in Community Calendar
untilThe NHS spends £8.3 billion a year treating chronic wounds on an estimated 3.8 million people, according to the recently updated study evaluating the “Burden of Wounds” to the NHS. Costs have increased by 48% in the five years since the study was first published and the overwhelming majority of this burgeoning demand, around 80% of the caseload, impacts on community healthcare. This session chaired by Jacqui Fletcher OBE, focusses on managing the burden of wounds by focusing on prevention, and how technology and digitisation will enable a prevention focus. Prof Julian Guest will focus on the costs of wounds with a specific drill down on pressure ulcers and the impact prevention would have. Secondly Una Adderley will discuss the National Wound Care Strategy and the role will have on pressure ulcers prevention. Register -
Content Article'The state of care in NHS acute hospitals 2014 to 2016' presents findings from the Care Quality Commission (CQC's) programme of NHS acute comprehensive inspections. The report captures what has been learned from three years’ worth of inspections. It gives a baseline on quality that is unique in the world – and also shows that it is possible, even in challenging times, to deliver the transformational change that is needed if the NHS is to continue delivering high-quality care into the future.
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Content ArticleThis study, published online by Cambridge University Press, looks at the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on incidences of healthcare-associated infection in hospitals in the United States of America. The authors analyse events reported to the National Healthcare Safety Network for 2019 and 2020 by acute-care hospitals.
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EventuntilThe aim of this day is to further enhance the understanding of delegates in the causes of surgical wound breakdown, the recognition and management of wound infection and the management of dehisced surgical wounds. Learning Objectives At the end of this study day, delegates will have: An awareness of national guidance and best practice with regard to prevention of surgical wound infection. A good understanding of how to recognise unusual signs of infection in surgical wounds including wound swabbing, how to do it when and why. A basic understanding of NPWT (Negative Pressure Wound Therapy), how and when to use. Register
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News Article
Scottish Hospitals Inquiry to begin to investigate problems at flagship hospitals
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
An inquiry will begin hearing evidence on Monday into problems at two flagship Scottish hospitals that contributed to the death of two children. The Scottish Hospitals Inquiry is investigating the construction of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) campus in Glasgow and the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and Department of Clinical Neurosciences in Edinburgh. The inquiry was ordered after patients at the Glasgow site died from infections linked to pigeon droppings and the water supply, and the opening of the Edinburgh site was delayed due to concerns over the ventilation system. Earlier this year, an independent review found the death of two children at the QEUH were at least in part the result of infections linked to the hospital environment. The review investigated 118 episodes of serious bacterial infection in 84 children and young people who received treatment for blood disease, cancer or related conditions at the Royal Hospital for Children at the campus. It found a third of these infections were “most likely” to have been linked to the hospital environment. The inquiry will aim to determine how issues at the two hospitals relating to ventilation, water contamination and other matters impacted on patient safety and care and whether this could have been prevented. Read full story Source: The Herald, 20 September 2021 -
News ArticleMore than one in five ‘covid deaths’ were both probably hospital-acquired, and caused at least in part by the virus, at several trusts, according to analysis released to HSJ. HSJ obtained figures from more than 30 trusts which have looked in detail at cases where patients died after definitely, or probably, catching covid in hospital. Thirty-two acute trusts provided HSJ with robust data, out of the total 120 in England. Across all 32, they had recorded 3,223 covid hospital deaths which were either “definitely” or ‘probably’ nosocomial — making up around 17% of their total reported 19,020 hospital deaths. The trusts said 2,776 of the 3,223 deaths also had covid listed on their death certificate, either as an “immediate cause” or as a contributory factor. That constitutes about 15% of all the hospitals’ covid deaths, and 86% of the nosocomial deaths. When approached by HSJ, these trusts said they followed robust infection control practices, and that high community covid prevalence, and covid admissions, were the main cause of hospital-acquired infection. Some trusts also cited their ageing infrastructure. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 6 September 2021
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Content ArticleSharps injuries (SI) and mucocutaneous exposures (MCE), collectively termed “blood and body fluid exposure” (BBFE), pose a diseases-transmission risk and a psychological stress to health care workers and a responsibility on employers to prevent their occurrence. However, little UK national data is published on their incidence. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) present results from a survey of their members.
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Content ArticleThe primary objective of this multicenter, observational, retrospective study from Giacobbe et al. was to assess the incidence rate of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients in intensive care units (ICU). The secondary objective was to assess predictors of 30-day case-fatality of VAP.
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Content ArticleThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provide answers to FAQs about ventilator-associated pneumonia.
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Content ArticleThe Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Review was prompted by public and political concern following reports of the deaths of three patients between December 2018 and February 2019. The deaths had been linked to rare microorganisms and concern was growing that these organisms were in turn linked to the built environment at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) and Royal Hospital for Children (RHC). The Review's remit was: “To establish whether the design, build, commissioning and maintenance of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and Royal Hospital for Children has had an adverse impact on the risk of Healthcare Associated Infection and whether there is wider learning for NHS Scotland”.
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News Article
Wards to get ‘star ratings’ under first new NHS cleaning rules for 14 years
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The first new hospital cleaning standards for 14 years have been outlined by regulators, including confirmation of new food hygiene-style star ratings. Wards and theatres will be given ratings from one to five stars – based on audits which score the cleanliness of areas against safe standards – and these ratings will be made visible to patients. The plans for the new star ratings, which are expected to be easier for patients to understand than the current cleanliness percentage scores, were first revealed by HSJ in 2019. The ratings are also designed to encourage a more collaborative approach, by reflecting the cleanliness score for whole areas, as opposed to the performance of individual parties responsible for cleaning certain elements. Areas rated one to three stars would require improvement plans and be automatically placed under review, with “immediate action” being required in one-star rated areas. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 6 May 2021 -
Content Article
hub topic lead Julie Storr highlights World Hand Hygiene Day and why hand hygiene in healthcare is one small but important part of keeping people safe. -
Content ArticleThe primary objective of this study, published in Intensive Care Medicine, was to investigate the risk of ICU bloodstream infection (BSI) in critically ill COVID-19 patients compared to non-COVID-19 patients. Authors conclude: "The ICU-BSI risk was higher for COVID-19 than non-COVID-19 critically ill patients after seven days of ICU stay. Clinicians should be particularly careful on late ICU-BSIs in COVID-19 patients. Tocilizumab or anakinra may increase the ICU-BSI risk."
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News Article
Infections linked to Glasgow child cancer hospital deaths
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
An infection "probably" linked to Glasgow's children's hospital was the "primary cause of death" of a young cancer patient, the BBC has learned. Infections from contaminated water at the hospital were also found to have been an "important contributory factor" in another child's death. A review looked into the cases of 84 children who developed infections while undergoing treatment at the hospital. It found that a third of infections "probably" originated in the hospital and the rest were "possibly" acquired there. The authors of the "case note review", which should be published next week, said they recognised that some families would be disappointed that they could not have "greater certainty" about the links between their child's infection and the hospital environment. They said this was down to the limits of a retrospective review but also criticised the shortcomings in the data provided by the health board. Read full story Source: BBC News, 20 March 2021 -
Content Article
OneTogether Electronic Assessment Toolkit
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Surgical site infections
This assessment toolkit enables automatic calculation of infection prevention compliance scores. The tool assesses seven areas of care that are fundamental to best practice in minimising the risk of surgical site infection. After each section of the assessment there are notes providing further instructions on how to complete each element. -
News ArticleNHS Supply Chain has suspended supplies of some ultrasound gels over concerns they might be connected with outbreaks of bacterial infections in multiple hospitals. Thirty hospitals have reported 46 cases of Burkholderia contaminans between October last year and January 2021. No patients have died but some developed sepsis symptoms. NHS Supply Chain has suspended supplies of three ultrasound gels as a “precautionary measure” and guidance has been updated on the safe use of gel to reduce the risk of transmission of infection. Existing stocks have not been recalled and NHS Supply Chain is stocking similar products as alternatives. Public Health England has said its provisional investigation suggests a potential link with ultrasound or ultrasound-guided procedures as many of the infected patients had undergone these before the bacterium was identified. It is also investigating how many of the patients have spent time in intensive care or high dependency settings. A related bacteria, called Burkholderia cepacian, was also found in 27 cases. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 4 March 2021
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EventuntilThe NHS spends £8.3 billion a year treating chronic wounds on an estimated 3.8 million people, according to the recently updated study evaluating the “Burden of Wounds” to the NHS. Costs have increased by 48% in the five years since the study was first published and the overwhelming majority of this burgeoning demand, around 80% of the caseload, impacts on community healthcare. This webinar will explore the “Burden of Wounds” with study author Julian Guest and consider how digital wound management solutions can relieve pressure and improve outcomes. We’ll see case studies from community nurses, hear the patient and staff view through #tvn2gether and the National Wound Care Strategy team will share their long term vision. Chaired by Margaret Kitching MBE, Chief Nurse for NHS England and NHS Improvement’s North East and Yorkshire Region, this conversation brings together leading voices within wound care to discuss new strategies for 2021 and beyond. Register
