Colonized and infected inpatients are major reservoirs for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), and transient carriage of these pathogens on the hands of healthcare workers remains the most common mechanism of patient-to-patient transmission. We hypothesized that use of alcohol-based, waterless hand antiseptic would lower the incidence of colonization and/or infection with MRSA and VRE.

On June 19, 2001, alcohol hand antiseptic was introduced at the University campus and not the nearby Memorial campus of the University of Massachusetts Medical School (Worcester, MA), allowing us to evaluate the impact of this antiseptic on the incidence of MRSA and VRE colonization and infection. From January 1 through December 31, 2001, the incidence of MRSA colonization or infection was compared between the 2 campuses before and after the hand antiseptic was introduced. Its effect on VRE colonization and infection was only studied in the medical intensive care unit at the University campus.

At the University campus, the incidence of MRSA colonization or infection decreased from 1.26 cases/1,000 patient-days before the intervention to 0.75 cases/1,000 patient-days after the intervention, for a 1.46-fold decrease (95% confidence interval, 1.04-2.58; P = .037). At the Memorial campus, the incidence of MRSA colonization or infection remained virtually unchanged, from 0.34 cases/1,000 patient-days to 0.49 cases/1,000 patient-days during the same period. However, a separate analysis of the University campus data that controlled for proximity to prevalent cases did not show a significant improvement in the rates of infection or colonization. The incidence of nosocomial VRE colonization or infection before and after the hand antiseptic decreased from 12.0 cases/1,000 patient-days to 3.0 cases/1,000 patient-days, a 2.25-fold decrease (P = .018). Compliance with rectal surveillance for detection of VRE was 86% before and 84% after implementation of the hand antiseptic intervention. The prevalences of VRE cases during these 2 periods were 25% and 29%, respectively (P = .017).

Alcohol hand antiseptic appears to be effective in controlling the transmission of VRE. However, after controlling for proximity to prevalent cases (ie, for clustering), it does not appear to be more effective than standard methods for controlling MRSA. Further controlled studies are needed to evaluate its effectiveness.

Nosocomial transmission of group A Streptococcus (GAS) has been well described. A recent report of an outbreak investigation suggested that transmission can be extensive and that standard infection control measures may not be adequate to prevent transmission from patients with severe, invasive disease to healthcare workers (HCWs).

A case of pharyngitis in an HCW caring for a patient with GAS pharyngitis and necrotizing fasciitis prompted an investigation of the extent and risk factors for nosocomial transmission of GAS.

A 509-bed, tertiary care center in Portland, Oregon with 631,100 patient visits (hospital and clinic) and 11,500 employees in the year 2003.

HCWs with exposure to the index patient (“contacts”) were identified for streptococcal screening and culture and completion of a questionnaire regarding the location and duration of exposure, use of personal protective equipment, and symptoms of GAS infection.

We identified 103 contacts of the index patient; 89 (86%) submitted oropharyngeal swabs for screening and culture. Only 3 (3.4%) of contacts had a culture that yielded GAS; emm typing results and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns of GAS isolates from 2 HCWs were identical to those for the isolate from the index patient. Both HCWs were symptomatic, with febrile pharyngitis and reported prolonged contact with the open wound of the patient in the operating room.

In this investigation, nosocomial transmission was not extensive, and standard precautions provided adequate protection for the majority of HCWs. Transmission was restricted to individuals with prolonged intraoperative exposure to open wounds. As a result, infection control policy for individuals was modified only for HCWs with exposure to GAS in the operating room.

To test the hypothesis that antibiotic use could be controlled or improved in a community teaching hospital, with improvement defined as reductions in overall use, overall cost, and antimicrobial resistance.

Interventional study with historical comparison.

A not-for-profit, 900-bed community general hospital with residents in medicine, surgery, obstetrics-gynecology, and psychiatry.

Physicians who requested any of the targeted antibiotics.

Three categories of inpatient antibiotic orders were monitored beginning in April 2001: conversion from intravenous to oral administration for selected highly bioavailable antimicrobials, cessation of perioperative prophylaxis within 24 hours for patients undergoing clean and clean-contaminated surgery, and consultation with an infectious diseases physician before continuing administration of selected drugs beyond 48 hours. Data were analyzed after the first 33 months. Patient outcomes were reviewed during the hospital stay and at readmission if it occurred within 30 days after discharge.

From April 2001 through December 2003, a total of 1426 requests for antimicrobial therapy met criteria for intervention. Overall physician compliance with the program was 76%, ranging from 57% for perioperative prophylaxis to 92% for intravenous to oral conversion. Antimicrobial costs per patient-day decreased by 31%, from $13.67 in 2000 (before program implementation) to $9.41 in 2003. Total savings in acquisition costs were $1,841,203 for the 3-year period. Resistance to numerous drugs among Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates was also significantly reduced.

A program to improve the use of antibiotics in a community hospital was successful in reducing overall use, overall cost, and antimicrobial resistance.

The study aimed to examine the presence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in the environment and its relationship to patients' acquisition of MRSA.

A prospective study was conducted in a 9-bed intensive care unit for 14 months. At every environmental screening, samples were obtained from the same 4 sites in each bed space. Patients were screened at admission and then 3 times weekly. All environmental and patient strains were typed using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.

MRSA was isolated from the environment at every environmental screening, when both small and large numbers of patients were colonized. Detailed epidemiological typing of 250 environmental and 139 patient isolates revealed 14 different pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profiles, with variants of EMRSA-15 being the predominant type. On only 20 (35.7%) of 56 occasions were the strains isolated from the patients and the strains isolated from their immediate environment indistinguishable. There was strong evidence to suggest that 3 of 26 patients who acquired MRSA while in the intensive care unit acquired MRSA from the environment.

This study reveals widespread contamination of the hospital environment with MRSA, highlights the complexities of the problem of contamination, and confirms the need for more-effective cleaning of the hospital environment to eliminate MRSA.

The primary objective was to determine the rate of and risk factors for nosocomial primary bloodstream infection (BSI) in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) patients in order to determine the validity of our previously published findings. The secondary objective was to analyze whether risk factors for primary BSI differed by organism type, particularly whether device use was more strongly associated with BSI due to gram-positive organisms.

Prospective cohort study.

St. Louis Children's Hospital, a 235-bed academic tertiary care center with a 28-bed combined medical and surgical PICU.

PICU patients admitted between September 1, 1999, and September 1, 2001.

Nosocomial primary BSIs.

Of 2,310 patients, 55% were male, and 73% were white. There were 124 episodes of primary BSI in 87 patients (3.8%). Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus organisms were the leading cause of BSI (42 of 124 episodes). The rate of BSI was 9 BSIs/1,000 central venous catheter–days. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that independent predictors of nosocomial primary BSI included higher number of arterial catheter–days (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 5.7 per day of arterial catheterization; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.4-9.8), higher number of packed red blood cell transfusions (aOR, 1.2; 95% CI, 1.1-1.4), and genetic syndrome (aOR, 4.7; 95% CI, 1.8-12). Severity of illness, underlying illnesses, and medications were not independently associated with increased risk of nosocomial BSI.

Arterial catheter use and packed red blood cell transfusion are potentially modifiable risk factors for nosocomial primary BSI in PICU patients. Genetic syndromes may be markers for unrecognized immune defects that impair host defense against microorganisms.

To describe the incidence of device-associated nosocomial infections in medical-surgical intensive care units (MS ICUs) in a university hospital in Turkey and compare it with National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (NNIS) system rates.

Prospective surveillance study during a period of 27 months. Device utilization ratios and device-associated infection rates were calculated using US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and NNIS definitions.

Two separate MS ICUs at Akdeniz University Hospital, Antalya, Turkey.

All patients were included who presented with no signs and symptoms of infection within the first 48 hours after admission.

Data on 1,985 patients with a total of 16,892 patient-days were analyzed. The mean overall infection rate per 100 patients was 29.1 infections, and the mean infection rate per 1,000 patient-days was 34.2 infections. The rate of ventilator-associated pneumonia was 20.76 infections per 1,000 ventilator-days, the rate of catheter-associated urinary tract infection was 13.63 infections per 1,000 urinary catheter–days, and the rate of catheter-associated bloodstream infection was 9.69 infections per 1,000 central line–days. The most frequently isolated pathogens were Pseudomonas species among patients with ventilator-associated pneumonias (35.8% of cases), Candida species among patients with catheter-associated urinary tract infections (37.1% of cases), and coagulase-negative staphylococci among patients with catheter-associated bloodstream infections (20.0% of cases).

We found both higher device-associated infection rates and higher device utilization ratios in our MS ICUs than those reported by the NNIS system. To reduce the rate of infection, implementation of infection control practices and comprehensive education are required, and an appropriate nationwide nosocomial infection and control system is needed in Turkey.

Bloodstream infection (BSI) rates are used as comparative clinical performance indicators; however, variations in definitions and data-collection approaches make it difficult to compare and interpret rates. To determine the extent to which variation in indicator specifications affected infection rates and hospital performance rankings, we compared absolute rates and relative rankings of hospitals across 5 BSI indicators.

Multicenter observational study. BSI rate specifications varied by data source (clinical data, administrative data, or both), scope (hospital wide or intensive care unit specific), and inclusion/exclusion criteria. As appropriate, hospital-specific infection rates and rankings were calculated by processing data from each site according to 2-5 different specifications.

A total of 28 hospitals participating in the EPIC study.

Hospitals submitted deidentified information about all patients with BSIs from January through September 1999.

Median BSI rates for 2 indicators based on intensive care unit surveillance data ranged from 2.23 to 2.91 BSIs per 1000 central-line days. In contrast, median rates for indicators based on administrative data varied from 0.046 to 7.03 BSIs per 100 patients. Hospital-specific rates and rankings varied substantially as different specifications were applied; the rates of 8 of 10 hospitals were both greater than and less than the mean. Correlations of hospital rankings among indicator pairs were generally low (rs = 0-0.45), except when both indicators were based on intensive care unit surveillance (rs = 0.83).

Although BSI rates seem to be a logical indicator of clinical performance, the use of various indicator specifications can produce remarkably different judgments of absolute and relative performance for a given hospital. Recent national initiatives continue to mix methods for specifying BSI rates; this practice is likely to limit the usefulness of such information for comparing and improving performance.

Staphylococcus aureus is the most common cause of healthcare-associated infections. Intranasal mupirocin treatment probably decreases S. aureus infections among colonized surgical patients. Using cost-effectiveness analysis, we evaluated the cost-effectiveness of preoperative use of mupirocin for the prevention of healthcare-associated S. aureus infections.

Three strategies were compared: (1) screen with nasal culture and give treatment to carriers, (2) give treatment to all patients without screening, and (3) neither screen nor treat. A societal perspective was taken. Adverse outcomes included bloodstream infection, pneumonia, surgical site infection, death due to underlying illness or infection, readmission, and the need for home health care. Data inputs were obtained from an extensive MEDLINE review and from publicly available government data sources. The following base-case data inputs (and ranges) for sensitivity analysis were used: rate of S. aureus carriage, 23.1% (19%-55%); efficacy ofmupirocin treatment, 51% (8%-75%); mupirocin treatment cost, $48.36 ($24.18-$57.74); and hospital costs of bloodstream infection, $25,128 ($6,194-$40,211), pneumonia, $18,366 ($5,574-$28,952), and surgical site infection $16,256 ($5,119-$22,553). Widespread use ofmupirocin has been associated with high levels of mupirocin resistance; therefore, a broad range of estimates for efficacy was tested in the sensitivity analysis.

The target population included patients undergoing nonemergent surgery requiring postoperative hospitalization.

Both the screen-and-treat and treat-all strategies were cost saving, saving $102 per patient screened and $88 per patient treated, respectively. In 1-way sensitivity analyses, the model was robust with respect to all data inputs except for the efficacy ofmupirocin treatment. If the efficacy is less than 16.1%, then the screen-and-treat strategy is cost incurring. A treat-all strategy was more cost saving if the rate of S. aureus carriage was greater than 42.7%, the mupirocin cost was less than $29.87, or nursing compensation was greater than $64.21 per hour.

Administration of mupirocin before surgery is cost saving, primarily because healthcare-associated infections are very expensive. The level of mupirocin efficacy is critical to the cost-effectiveness of this intervention.

To compare the cumulative incidence of infections acquired in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Estimation of the cumulative incidence of infections with data obtained from the Pediatric Prevention Network (PPN) point-prevalence survey and observed rates from the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (NNIS) system.

Ten hospitals participated in both the PPN survey and NNIS system.

All patients present on the PPN survey dates (August 4, 1999, or February 1, 2000) in the NICUs or PICUs of the PPN hospitals were included in the survey. Point prevalences for PICU-acquired and for NICU-acquired infections at these hospitals were calculated from the survey data. The cumulative incidence rates were estimated from the point prevalence rates using a standard formula and a standard method for calculating the time to recovery (ie, on the basis of the assumption that discontinuance of antimicrobial therapy indicates recovery from infection); alternate methods to judge the time to recovery from infection were also explored.

The average cumulative incidence of intensive care unit-acquired infection for NICUs and PICUs combined (all units), as measured by NNIS, was 14.1 cases per 100 patients; in comparison, the prevalence was 14.06 cases for 100 patients (median difference, —0.95 cases per 100 patients; 95% confidence interval, —4.6 to 5.0 cases per 100 patients), and the estimated cumulative incidence using the standard method of calculating the time to recovery was 13.8 cases per 100 patients (median difference, —1.5 cases per 100 patients; 95% confidence interval, —9.1 to 2.9 cases per 100 patients). Estimates of cumulative incidence using alternate methods for calculation of time to recovery did not perform as well (range, 4.9-100.9 cases per 100 patients). The average incidence density for all units, as measured by the NNIS system, was 6.8 cases per 1,000 patient-days, and the estimate of incidence density using the standard method of calculating the time to recovery was 3.6 cases per 1,000 patient-days (median difference, 4.3 cases per 1,000 patient-days; 95% confidence interval, 0.9 to 9.2 cases per 1,000 patient-days). Estimated incidence densities using alternate methods for determining recovery time correlated closely with observed incidence densities.

In this patient population, the simple point prevalence provided the best estimate of cumulative incidence, followed by use of a standard formula and a standard method of calculating the time to recovery. Estimation of incidence density using alternate methods performed well. The standard formula and method may provide an even better estimate of cumulative incidence than does simple prevalence in general populations.

VHA Mountain States conducted a survey and analysis of infection control (IC) staffing resources, organizational structures, and clinical processes related to reducing the incidence of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in community healthcare facilities.

Member participation was solicited for 2 study components. The first was a survey of demographic characteristics regarding the type and size of the facility and the structure and functions of IC departments. The second was an observational study of infection prevention practices related to general hand hygiene (GHH), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI), and catheter-related urinary tract infection (CRUTI).

A total of 31 not-for-profit community healthcare facilities submitted data; the number of beds in participating centers ranged from less than 50 beds (1 facility) to more than 500 beds (7 facilities). IC department staffing ranged from 0.3 to 5.0 full-time equivalents. There was a positive correlation between average daily census and IC staffing (r = .879; P<.001). Observational studies revealed that compliance with the use of alcohol-based hand rubs (77%) was significantly better than compliance with the use of soap and water (64%; P<.001). Seven (30%) of 23 organizations observed 90% or better compliance with VAP process measures; 7 of 27 (26%) observed 90% or better compliance with guidelines for preventing CRBSI; and 14 (56%) demonstrated proper placement of urinary drainage bags at least 90% of the time.

There was variation in IC department structure and processes among the participating organizations. Infection prevention practices were inconsistent. These findings emphasize the need for more-effective implementation of current evidence-based recommendations for preventing HAIs and reducing the risk of harm to patients.

Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at risk of becoming infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis through occupational exposure. To identify HCWs who became infected and developed tuberculosis as a result of their work, we studied the molecular epidemiology of tuberculosis in HCWs.

Eleven-year prospective cohort molecular epidemiology study.

City and County of San Francisco, California.

All persons reported with tuberculosis between 1993 and 2003. HCWs were identified from the San Francisco Tuberculosis Control Section's database, and mycobacterial isolates from culture-positive subjects were analyzed by IS6110-based genotyping. RESULTS. Of 2510 cases of tuberculosis reported during the study period, 31 (1.2%) occurred in HCWs: the median age of the HCWs was 37 years, and 11 (35%) were male. HCWs were more likely than non-HCWs to be younger (P = .0036), born in the United States (P = .0004), and female (P = .0003) and to not be homeless (P = .010). The rate of tuberculosis among HCWs remained constant during the study period, despite a significant decrease in the overall case rate in San Francisco. Work-related transmission was documented in at least 10 (32%) of 31 HCWs, including 4 of 8 HCWs whose isolates were part of genotypically determined clusters. Only 1 of 7 cases of tuberculosis in HCWs after 1999 was documented as being work related.

Although most cases of tuberculosis in HCWs, as in non-HCWs, developed as a result of endogenous reactivation of latent infection, at least half of clustered cases of tuberculosis in HCWs were related to work. The number of work-related cases of tuberculosis in HCWs decreased during the study period.

To describe the control of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii-calcoaceticus (MDRABC) colonization and infection in an intensive care unit (ICU).

An 18-bed ICU in a large tertiary care teaching hospital in London.

After recognition of the outbreak, a range of infection control measures were introduced over several months that were primarily aimed at reducing environmental contamination with the outbreak strain. Strategies included use of a closed tracheal suction system for all patients receiving mechanical ventilation, use of nebulized colistin for patients with evidence of mild to moderate ventilator-associated pneumonia, improved availability of alcohol for hand decontamination, and clearer designation of responsibilities and strategies for cleaning equipment and the environment in the proximity of patients colonized or infected with MDRABC.

The outbreak lasted from June 2001 through November 2002 and involved 136 new cases of MDRABC infection or colonization. The number of newly diagnosed cases per month reached a maximum of 15 in February 2002, and the number of new cases slowly decreased over the next 9 months.

This outbreak was controlled by emphasizing the control of environmental reservoirs and did not require recourse to ward closure or placement of affected patients in isolation.

To estimate the rate of surgical site infection (SSI) occurring after hospital discharge, to evaluate whether limiting surveillance to inpatients underestimates the true rate of SSI, and to select surgical procedures that should be included in a postdischarge surveillance program.

Prospective surveillance study.

A surgical ward at a university teaching hospital in Italy.

A total of 264 surgical patients were included in the study.

The global SSI rate was 10.6% (28 patients); 17 (60.2%) of patients with an SSI developed the infection after hospital discharge. The overall mean length of postoperative stay (±SD) for patients who acquired a postdischarge SSI was 4.9 ± 3.7 days, and SSI was diagnosed a mean duration (±SD) of 11.5 ± 4.5 days after surgery. Among procedures with postdischarge SSIs, those classified by the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance system (NNIS) as herniorrhaphy, mastectomy, other endocrine system, and other integumentary system were associated with a mean postoperative stay that was less than the mean time between the operation and the onset of SSI. Four (36%) of in-hospital SSIs occurred after procedures with an NNIS risk index of 0, and 7 (64%) occurred after procedures with an NNIS risk index of 1 or higher. Of the 17 SSIs diagnosed after discharge, 14 procedures (82%) had an NNIS risk index of 0, compared with 3 procedures (18%) with an NNIS risk index of 1 or higher.

Our results revealed an increased risk of postdischarge SSI after some types of surgical procedures and suggest that there is an important need to change from generalized to NNIS operative category-directed postdischarge surveillance, at least for procedures locally considered to be high-risk.

To review the epidemiologic and molecular characteristics of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) in Detroit, Michigan, to assess the risk factors for infection and the response to therapy.

Prospective clinical and laboratory study of 2003-2004 CA-MRSA isolates. Molecular features were compared with CA-MRSA isolates from 1980.

A 600-bed urban academic medical center.

Twenty-three patients with CA-MRSA infections from 2003-2004 were evaluated. In addition, laboratory analysis was performed on 13 CA-MRSA isolates from 1980.

Laboratory analysis of isolates included antimicrobial susceptibility testing, pulsed-field genotyping, testing for Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) genes, and staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec typing.

Patients were predominantly young African American males and presented with skin and soft-tissue infections. All isolates were resistant to erythromycin and highly susceptible to other agents. Patients were generally treated successfully with combination incision and drainage and systemic antibiotics. Among the 23 isolates, 20 (87%) were the same strain. This strain carried the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec type IV and PVL genes and is genetically identical to USA 300. Thirteen isolates of patients from our community who presented with CA-MRSA infections in 1980 represented a single clone that is unique compared with the 2003-2004 isolates. This strain carried staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec type IVA but did not carry the PVL genes.

In our community, CA-MRSA is largely due to a single clone with a type IV mec gene and PVL gene. The type IV staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec type can be demonstrated in CA-MRSA isolates from a remote period, suggesting that earlier outbreaks were not related to healthcare exposure.

Needleless valve connectors for vascular catheters are widely used throughout the United States because they reduce the risk of biohazardous injuries from needlesticks and exposure to bloodborne pathogens, such as human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus. Patients with long-term central venous catheters are at significant risk of acquiring catheter-related bloodstream infections caused by microbes that gain access through the connection between the administration set and the catheter or an injection port. Most healthcare practitioners wipe the membranous septum of the needleless connector or the injection port with 70% alcohol before accessing it. We report a simulation study of the efficacy of conventional alcohol disinfection before access, compared with that of a novel antiseptic-barrier cap that, when threaded onto a needleless luer-activated valved connector, allows a chlorhexidine-impregnated sponge to come into continuous contact with the membranous surface; after removal of the cap, there is no need to disinfect the surface with alcohol before accessing it.

One hundred five commercial, needleless luer-activated valved connectors, each accessible by a blunt male-connector luer-lock attachment, were purchased from 3 manufacturers and were tested. The membranous septum of each test device was first heavily contaminated with ~105 colony-forming units of Enterococcus faecalis and then was allowed to dry for 24 hours. Fifteen of the contaminated devices were not disinfected (positive controls), 30 were conventionally disinfected with a commercial 70% alcohol pledget, and 60 had the antiseptic cap threaded onto the connector and then removed after 10 minutes. The test connectors were then accessed with a sterile syringe containing nutrient broth media, which was injected, captured on the downstream side of the intraluminal fluid pathway, and cultured quantitatively.

All 15 control connectors (100%) showed massive transmission of microorganisms across the membranous septum (4,500-10,000 colony-forming units). Of the 30 connectors accessed after conventional disinfection with 70% alcohol, 20 (67%) showed transmission of microorganisms (442-25,000 colony-forming units). In contrast, of the 60 connectors cultured after application of the novel antiseptic cap, only 1 (1.6%) showed any transmission of microorganisms (P<.001).

The findings of this study show that, if the membranous septum of a needleless luer-activated connector is heavily contaminated, conventional disinfection with 70% alcohol does not reliably prevent entry of microorganisms. In contrast, the antiseptic-barrier cap provided a high level of protection, even in the presence of very heavy contamination. This novel technology deserves to be studied in a clinical trial.

Molds are a rare cause of disseminated infection among dialysis patients.

We evaluated a cluster of intravascular infections with the mold Phialemonium among patients receiving hemodialysis at the same facility in order to identify possible environmental sources and prevent further infection.

Environmental assessment and case-control study.

A hemodialysis center affiliated with a tertiary care hospital.

We reviewed surveillance and clinical microbiology records and performed a blood culture survey for all patients. The following data for case patients were compared with those for control patients: underlying illness, dialysis characteristics, medications, and other possible exposure for 120 days prior to infection. Environmental assessment of water treatment, dialysis facilities, and heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems of the current and previous locations of the dialysis center was performed. Samples were cultured for fungus; Phialemonium isolates were confirmed by sequencing of DNA. Investigators observed dialysis access site disinfection technique.

Four patients were confirmed as case patients, defined as a patient having intravascular infection with Phialemonium species; 3 presented with fungemia, and 1 presented with an intravascular graft infection. All case patients used a fistula or graft for dialysis access, as did 12 (75%) of 16 of control patients (P = .54). Case and control patients did not differ in other dialysis characteristics, medications received, physiologic findings, or demographic factors. Phialemonium species were not recovered from samples of water or dialysis machines, but were recovered from the condensation drip pans under the blowers of the HVAC system that supplied air to the dialysis center. Observational study of 21 patients detected suboptimal contact time with antiseptic agents used to prepare dialysis access sites.

The report of this outbreak adds to previous published reports of Phialemonium infection occurring in immunocompromised patients who likely acquired infection in the healthcare setting. Recovery of this mold from blood culture should be considered indicative of infection until proven otherwise. Furthermore, an investigation into possible healthcare-related environmental reservoirs should be considered.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) with the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) type IV allele is most commonly associated with community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) infection; however, such organisms have also been identified in the healthcare setting. The objective of the present study was to characterize the epidemiology of and clinical outcomes associated with SCCmec-IV MRSA infection acquired in the healthcare setting, compared with infection caused by MRSA of other SCCmec types.

We evaluated a cohort of 100 inpatients with MRSA infection that met the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention definition for healthcare-associated infection and compared the patients' demographic characteristics, the antimicrobial susceptibilities of the MRSA isolates, the infection types, and the associated clinical and microbiological outcomes. For each MRSA isolate, the SCCmec type and the presence of Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) were determined by polymerase chain reaction methods.

SCCmec-IV MRSA isolates were isolated from 53 patients (42% of these isolates were positive for PVL), and SCCmec-II or SCCmec-III MRSA was isolated from 47 patients (3% of these isolates were positive for PVL). No differences were noted between the patients in the SCCmec-II/III group and the patients in the SCCmec-IV group with respect to age (median, 55 vs 50 years); sex (77% vs 64% of patients were male); medical service (surgical service, 60% in both groups; ICU admission, 55% vs 53%), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score (median, 8 vs. 7); infection type; or underlying comorbidities, except for presence of a burn wound (13% vs 2%; P < .04). Patients in the SCCmec-II/III group were more likely to have multiple sites of infection (P = .006) and a longer length of stay (LOS) prior to detection of MRSA than were patients in the SCCmec-IV group (median, 4 vs 1 days; P < .001). Total LOS was significantly greater for patients in the SCCmec-II/III, compared with those in the SCCmec-IV group (P = .006). Multiple logistic regression identified liver disease and longer LOS prior to detection of MRSA as predictors of infection with SCCmec-II/III MRSA. Rates of susceptibility to clindamycin, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and tetracycline was significantly greater among SCCmec-IV MRSA isolates, compared with type II/III isolates (P ⩽ .05). Compared with SCCmec-IV isolates acquired in the community, the susceptibility rates among healthcare-associated SCCmec-IV isolates was significantly less for clindamycin, gentamicin, and levofloxacin, indicating that these organisms may quickly acquire resistance to non-β-lactam antibiotics, as do SCCmec-II/III strains.

SCCmec-IV MRSA appears to have become established in hospitals. The onset of infection caused by SCCmec-IV strains is earlier than the onset of infection with SCCmec-II/III strains; however, associated types of infection are similar. Infection with SCCmec- II/III MRSA is currently associated with an adverse impact on outcome, compared with infection with SCCmec-IV MRSA. Further research is warranted to determine the impact of SCCmec type IV strains in hospital settings.

Patients colonized or infected with vancomycin-resistant enterococcus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus may be at risk of acquiring vancomycin-resistant S. aureus if the vanA gene is transferred from vancomycin-resistant enterococcus to methicillin-resistant S. aureus..

Our goal was to identify risk factors for cocolonization or coinfection (CC/CI) with vancomycin-resistant enterococcus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus.

We conducted a descriptive, epidemiologic study of all patients with CC/CI identified from January 1998 to May 2003 and a nested case-control study of a cohort of patients hospitalized in the burn and wound unit.

We conducted our study in a 813-bed tertiary care university teaching hospital.

The study population consisted of patients found to have CC/CI during the study period.

Descriptive epidemiologic data were collected from hospital records of all patients identified as having CC/CI. A subset of patients hospitalized in the burn and wound unit were included in a case-control study.

CC/CI was detected in 71% of the patients during a single hospital stay. The burn and wound unit, which does active surveillance for both organisms, and the general medicine unit, which does not do active surveillance for either organism, cared for more than one-half of these patients. Among patients being cared for in the burn and wound unit, having exposure to 2 or more invasive devices (central venous catheters, indwelling urinary catheters, and enteral feeding tubes) and renal insufficiency were independent risk factors for CC/CI.

Patients with CC/CI are the population at greatest risk for vancomycin-resistant S. aureus colonization or infection. The number of invasive devices to which patients are exposed and, thus, possibly the patients' underlying severity of illness, as well as renal insufficiency, appear to be risk factors for CC/CI.

To evaluate whether the standardized incidence ratio (SIR) is a more reliable tool for comparing rates and temporal trends of surgical site infection (SSI) in surgery wards than the incidence rate among patients with an National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance system (NNIS) risk index category of 0.

Observational, prospective cohort study in a sequential SSI surveillance system.

Volunteer surgery wards in a surveillance network in northern France that annually conducted SSI surveillance for 3 months from 1998 to 2000.

The incidence rate was the number of SSIs divided by the number of patients included, stratified by the NNIS risk index category. SIR was the observed number of SSIs divided by the expected number computed using a multiple regression model.

Overall, 26,904 patients in 67 surgery wards were enrolled. Between 1998 and 2000, the SSI incidence rate among patients with NNIS risk index category 0 decreased from 2.1% to 1.4%, which was a 33% reduction (P = .002). The SIR decreased from 1.2 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-1.3) to 0.8 (95% CI, 0.7-0.9), which was a 20% decrease per year and an overall 33% reduction. The number of SSIs was significantly higher than expected in 17 of 201 surveillance periods over the 3 years. The classification of the wards according to the 2 indicators over the 3 years showed that wards with a high SIR did not consistently have the highest SSI incidence rate among patients with NNIS risk index category 0, partly because the type of surgical procedure and the duration of follow-up are not taken into account in the NNIS risk index.

SIR should be considered a reliable indicator to estimate the reduction in SSI incidence that results from implementation of infection control policies and for comparison of SSI rates between wards.

To perform active targeted prospective surveillance to measure device-associated infection (DAI) rates, attributable mortality due to DAI, and the microbiological and antibiotic resistance profiles of infecting pathogens at 10 intensive care units (ICUs) in 9 hospitals in Colombia, all of which are members of the International Infection Control Consortium.

We conducted prospective surveillance of healthcare-associated infection in 9 hospitals by using the definitions of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Nosocomial Surveillance System (NNIS). DAI rates were calculated as the number of infections per 100 ICU patients and per 1,000 device-days.

During the 3-year study, 2,172 patients hospitalized in an ICU for an aggregate duration of 14,603 days acquired 266 DAIs, for an overall DAI rate of 12.2%, or 18.2 DAIs per 1,000 patient-days. Central venous catheter (CVC)–related bloodstream infection (BSI) (47.4% of DAIs; 11.3 cases per 1,000 catheter-days) was the most common DAI, followed by ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) (32.3% of DAIs; 10.0 cases per 1,000 ventilator-days) and catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) (20.3% of DAIs; 4.3 cases per 1,000 catheter-days). Overall, 65.4% of all Staphylococcus aureus infections were caused by methicillin-resistant strains; 40.0% of Enterobacteriaceae isolates were resistant to ceftriaxone and 28.3% were resistant to ceftazidime; and 40.0% of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates were resistant to fluoroquinolones, 50.0% were resistant to ceftazidime, 33.3% were resistant to piperacillin-tazobactam, and 19.0% were resistant to imipenem. The crude unadjusted attributable mortality was 16.9% among patients with VAP (relative risk [RR], 1.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.24-3.00; P = .002); 18.5 among those with CVC-associated BSI (RR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.42-2.87; P<.001); and 10.5% among those with CAUTI (RR, 1.58; 95% CI, 0.78-3.18; P = .19).

The rates of DAI in the Colombian ICUs were lower than those published in some reports from other Latin American countries and were higher than those reported in US ICUs by the NNIS. These data show the need for more-effective infection control interventions in Colombia.