Administrative databases have become an important tool to monitor diseases. Patients with epilepsy could be traced using disease-specific codes and prescriptions, but formal validation is required to obtain an accurate case definition. The aim of the study was to correlate administrative data on epilepsy with an independent source of patients with epilepsy in a district of Lombardy, Northern Italy, from 2000 to 2008.Data of nearly 320 600 inhabitants in the district of Lecco collected from the Drug Administrative Database of the Lombardy Region were analysed. Among them were included patients who fulfilled the International Classification of Diseases 9 (ICD-9) codes and/or the disease-specific exemption code for epilepsy and those who had at least one EEG record and took antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) as monotherapy or in variable combinations. To ascertain epilepsy cases, 11 general practitioners (GPs) with 15 728 affiliates were contacted. Multiple versions of the diagnostic algorithm were developed using different logistic regression models and all combinations of the four independent variables.Among the GP affiliates, 71 (4.5/1000) had a gold standard diagnosis of epilepsy. The best and most conservative algorithm included EEG and selected treatment schedules and identified 61/71 patients with epilepsy (sensitivity 85.9%, CI 76.0% to 92.2%) and 15 623/15 657 patients without epilepsy (specificity 99.8%,CI 99.7% to 99.8%). The positive and negative predictive values were 64.2% and 99.9%. Sensitivity (86.7%) and the positive predictive value (68.4%) increased only slightly when patients with single seizures were included.A diagnostic algorithm including EEG and selected treatment schedules is only moderately sensitive for the detection of epilepsy and seizures. These findings apply only to the Northern Italian scenario.
An educational intervention for HAI prevention based on a combination of training, motivation and subsequent application in the current clinical practice in an Italian teaching hospital.In 2015-2016 a pilot mandatory training on HAI targeted to HCWs was organized in the 450 bed teaching hospital Sant'Andrea in Rome. By adopting the "Impact/control matrix" prioritization tool, the relative level of impact (risk in causing or favoring HAI) and control (possibility for HCWs to prevent HAI) attributed by the participants to the issues associated to HAI during their working groups was evaluated.Overall, 34 physicians, 43 nurses and 15 non clinical professionals participated actively in seven courses, identifying 58 different issues related to HAI, which were reported 128 times. Results showed frequently that, within the same type of issue, HCW referred various levels of impact (risk in causing or favoring HAI) and personal control (possibility for HCW to prevent HAI). Overall staff shortage was the most reported problem by HCW in our hospital. Also hand washing was regarded as a main problem, but HCW expressed the feeling that individuals could act more successfully on this issue (high or medium control). Results showed that staff frequently did not know how to handle correctly visitors, similarly many colleagues expressed some difficulty in communicating information to patients and relatives on HAI. Surprisingly, "antimicrobial therapy" and "excessive invasive procedures" were not particularly highlighted by the personnel. HCW expressed satisfaction for the course approac.The study showed an overall good level of knowledge regarding the importance and principles of infection control in our teaching hospital HCW. However personnel perceived a variability in the impact of many issues on HAI and even more on the personal possibility to control their effect. In order to improve HCW compliance with HAI prevention programs, the "Adult Learning" model seems to be very useful.
The increasing antimicrobial resistance poses a challenge to surveillance systems and raises concerns about the impact of multidrug-resistant organisms on patient safety.The study aimed to estimate extra hospital stay and economic burden of infections due to alert organisms - mostly multidrug-resistant - in a teaching hospital.The present retrospective matched cohort study was conducted based on the analysis of hospital admissions at Sant'Andrea Teaching Hospital in Rome from April to December 2015. Extra hospital stay was the difference in the length of stay between each case and control. All the patients developing an infection due to an alert organism were considered cases, all others were eligible as controls. The costs of LOS were evaluated by multiplying the extra stay with the hospital daily cost.Overall, 122 patients developed an infection due to alert organisms and were all matched with controls. The attributable extra stay was of 2,291 days (mean 18.8; median 19.0) with a significantly increased hospitalization in intensive care units (21.2 days), bloodstream infections (52.5 days), and infections due to Gram-negative bacteria (mean 29.2 days; median 32.6 days). Applying the single day hospital cost, the overall additional expenditure was 11,549 euro per patient. The average additional cost of antibiotic drugs for the treatment of infections was about 1,200 euro per patient.The present study presents an accurate mapping of the clinical and economic impact of infections attributable to alert organisms demonstrating that infections due to multidrug-resistant organisms are associated with higher mortality, longer hospital stays, and increased costs. Article Highlights Box: The increasing antimicrobial resistance poses a challenge for surveillance systems and raises concerns about the impact of multidrug-resistant organisms on patient safety. • Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) have historically been recognized as a significant public health problem requiring close surveillance. • Despite several and reliable findings have been achieved on clinical issues, our knowledge on the economic impact of healthcare-associated infections due to multidrug-resistant organisms needs to be widened. • Estimating the cost of infections due to multidrug-resistant organisms in terms of extra hospital stay and economic burden is complex, and the financial impact varies across different health systems. • Evaluations of social and economic implications of hospital infections play an increasingly important role in the implementation of surveillance systems. • The costs of infection prevention and control programs and dedicated personnel are relatively low and self-sustainable when efficient.
In recent years, the technology world has significantly shaped society. This study aims to survey the views of registered nurses with hospital working experience regarding the personal communication devices use impact in hospital units. The secondary outcome of this study was to identify differences in mobile device use based on demographic and organizational factors.
Multidrug resistance is an established and growing worldwide public health problem, since few therapeutic options remain available. MRSA is the leading Gram-positive organism which has spread both in the community and healthcare environment. Gram-negative bacteria, either fermenter (enterobacteriaceae) or nonfermenter, pose a major challenge to the healthcare providers because they can express a wide multidrug resistance.Specific keywords combinations were analitically searched in PubMed and Scopus databases. Publications concerning contact precaution procedures were reviewed.The review on infection control and isolation precautions was carried out focusing on bundles that could help healthcare personnel to improve their action.This paper clearly refers to measures in order to control the spread of infectious disease. We provided some synthetic tables that could improve healthcare workers knowledge and help them to apply all fundamental concepts in infection control.
We evaluated the trend of four years (2015 - 2018) of "alert organisms" surveillance carried out at the 450 bed teaching hospital S. Andrea in Rome.All patients with an "Alert organism" isolation were screened. In accordance with definitions used by the Centers for Disease Control patients with an "alert organism" isolation were evaluated for infection or colonization, by an infection control team (ICT).Between April 2015 and December 2018 a total 4,762 specimens with "Alert organism" isolation were screened and 1,601 patients were surveyed and included in the study. Overall 780 (48.8%) patients developed an healthcare acquired infection (HAI) at our institution, whereas 311 (19.4%) entered with a community acquired infection, 254 (15.8%) with an infection acquired in another healthcare setting and 256 (16.0%) resulted simply colonized. The 780 patients who developed an HAI at our institution presented 878 infectious episodes and the isolation of 931 microorganisms. C. difficile infections were the most common (27.2%), followed by 21.3% respiratory tract infections, 16.9% urinary tract infections, 15.5% surgical site infections, 12.5% bloodstream infections, 3.6% ulcers and 3.0% others. Among HAI group Gram negatives (54.1%) were more frequent than Gram positives (45.9%), whereas in patients entering in the hospital already with a community infection Gram positives overpassed Gram negatives (58.7% vs. 41.3%; p<0.001). Most common pathogens responsible for HAI were C. difficile (25.6%), Klebsiella spp. (25.5%), MRSA (19.6%) and Acinetobacter spp. (15.3%). Notably 30.0% HAI at other institutions were represented by C. difficile. Impressively, >40% of community acquired infections were related to MRSA.The present study provided some useful insight into the major multi-resistant pathogens epidemiology at our institution. The Authors succeeded in organizing a multidisciplinary ICT that created a partnership feeling with the hospital personnel.
Healthcare acquired infections (HAI) cause an increase of burden and in particular excess length of hospital stay (LOS) accounts for approximately up to 90% of total costs. Therefore accurate estimation of extra hospital stay due to healthcare acquired infections is very important.The authors carried out a review comparing the principal methods internationally used for estimating the excess LOS attributable to healthcare acquired infections.The methods described and analysed are: 1) Implicit physician assessment; 2) appropriateness evaluation protocol; 3) unmatched case-control; 4) matched case-control; 5) regression analysis; 6) multistate model. The various methodologies are described underlining advantages and limits which researchers need to know before starting any economic analysis.Overall, studies taking into account the time-dependent nature of HAI show to give more precise and reliable results.
Healthcare acquired infections (HAI) are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitals worldwide. Aim of the study was to analyze nine years surveillance activity, carried out by point prevalence surveys from 2007 to 2015, in a 450-bed teaching hospital in Rome.Point prevalence surveys were carried out every year in the medical and surgical wards following the same methodology. In accordance with definitions used by the Centers for Disease Control, all infections occurred more than 48 hours after hospital admission were considered HAI, and included in the study. Baseline characteristics, clinical features, isolated pathogens (only for the period 2011-2015) and antimicrobial resistance were recorded.During the nine years point prevalence surveys a total 2,840 patients were enrolled. Overall 136 (4.79%) patients developed 180 (6.34%) HAI. The most frequent HAI were respiratory tract infections (RTI), which accounted for 35.0% of all HAI, followed by surgical site infections (SSI) 22.2%, urinary tract infections (UTI) 19.4%, bloodstream infections (BSI) 17.2%, and others 6.1%. HAI related to major invasive risk procedures were also evaluated. SSI/patients undergoing surgery 3.99%, UTI/ patients with urinary catheter 4.17% and BSI/patients with CVC 9.42%. Over one-half of all patients surveyed (1,532, 53.9%) were receiving antibiotics at the time of our study. Among them 892 (58.2%) for treatment, 641 (41.8%) for prophylaxis. In the latter group, 109 (17.0%) underwent extra-short term, 89 (13.9%) short term and 443 (69.1%) a long term prophylaxis. During the period 2011-2015 out of 110 HAI episodes 71 (64.5%) were confirmed microbiologically. In total 106 pathogens were isolates, Gram-negative bacteria (63.2%) were isolated more frequently than Gram-positive bacteria (28.3%).The overall HAI prevalence in our hospital was consistent with those reported in other studies in Italy. The study underlined the role of Gram-negative bacteria in HAI and the need for antimicrobial stewardship. It also provided useful baseline data for rational priorities in allocation of resources, for further infection control activities.
