The role of nurses in antimicrobial stewardship is understated and not well understood. Nurses can have a significant impact on the development of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in hospitals and ...the wider community through their management of intravenous antibiotics.
To investigate the nurse's role in antimicrobial stewardship and examine best practice for preparing, administering and disposing of intravenous antibiotics.
A systematically conducted scoping review was used. Seven databases were searched for published articles. Retrieved articles were screened for eligibility against pre-set inclusion and exclusion criteria with eligible full-text articles included in the synthesis. Reference lists of eligible articles and social media were reviewed to identify further sources of literature.
Forty-three sources of evidence were included. The extracted data indicate that a part of the nurse's role in antimicrobial stewardship is to monitor judicious antibiotic prescribing practices. Other than literature related to medication errors, there was limited research describing best practice when preparing, administering and disposing of intravenous antibiotics. There was also little evidence of consistent policy, guidelines and education for nurses’ practice related to antimicrobial stewardship.
The evidence for best practice when nurses prepare, administer and dispose of intravenous antibiotics in hospitals is scarce. When nurses use best practice to manage intravenous antibiotics, the risk of antimicrobial resistant bacteria developing is minimised. The role of nurses in antimicrobial stewardship needs to be supported through education and evidence-based guidelines.
Tweetable abstract: Nurse work practices may prevent the development and spread of antimicrobial resistant bacteria
Australia does not have a national healthcare associated infection (HAI) surveillance program. Only one HAI point prevalence study has been undertaken in 1984. The objective of this study was to ...estimate the burden of healthcare associated infection (HAI) in acute adult inpatients in Australia.
A cross sectional point prevalence study (PPS) was conducted in a sample of large acute care hospitals. All data were collected by two trained Research Assistants. Surveillance methodology was based on the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) PPS Protocol with variation in the sampling method in that only acute inpatients ≥ 18 years old were included. ECDC HAI definitions were applied.
Data was collected between August and November 2018. A total of 2767 patients from 19 hospitals were included in the study. The median age of patients was 67, and 52.9% of the sample were male. Presence of a multi-drug resistant organism was documented for 10.3% of the patients. There were 363 HAIs present in 273 patients. The prevalence of patients with a HAI was 9.9% (95%CI: 8.8-11.0). Hospital prevalence rates ranged from 5.7% (95%CI:2.9-11.0) to 17.0% (95%CI:10.7-26.1). The most common HAIs were surgical site infection, pneumonia and urinary tract infection, comprising 64% of all HAIs identified.
This is the first HAI PPS to be conducted in Australia in 34 years. The prevalence rate is higher than the previous Australian study and that reported by the ECDC, however differences in methodology limit comparison. Regular, large scale HAI PPS should be undertaken to generate national HAI data to inform and drive national interventions.
ObjectiveTo predict the cost and health effects of routine use of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of bacterial pathogens compared with those of standard of care.DesignBudget impact analysis was ...performed over the following 5 years. Data were primarily from sequencing results on clusters of multidrug-resistant organisms across 27 hospitals. Model inputs were derived from hospitalisation and sequencing data, and epidemiological and costing reports, and included multidrug resistance rates and their trends.SettingQueensland, Australia.ParticipantsHospitalised patients.InterventionsWGS surveillance of six common multidrug-resistant organisms (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecium, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter sp and Acinetobacter baumannii) compared with standard of care or routine microbiology testing.Primary and secondary outcomesExpected hospital costs, counts of patient infections and colonisations, and deaths from bloodstream infections.ResultsIn 2021, 97 539 patients in Queensland are expected to be infected or colonised with one of six multidrug-resistant organisms with standard of care testing. WGS surveillance strategy and earlier infection control measures could avoid 36 726 infected or colonised patients and avoid 650 deaths. The total cost under standard of care was $A170.8 million in 2021. WGS surveillance costs an additional $A26.8 million but was offset by fewer costs for cleaning, nursing, personal protective equipment, shorter hospital stays and antimicrobials to produce an overall cost savings of $30.9 million in 2021. Sensitivity analyses showed cost savings remained when input values were varied at 95% confidence limits.ConclusionsCompared with standard of care, WGS surveillance at a state-wide level could prevent a substantial number of hospital patients infected with multidrug-resistant organisms and related deaths and save healthcare costs. Primary prevention through routine use of WGS is an investment priority for the control of serious hospital-associated infections.
•This is the first Australian study exploring consumer knowledge regarding infections.•Patients were more concerned about their surgery than healthcare associated infections.•A variety of sources and ...modes is required to provide meaningful information.
There is little information regarding consumer knowledge of health care–associated infection (HAI). Furthermore, it is unclear how meaningful publicly reported HAI data is to consumers, how they may use it, and the most appropriate format for data presentation. The purpose of this study was to explore consumer knowledge and attitudes toward HAI and public reporting.
A qualitative study design, characterized by a series of semistructured interviews, was undertaken with purposively selected, adult elective surgical inpatients at a large metropolitan acute hospital. Interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. Analysis of the data were conducted using thematic analysis.
Twenty interviews were conducted. The 5 major themes identified were: (1) awareness through experience, (2) focus on current illness, (3) patient contribution to infection prevention, (4) sources and mode of information, and (5) influence on choice of hospital.
We found broad variation in knowledge, sources of information, and preferences for the type and delivery of information. A significant cohort of participants preferred not to be informed, whereas others were neutral or only mildly interested.
If public reporting of HAI data is to be aimed at consumers, further engagement with consumers is crucial to ensure the information provided is fit for purpose.
BackgroundThe integration of holistic and effective end-of-life (EOL) care into cancer management has increasingly become a recognized field. People living with terminal cancer and their caregivers ...face a unique set of emotional, spiritual, and social stressors, which may be managed by psychosocial interventions.ObjectivesThis study aimed to explore the types and characteristics of psychosocial interventions at the EOL for adult cancer patients and their caregivers and to identify gaps in the current literature.MethodsA systematic search was conducted through MEDLINE (Ovid) and CINAHL from January 1, 2011, to January 31, 2021, retrieving 2453 results. A final 15 articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria, reviewed by 2 independent reviewers. Ten percent of the original articles were cross-checked against study eligibility at every stage by 2 experienced researchers.ResultsMost interventions reported were psychotherapies, with a predominance of meaning or legacy-related psychotherapies. Most interventions were brief, with significant caregiver involvement. Most studies were conducted in high-income, English-speaking populations.ConclusionThere is robust, although heterogeneous, literature on a range of psychosocial interventions at the EOL. However, inconsistencies in the terminology used surrounding EOL and means of outcome assessment made the comparison of interventions challenging.Implication for PracticeFuture studies will benefit from increased standardization of study design, EOL terminology, and outcome assessment to allow for a better comparison of intervention efficacy. There is a need for increased research in psychosocial interventions among middle- to low-income populations exploring social aspects, intimacy, and the impact of COVID-19.
Background
The integration of holistic and effective end-of-life (EOL) care into cancer management has increasingly become a recognized field. People living with terminal cancer and their caregivers ...face a unique set of emotional, spiritual, and social stressors, which may be managed by psychosocial interventions.
Objectives
This study aimed to explore the types and characteristics of psychosocial interventions at the EOL for adult cancer patients and their caregivers and to identify gaps in the current literature.
Methods
A systematic search was conducted through MEDLINE (Ovid) and CINAHL from January 1, 2011, to January 31, 2021, retrieving 2453 results. A final 15 articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria, reviewed by 2 independent reviewers. Ten percent of the original articles were cross-checked against study eligibility at every stage by 2 experienced researchers.
Results
Most interventions reported were psychotherapies, with a predominance of meaning or legacy-related psychotherapies. Most interventions were brief, with significant caregiver involvement. Most studies were conducted in high-income, English-speaking populations.
Conclusion
There is robust, although heterogeneous, literature on a range of psychosocial interventions at the EOL. However, inconsistencies in the terminology used surrounding EOL and means of outcome assessment made the comparison of interventions challenging.
Implication for Practice
Future studies will benefit from increased standardization of study design, EOL terminology, and outcome assessment to allow for a better comparison of intervention efficacy. There is a need for increased research in psychosocial interventions among middle- to low-income populations exploring social aspects, intimacy, and the impact of COVID-19.
Two randomized controlled trials compared the neonatal and infant outcomes after fetoscopic endoluminal tracheal occlusion with expectant prenatal management in fetuses with severe and moderate ...isolated congenital diaphragmatic hernia, respectively. Fetoscopic endoluminal tracheal occlusion was carried out at 27+0 to 29+6 weeks’ gestation (referred to as “early”) for severe and at 30+0 to 31+6 weeks (“late”) for moderate hypoplasia. The reported absolute increase in the survival to discharge was 13% (95% confidence interval, −1 to 28; P=.059) and 25% (95% confidence interval, 6–46; P=.0091) for moderate and severe hypoplasia.
Data from the 2 trials were pooled to study the heterogeneity of the treatment effect by observed over expected lung-to-head ratio and explore the effect of gestational age at balloon insertion.
Individual participant data from the 2 trials were reanalyzed. Women were assessed between 2008 and 2020 at 14 experienced fetoscopic endoluminal tracheal occlusion centers and were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either expectant management or fetoscopic endoluminal tracheal occlusion. All received standardized postnatal management. The combined data involved 287 patients (196 with moderate hypoplasia and 91 with severe hypoplasia). The primary endpoint was survival to discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit. The secondary endpoints were survival to 6 months of age, survival to 6 months without oxygen supplementation, and gestational age at live birth. Penalized regression was used with the following covariates: intervention (fetoscopic endoluminal tracheal occlusion vs expectant), early balloon insertion (yes vs no), observed over expected lung-to-head ratio, liver herniation (yes vs no), and trial (severe vs moderate). The interaction between intervention and the observed over expected lung-to-head ratio was evaluated to study treatment effect heterogeneity.
For survival to discharge, the adjusted odds ratio of fetoscopic endoluminal tracheal occlusion was 1.78 (95% confidence interval, 1.05–3.01; P=.031). The additional effect of early balloon insertion was highly uncertain (adjusted odds ratio, 1.53; 95% confidence interval, 0.60–3.91; P=.370). When combining these 2 effects, the adjusted odds ratio of fetoscopic endoluminal tracheal occlusion with early balloon insertion was 2.73 (95% confidence interval, 1.15–6.49). The results for survival to 6 months and survival to 6 months without oxygen dependence were comparable. The gestational age at delivery was on average 1.7 weeks earlier (95% confidence interval, 1.1–2.3) following fetoscopic endoluminal tracheal occlusion with late insertion and 3.2 weeks earlier (95% confidence interval, 2.3–4.1) following fetoscopic endoluminal tracheal occlusion with early insertion compared with expectant management. There was no evidence that the effect of fetoscopic endoluminal tracheal occlusion depended on the observed over expected lung-to-head ratio for any of the endpoints.
This analysis suggests that fetoscopic endoluminal tracheal occlusion increases survival for both moderate and severe lung hypoplasia. The difference between the results for the Tracheal Occlusion To Accelerate Lung growth trials, when considered apart, may be because of the difference in the time point of balloon insertion. However, the effect of the time point of balloon insertion could not be robustly assessed because of a small sample size and the confounding effect of disease severity. Fetoscopic endoluminal tracheal occlusion with early balloon insertion in particular strongly increases the risk for preterm delivery.
The National Hand Hygiene Initiative (NHHI) is a standardised culture-change programme based on the WHO My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene approach to improve hand hygiene compliance among Australian ...health-care workers and reduce the risk of health-care-associated infections. We analysed its effectiveness.
In this longitudinal study, we assessed outcomes of the NHHI for the 8 years after implementation (between Jan 1, 2009, and June 30, 2017), including hospital participation, hand hygiene compliance (measured as the proportion of observed Moments) three times per year, educational engagement, cost, and association with the incidence of health-care-associated Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (HA-SAB).
Between 2009 and 2017, increases were observed in national health-care facility participation (105 hospitals 103 public and two private in 2009 vs 937 hospitals 598 public and 339 private in 2017) and overall hand hygiene compliance (36 213 63·6% of 56 978 Moments 95% CI 63·2–63·9 in 2009 vs 494 673 84·3% of 586 559 Moments 84·2–84·4 in 2017; p<0·0001). Compliance also increased for each Moment type and for each health-care worker occupational group, including for medical staff (4377 50·5% of 8669 Moments 95% CI 49·4–51·5 in 2009 vs 53 620 71·7% of 74 788 Moments 71·4–72·0; p<0·0001). 1 989 713 NHHI online learning credential programmes were completed. The 2016 NHHI budget was equivalent to AUD$0·06 per inpatient admission nationally. Among Australia's major public hospitals (n=132), improved hand hygiene compliance was associated with declines in the incidence of HA-SAB (incidence rate ratio 0·85; 95% CI 0·79–0·93; p≤0·0001): for every 10% increase in hand hygiene compliance, the incidence of HA-SAB decreased by 15%.
The NHHI has been associated with significant sustained improvement in hand hygiene compliance and a decline in the incidence of HA-SAB. Key features include sustained central coordination of a standardised approach and incorporation into hospital accreditation standards. The NHHI could be emulated in other national culture-change programmes.
Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.
Background
Enteral nutrition (EN) is an integral component of standard management of critically ill patients in intensive care. However, achieving adequate nutrition in this environment continues to ...present many challenges.
Design
A descriptive exploratory design using a retrospective review of medical records.
Aims and objectives
The aims of this study were to describe nursing practice associated with EN feeding and identify barriers to optimal nutritional delivery in the intensive care unit (ICU).
Methods
Patients admitted to a major Australian metropolitan health service ICU during a 6‐month period, and who received EN for at least 72 hours, were eligible for inclusion. Documented text from patient medical records was analysed using content analysis. Numerical data were analysed using SPSS software (version 25.0). Descriptive and inferential statistics were calculated.
Results
A total of 150 patients were included in the study. The mean time from admission to EN commencement was 12.6 hours, with 59.3% commenced within 12 hours of admission. Only 9.3% of patients commenced EN at the target rate. Of the 150 patients, 24 (16%) received 80% of nutrition targets within 72 hours of admission. Patients who had EN commenced within 12 hours of admission and at the target rate were significantly more likely to achieve nutritional requirements (P = <.01). Patients who received an initial dietitian review within 24 hours of admission were more likely to achieve nutrition requirements (P = <.01).
Conclusions
Commencing EN on time and meeting target volumes remains challenging in the ICU patient. Airway management, procedural requirements, and delayed dietitian review for prescribed hourly rate initiation provide barriers to optimal nutrition delivery to critically ill patients. Tackling these barriers may require interdisciplinary interventions.
Relevance to clinical practice
Providing adequate nutrition to critically ill patients is challenging. This study provides evidence that day's one and two are problematic to EN delivery; particularly concerning airway management, procedural requirements, and delayed dietitian review for prescribed hourly rate initiation. Highlighting the need for further research into these aspects of nutrition management.
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