Pseudomonas aeruginosa has recently shown to be one of the most important strains of bacteria and alert pathogens in Europe among Intensive Care Unit patients that provide serious therapeutic ...problems because of its multidrug resistance.
The purpose of this microbiological study was data analysis of device associated- healthcare associated infections (DA-HAIs) in an ICU in terms of the incidents of P.aeruginosa strain infections and its susceptibility within an 8.5-year observation.
Among 919 isolated strains responsible for 799 DA-HAIs (17,62 ± 1,98/1000 patient-days) in 4010 ICU patients P.aeruginosa was the pathogen in 108/799 (13.52%) cases. Incidence rate (density) of: VAP/1000 MV- days, UTI /1000 UC- days and CLA-BSI/1000 CL- days were 11,15 ± 2.5, 6.82 ± 0.81, 2.35 ± 1.54.respectivelly. P.aeruginosa was the pathogen most frequently responsible for VAP 69/108 (63.88%). Mean frequency of VAP, UTI and CLA-BSI with P.aeruginosa etiology was 69/493 (14.28%), 32/299 (11.1%) and 7/127 (5.77%) respectively. The mean density of P.aeruginosa infection amounted to 2.43/1000 patient-days. The decrease was observed in the total number of DA-HAIs caused by the P.aeruginosa from 15.75% and 3.23/1000 patient-days in 2011 to 5.0% and 1.17/1000 in 2016 (p = 0.0104, p = 0.0348). Starting from 2016 to 2019 incidence and density of P.aeruginosa DA-HAIs increased to 12.33% and 2.63/1000 (p = 0.1388, p = 0.0818). P.aeruginosa was susceptible to ceftazidime, cefepime, amikacin, meropenem, ciprofloxacin, colistin, in 55.55, 58.33, 70.37, 53.73, 50, and 100% respectively. MDR characterised it in 40% in 2011 and 66.7% in 2019, (p = 0.177).
The study revealed a changeable prevalence of P. aeruginosa strain infections; however their frequency was never highest in our ICU patients as it presented in the last years in Europe. The study showed a significant decrease in 2016 and increase in 2019, a nearly 3-fold increase of P.aeruginosa infections among Gram-negative strain infections, and a 2-fold increase of the P.aeruginosa DA-HAIs frequency between 2016 and 2019 as well as an increased resistance. Microbiological analysis of DA-HAIs in each hospital should be a standard method used in hospital infection control and antibiotic policy. In the case of P.aeruginosa, in order to minimize transmission, preventive infection methods should be assessed mainly in case of VAP.
Device-associated health care-associated infections (DA-HAIs) in intensive care unit (ICU) patients constitute a major therapeutic issue complicating the regular hospitalisation process and having ...influence on patients' condition, length of hospitalisation, mortality and therapy cost.
The study involved all patients treated > 48 h at ICU of the Medical University Teaching Hospital (Poland) from 1.01.2015 to 31.12.2017. The study showed the surveillance and prevention of DA-HAIs on International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) Surveillance Online System (ISOS) 3 online platform according to methodology of the INICC multidimensional approach (IMA).
During study period 252 HAIs were found in 1353 (549F/804M) patients and 14,700 patient-days of hospitalisation. The crude infections rate and incidence density of DA-HAIs was 18.69% and 17.49 ± 2.56 /1000 patient-days. Incidence density of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLA-BSI) and catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CA-UTI) per 1000 device-days were 12.63 ± 1.49, 1.83 ± 0.65 and 6.5 ± 1.2, respectively. VAP(137) constituted 54.4% of HAIs, whereas CA-UTI(91) 36%, CLA-BSI(24) 9.6%.The most common pathogens in VAP and CA-UTI was multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii (57 and 31%), and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE) in CLA-BSI (45%). MDR Gram negative bacteria (GNB) 159 were responsible for 63.09% of HAIs. The length of hospitalisation of patients with a single DA-HAI at ICU was 21(14-33) days, while without infections it was 6.0 (3-11) days; p = 0.0001. The mortality rates in the hospital-acquired infection group and no infection group were 26.1% vs 26.9%; p = 0.838; OR 0.9633;95% CI (0.6733-1.3782). Extra cost of therapy caused by one ICU acquired HAI was US$ 11,475/Euro 10,035. Hand hygiene standards compliance rate was 64.7%, while VAP, CLA-BSI bundles compliance ranges were 96.2-76.8 and 29-100, respectively.
DA-HAIs was diagnosed at nearly 1/5 of patients. They were more frequent than in European Centre Disease Control report (except for CLA-BSI), more frequent than the USA CDC report, yet less frequent than in limited-resource countries (except for CA-UTI). They prolonged the hospitalisation period at ICU and generated substantial additional costs of treatment with no influence on mortality. The Acinetobacter baumannii MDR infections were the most problematic therapeutic issue. DA-HAIs preventive methods compliance rate needs improvement.
During and after the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a suspicion of varying rates of respiratory tract infections (RTIs), particularly pneumonia (PN).
: This research evaluated epidemiological ...indicators of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) in the COVID-19 pandemic and post-pandemic period, including pathogens, ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), selected risk factors, and PN mortality.
: At 1740 patients, throughout the 22,774 patient-days (Pt-D) and 18,039 ventilation days (Vt-D), there were 681 PN cases (39.14%): CAP 336 (19.31%) and HAP 345 (19.83%). CAP caused by SARS-CoV-2 was diagnosed in 257/336 (76.49%) patients. The clinical manifestations of PNs were CAP with 336/681 (49.34%), VAP with 232/681 (34.07%), and non-ventilator HAP (NV-HAP) with 113/681 cases (16.59%). The incidence rate of CAP/1000 Pt-D has been over 3 times higher in the pandemic period of 2020-2021 (20.25) than in the post-pandemic period of 2022 (5.86),
= 0.000. Similarly, higher incidence rates of VAP/1000 Pt-D were found in the pandemic period (
= 0.050). For NV-HAP, this difference was not statistically significant (
= 0.585). VAP occurred more frequently in the group of patients with PN in the course of COVID-19 compared to patients without COVID-19 (52/234 22.2% vs. 180/1506 11.95%); (
= 0.000). The most common CAP pathogen (during the pandemic) was SARS CoV-2 234/291 (80.4%), followed by MSSA/MRSA 8/291 (2.75%), whereas the most common VAP/NV-HAP pathogen was
XDR/MDR. The highest PN mortality was found in the patients with CAP caused by SARS-CoV-2 159/257 (61.87%).
: Pneumonias were diagnosed in nearly 40% of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients. Surveillance of pneumonias during the specific observation period was beneficial in the epidemiological and microbiological analysis of the ICU patients.
Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is the most monitored form of respiratory tract infections (RTIs). A small number of epidemiological studies have monitored community-acquired ...pneumonia (CAP), non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia (NV-HAP) and ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis (VAT) in intensive care units (ICUs). The objective of this study was to assess the frequency, etiology, mortality, and additional costs of RTIs. Methods: One-year prospective RTI surveillance at a 30-bed ICU. The study assessed the rates and microbiological profiles of CAP, VAP, NV-HAP, VAT, and VAP prevention factors, the impact of VAP and NV-HAP on the length of ICU stays, and the additional costs of RTI treatment and mortality. Results: Among 578 patients, RTIs were found in 30%. The CAP, NV-HAP, VAP, and VAT rates/100 admissions were 5.9, 9.0, 8.65, and 6.05, respectively. The VAP incidence density/1000 MV-days was 10.8. The most common pathogen of RTI was Acinetobacter baumannii MDR. ICU stays were extended by VAP and NV-HAP for 17.8 and 3.7 days, respectively, and these RTIs increased the cost of therapy by 13,029 and 2708 EUR per patient, respectively. The mortality rate was higher by 11.55% in patients with VAP than those without device-associated and healthcare-associated infections (p = 0.0861). Conclusions: RTIs are a serious epidemiological problem in patients who are admitted and treated in ICU, as they may affect one-third of patients. Hospital-acquired RTIs extend hospitalization time, increase the cost of treatment, and worsen outcomes.
In recent years, an increase in healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) caused by resistant pathogens, which is a clinically troublesome trend, has been observed. The aim of the study was to analyze ...the microbial factors of HAIs and the drug resistance of microorganisms to selected antibiotics and their consumption.
The retrospective study included 3708 patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the University Teaching Hospital in Wroclaw, who were diagnosed with 742 HAIs in the period from 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2018. The aim of the study was the analysis of microorganisms isolated in the respective clinical forms of HAIs, including the occurrence of "alert pathogens", presence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains, and consumption of selected antibiotics.
During the study period, 846 microorganisms were cultured in patients with HAIs, and among them, Acinetobacter baumannii MDR represented 31.8%; Klebsiella pneumoniae ESBLs, 11.3%; Pseudomonas aeruginosa MDR, 4.1% and MRSA, 2.2%; and
spp. vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), 1.3%. Among all the pathogens, Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) were dominant (71.6%). Gram-positive bacteria and fungi accounted for 21.6% and 7%, respectively. The total number of strains responsible for ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), urinary tract infection (UTI), and central line-associated blood stream infection (CLA-BSI) was as follows: 458 (54.1%), 274 (32.4%), and 114 (13.5%), respectively. Among the etiological factors of VAP, there was a prevalence of A. baumannii MDR (41.9%), as well as in the case of UTI (21.9%). With regards to CLA-BSI, MRCNS (29.8%) was the dominant pathogen. The "alert pathogens" accounted for 54.7% of all the analyzed strains. The MDR strains represented 72.6% and 9.7% among A. baumannii and P. aeruginosa, respectively. In the years 2011 vs. 2018, an increase in infections with MDR bacilli was observed, 34.6% vs. 61.0% (
= 0.0008), respectively, including A. baumannii MDR 16.54% vs. 34.56 % (
= 0.0009) and Enterobacterales ESBL+/AMPC 11.8% vs. 15.44 % (
= 0.3921). Resistance to methicillin was confirmed in 35.2% of S. aureus strains. Resistance to vancomycin was found among 30.9% of
spp. The observed period was marked by an increase in the consumption of carbapenems: 197.7 vs. 235.9 defined daily dose (DDD)/1000 patients-days.
Gram-negative bacteria were found to be dominant pathogens in healthcare-associated infections. The most frequently cultured pathogens were multidrug-resistant
ESBL(+), and
. The study showed an increase in the incidence of "alert pathogens" and MDR bacilli, as well as the tendency of a growing resistance to antibiotics during the observed period. Microbiological analysis of HAIs and the consumption of antibiotics is the necessary element of the proper antibiotic policy in hospitals.
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), particularly intensive care unit-acquired infections (HAI-ICU), are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitals. Most of these infections are ...caused by multidrugresistant organisms. The results of recent studies have suggested that daily bathing with chlorhexidine (CHX)-universal decolonisation can prevent ICU infections. The purpose of the study was to determine the influence of CHX bathing on the rate and type of HAI-ICU in critically ill patients.
This observational study, conducted in a mixed, 16-bed tertiary ICU, compared the following three 3-month periods: I) pre-intervention (traditional soap-water bathing), II) intervention (bathing with 2% CHX clothes), and III) post-intervention (soap-water bathing). The type and rate of HAI-ICU were registered according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) guidelines.
A total of 272 patients were included in the study. During the intervention period, the total infection rate was significantly lower than in the pre-intervention period (12.7% vs 22.2%, respectively). Significant decreases in the rate and density of catheter-related infections (CRI) were observed during the intervention period. A decrease in the isolation rate of multidrug-resistant bacteria was also observed during the intervention and post-intervention periods.
Daily bathing of ICU patients with chlorhexidine-impregnated clothes significantly decreased the rate of HAI-ICU and the acquisition of CRI. This simple hygienic approach can be an important adjunctive intervention with the capability of reducing the burden of healthcare-associated infections in ICUs.
Urinary tract infections (UTI) in patients with urinary catheters could be a serious complication of hospitalisation in the intensive care unit (ICU).
A prospective study (01.01.2012-31.12.2014) was ...conducted in the 20-bed ICU of the University Hospital in Wroclaw, Poland. The frequency (density, incidence) and aetiology of UTI as well as prophylactic method compliance were estimated in patients of the ICU according to the INICC project.
Among 1261 ICU patients, urinary tract infections were diagnosed in 91 (7%). The incidence index was 7.25/100 admissions to the ICU. CA-UTI constituted 36% of the device-associated, healthcare-associated infections (n = 255). A urinary catheter was used in 92.21 ± 4.51% of patients during 14,006 patient-days and 12,917 urinarycatheter- days. The density of CA-UTI/1000 catheter-days was 6.44, 6.84, 7.16 during the years 2012, 2013, and 2014, respectively. The main pathogens of CA-UTI were Enterococcus spp. (22%), Acinetobacter baumannii (20%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (18%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (13%), and Candida spp. (13%). Only in four elements of the "Urinary Catheter Bundle" was 100% compliance noted.
In the observed period of time, the incidence of CA-UTI was higher than in the INICC (2014) report and the NHSN/CDC (2012) report. Analysis of compliance with a "Urinary Catheter Bundle" to prevent UTI shows low implementation of preventative methods with the INICC protocol.
Induction of anesthesia was started after the implementation of monitoring the heart rate (HR)-EKG (5 leads), invasive blood pressure measurement, saturation of the blood (SaO2)-pulsoxymetry, CO2 in ...the expiratory air (ETCO2),—capnography, bispectral index (BIS), train of four-myorelaxation monitoring, central body temperature. A sudden and significant HR increase up to 130/min, followed by a SBP drop to 80 mm Hg, appeared during the final surgery stage resection of the deepest tumor mass. Discussion Neurogenic stress cardiomyopathy (NSC), also called Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) or apical ballooning syndrome, represents an acute heart failure syndrome with 4.1% hospital mortality and 30 days after mortality rate at the level of 5.9% 1. In such circumstances, one uses Mayo Clinic diagnostic criteria including: the presence of a transient abnormality in left ventricular wall motion, the presence of new electrocardiographic abnormalities or elevation in cardiac troponin levels and the absence of coronary artery disease, pheochromocytoma or myocarditis 1.
•Data from 428,847 patients, 2,815,402 bed-days.•We collected 1,468,216 line days, 1,053,330 ventilator days, 1,740,776 urinary catheter days.•We found 7,785 CLAB, 12,085 VAE, and 5,509 CAUTI.•HAI ...rates were 5.91% and 9.01 HAIs/1,000 bed-days.•CLAB rate was 5.3/1000 CL-days; VAE rate was 11.4/1000 MV-days, CAUTI rate was 3.1/1000 UC-days.
We report the results of INICC surveillance study from 2013 to 2018, in 664 intensive care units (ICUs) in 133 cities, of 45 countries, from Latin-America, Europe, Africa, Eastern-Mediterranean, Southeast-Asia, and Western-Pacific.
Prospective data from patients hospitalized in ICUs were collected through INICC Surveillance Online System. CDC-NHSN definitions for device-associated healthcare-associated infection (DA-HAI) were applied.
We collected data from 428,847 patients, for an aggregate of 2,815,402 bed-days, 1,468,216 central line (CL)-days, 1,053,330 mechanical ventilator (MV)-days, 1,740,776 urinary catheter (UC)-days. We found 7,785 CL-associated bloodstream infections (CLAB), 12,085 ventilator-associated events (VAE), and 5,509 UC-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI). Pooled DA-HAI rates were 5.91% and 9.01 DA-HAIs/1,000 bed-days. Pooled CLAB rate was 5.30/1,000 CL-days; VAE rate was 11.47/1,000 MV-days, and CAUTI rate was 3.16/1,000 UC-days. P aeruginosa was non-susceptible (NS) to imipenem in 52.72% of cases; to colistin in 10.38%; to ceftazidime in 50%; to ciprofloxacin in 40.28%; and to amikacin in 34.05%. Klebsiella spp was NS to imipenem in 49.16%; to ceftazidime in 78.01%; to ciprofloxacin in 66.26%; and to amikacin in 42.45%. coagulase-negative Staphylococci and S aureus were NS to oxacillin in 91.44% and 56.03%, respectively. Enterococcus spp was NS to vancomycin in 42.31% of the cases.
DA-HAI rates and bacterial resistance are high and continuous efforts are needed to reduce them.
Use of higher than standard doses of amikacin (AMK) has been proposed during sepsis, especially to treat less susceptible bacterial strains. However, few data are available on drug concentrations ...during prolonged therapy and on potential adverse events related to this strategy.
Sixty-three critically ill patients who required AMK administration for the treatment of severe infection were included in this study. After a loading dose (LD, 18 to 30 mg/kg), the daily regimen was adapted using therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of both peak (Cpeak) and trough (Cmin) concentrations. Target concentrations had to give a ratio of at least 8 between Cpeak and the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the isolated pathogen. A Cmin >5 mg/L was considered as potentially nephrotoxic. We recorded clinical and microbiological responses, the development of acute kidney injury (AKI) during therapy and ICU mortality.
The median AMK LD was 1500 (750 to 2400) mg, which resulted in a Cpeak/MIC ≥8 in 40 (63%) patients. Increasing the dose in the 23 patients with a Cpeak/MIC <8 resulted in optimal Cpeak/MIC in 15 of these patients (79%). In 23 patients (37%), Cmin was >5 mg/L after the LD, notably in the presence of altered renal function at the onset of therapy, needing prolongation of drug administration. Overall, only 11 patients (17%) required no dose or interval adjustment during AMK therapy. Clinical cure (32/37 (86%) vs. 16/23 (70%), P = 0.18)) and microbiological eradication (29/35 (83%) vs. 14/23 (61%), P = 0.07) were higher in patients with an initial optimal Cpeak/MIC than in the other patients. The proportion of patients with clinical cure significantly improved as the Cpeak/MIC increased (P = 0.006). Also, increased time to optimal Cpeak was associated with worse microbiological and clinical results. AKI was identified in 15 patients (24%) during AMK therapy; 12 of these patients already had altered renal function before drug administration. Survivors (n = 47) had similar initial Cpeak/MIC ratios but lower Cmin values compared to nonsurvivors.
TDM resulted in adjustment of AMK therapy in most of our septic patients. Early achievement of an optimal Cpeak/MIC ratio may have an impact on clinical and microbiological responses, but not on outcome. In patients with impaired renal function prior to treatment, AMK therapy may be associated with a further decline in renal function.