National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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Topics
- Adverse Drug Events (ADE) (1)
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- Ambulatory Care and Surgery (2)
- Antibiotics (3)
- Antimicrobial Stewardship (3)
- Arthritis (1)
- Blood Clots (1)
- Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI) (7)
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- Children/Adolescents (8)
- Clostridium difficile Infections (7)
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- Comparative Effectiveness (1)
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- Data (1)
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- Education: Continuing Medical Education (1)
- Education: Patient and Caregiver (2)
- Elderly (2)
- Emergency Department (1)
- Evidence-Based Practice (3)
- Guidelines (3)
- (-) Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) (66)
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) (2)
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- Intensive Care Unit (ICU) (4)
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- Labor and Delivery (1)
- Long-Term Care (7)
- Maternal Care (1)
- Medical Devices (1)
- Medicare (2)
- Medication (5)
- Medication: Safety (1)
- Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (8)
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) (1)
- Newborns/Infants (3)
- Nursing (1)
- Nursing Homes (2)
- Organizational Change (1)
- Outcomes (3)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (1)
- Patient Experience (1)
- Patient Safety (19)
- Payment (2)
- Pneumonia (3)
- Practice Patterns (1)
- Pressure Ulcers (4)
- Prevention (27)
- Provider (2)
- Provider: Health Personnel (3)
- Provider: Nurse (1)
- Provider Performance (2)
- Public Health (1)
- Quality Improvement (4)
- Quality Indicators (QIs) (2)
- Quality Measures (4)
- Quality of Care (6)
- Racial and Ethnic Minorities (1)
- Registries (1)
- Respiratory Conditions (2)
- Risk (8)
- Sepsis (2)
- Shared Decision Making (1)
- Surgery (6)
- Surveys on Patient Safety Culture (1)
- Teams (1)
- Telehealth (1)
- Tobacco Use (1)
- Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) (5)
AHRQ Research Studies
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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 25 of 66 Research Studies DisplayedMiller LG, McKinnell JA, Singh RD
Decolonization in nursing homes to prevent infection and hospitalization.
Researchers conducted a cluster-randomized trial of universal decolonization as compared with routine-care bathing in nursing homes. Data were obtained from 28 nursing homes. The results indicated that universal decolonization with chlorhexidine and nasal iodophor led to a significantly lower risk of transfer to a hospital due to infection than routine care.
AHRQ-funded; HS024286.
Citation: Miller LG, McKinnell JA, Singh RD .
Decolonization in nursing homes to prevent infection and hospitalization.
N Engl J Med 2023 Nov 9; 389(19):1766-77. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2215254..
Keywords: Nursing Homes, Long-Term Care, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs)
Keller SC, Hannum SM, Weems K
Implementing and validating a home-infusion central-line-associated bloodstream infection surveillance definition.
Researchers tested the validity of a home-infusion central-line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) surveillance definition and the feasibility and acceptability of its implementation. Their study was conducted in large home-infusion agencies in a CLABSI prevention collaborative in 14 states and the District of Columbia and included semistructured interviews with staff performing home-infusion CLABSI surveillance. The results showed that the home-infusion CLABSI surveillance definition was valid and would be feasible to implement.
AHRQ-funded; HS027819.
Citation: Keller SC, Hannum SM, Weems K .
Implementing and validating a home-infusion central-line-associated bloodstream infection surveillance definition.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2023 Nov; 44(11):1748-59. doi: 10.1017/ice.2023.70..
Keywords: Home Healthcare, Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSI), Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs)
Thom KA, Rock C, Robinson GL
Direct gloving vs hand hygiene before donning gloves in adherence to hospital infection control practices: a cluster randomized clinical trial.
The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a direct-gloving policy on adherence to infection prevention control practices in a hospital setting. In this study, hospital units were randomly assigned to either the intervention (hand hygiene not required before putting on gloves) or to usual care (hand hygiene required prior to before putting on nonsterile gloves). The primary study outcome was adherence to the expected practice upon room entry and room exit. Thirteen hospital units participated in the trial, and 3,790 health care personnel (HCP) were observed. The study found that adherence to expected practice was higher in the 6 units with the direct-gloving intervention than in the 7 usual care units even when controlling for baseline hand hygiene rates, unit type, and universal gloving policies. The intervention had no effect on hand hygiene adherence measured at entry to non-contact precautions rooms or at room exit. The intervention was related with increased total bacteria colony counts and increased detection of pathogenic bacteria on gloves in the ED and reduced colony counts in pediatrics units, with no change in either total colony count for adult intensive care unit or presence of pathogenic bacteria for adult intensive care unit.
AHRQ-funded; HS024108.
Citation: Thom KA, Rock C, Robinson GL .
Direct gloving vs hand hygiene before donning gloves in adherence to hospital infection control practices: a cluster randomized clinical trial.
JAMA Netw Open 2023 Oct 2; 6(10):e2336758. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.36758..
Keywords: Hospitals, Patient Safety, Guidelines, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs)
Ojala F, Sater MRA, Miller LG
Bayesian modeling of the impact of antibiotic resistance on the efficiency of MRSA decolonization.
The authors analyzed how the persistence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization correlates with the genomic presence of antibiotic resistance genes. Using a Bayesian mixed effects survival model, they found that genetic determinants of high-level resistance to mupirocin was strongly associated with failure of the decolonization protocol, but they did not find a similar effect with genetic resistance to chlorhexidine or other antibiotics. They concluded that these results highlight the need to consider the properties of the colonizing MRSA strain when deciding which treatments to include in the decolonization protocol.
AHRQ-funded; HS019388.
Citation: Ojala F, Sater MRA, Miller LG .
Bayesian modeling of the impact of antibiotic resistance on the efficiency of MRSA decolonization.
PLoS Comput Biol 2023 Oct; 19(10):e1010898. doi: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010898..
Keywords: Antibiotics, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Medication
Metersky ML, Wang Y, Klompas M
Temporal trends in postoperative and ventilator-associated pneumonia in the United States.
The purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to assess change in rates of postoperative pneumonia and ventilator-associated pneumonia among patients hospitalized in the United States during 2009-2019. The study found that among 58,618 patients undergoing major surgical procedures between 2009 and 2019, the observed rate of postoperative pneumonia from 2009-2011 was 1.9% and decreased to 1.3% during 2017-2019. The adjusted annual risk each year, compared to the prior year, was 0.94. Among 4,007 patients hospitalized for any of the 4 conditions at risk for ventilator-associated pneumonia during 2009-2019, the researchers did not detect a significant change in observed or adjusted rates. Observed rates clustered around 10%, and adjusted annual risk compared to the prior year was 0.99.
AHRQ-funded; 290201800005C.
Citation: Metersky ML, Wang Y, Klompas M .
Temporal trends in postoperative and ventilator-associated pneumonia in the United States.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2023 Aug; 44(8):1247-54. doi: 10.1017/ice.2022.264..
Keywords: Pneumonia, Respiratory Conditions, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP)
Kamineni M, Ötleş Meng E, Oh J
Prospective evaluation of data-driven models to predict daily risk of Clostridioides difficile infection at 2 large academic health centers.
The purpose of this prospective study was to assess a data-driven approach for Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) risk prediction that had previously demonstrated a high performance in retrospective evaluations at 2 large academic health centers. The final retrospective cohort included 18,030 admissions (138 CDI cases) at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and 25,341admissions (158 CDI cases) at Michigan Medicine. The prospective cohort included 13,712 admissions (119 CDI cases) at MGH and 26,864 admissions (190 CDI cases) at MM. At MGH, the model achieved area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUROC). AUROCs of 0.744 in the retrospective cohort and 0.748 in the prospective cohort. At MM, the model achieved AUROCs of 0.778 in the retrospective cohort and 0.767 in the prospective cohort. The AUROCs for predicting CDI risk on both retrospective and prospective cohorts were similar each month and did not exhibit significant monthly variation throughout either assessment period.
AHRQ-funded; HS027431.
Citation: Kamineni M, Ötleş Meng E, Oh J .
Prospective evaluation of data-driven models to predict daily risk of Clostridioides difficile infection at 2 large academic health centers.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2023 Jul; 44(7):1163-66. doi: 10.1017/ice.2022.218..
Keywords: Clostridium difficile Infections, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Risk
MacEwan SR, Gaughan AA, Beal EW
Concerns and frustrations about the public reporting of device-related healthcare-associated infections: perspectives of hospital leaders and staff.
The purpose of this study was to explore the specific concerns of hospital leaders and staff regarding the identification and public reporting of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Between 2017 and 2019 the researchers conducted interviews with 471 participants including hospitals leaders and hospital staff across 18 United States hospitals. The study found that interviewees discussed concerns about public reporting of HAI data, including a lack of trust in the data and unintended consequences of its public reporting, as well as particular frustrations with the identification and accountability for publicly-reported HAIs.
AHRQ-funded; HS024958.
Citation: MacEwan SR, Gaughan AA, Beal EW .
Concerns and frustrations about the public reporting of device-related healthcare-associated infections: perspectives of hospital leaders and staff.
Am J Infect Control 2023 Jun; 51(6):633-37. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2022.08.003..
Keywords: Medical Devices, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Hospitals, Provider: Health Personnel
Ye S, Li D, Yu T
The impact of surgical volume on hospital ranking using the standardized infection ratio.
Researchers investigated the effect of surgical volume on the accuracy of identifying poorly performing hospitals. Their research was based on the standardized infection ratio, and they applied their proposed method to data from HCA Healthcare from 2014-2016 on surgical site infections in colon surgery patients. They concluded that minimum surgical volumes and predicted events criteria are required to make hospital evaluation reliable, and that these criteria may vary by overall prevalence and between-hospital variability.
AHRQ-funded; HS027791.
Citation: Ye S, Li D, Yu T .
The impact of surgical volume on hospital ranking using the standardized infection ratio.
Sci Rep 2023 May 10; 13(1):7624. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-33937-y..
Keywords: Hospitals, Surgery, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Provider Performance, Quality of Care
Oladapo-Shittu O, Hannum SM, Salinas AB
The need to expand the infection prevention workforce in home infusion therapy.
This study looked at the prevalence of formal surveillance and infection prevention training for home infusion staff. The authors interviewed home infusion staff who perform surveillance activities about barriers to and facilitators for central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) surveillance and identified barriers to training in CLABSI surveillance. Their findings showed a lack of formal surveillance training which can be addressed by by adapting existing training resources to the home infusion setting.
AHRQ-funded; HS027819.
Citation: Oladapo-Shittu O, Hannum SM, Salinas AB .
The need to expand the infection prevention workforce in home infusion therapy.
Am J Infect Control 2023 May; 51(5):594-96. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2022.11.008.AHRQ-funded; HS027819..
Keywords: Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Prevention, Home Healthcare, Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSI)
Sanghavi P, Chen Z
Underreporting of quality measures and associated facility characteristics and racial disparities in US nursing home ratings.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between nursing home characteristics and reporting of 2 of 3 specific clinical outcomes reported by the Nursing Home Care Compare (NHCC) website: major injury falls and pressure ulcers. The researchers of this quality improvement study utilized hospitalization data for all Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2017. Hospital admission claims for major injury falls and pressure ulcers were linked with facility-reported evaluations at the nursing home resident level. For each linked hospital claim, it was determined whether the nursing home had reported the event and rates of reporting were computed. To evaluate whether nursing homes reported similarly on both measures, the researchers estimated the relationship between reporting of major injury falls and pressure ulcers within a nursing home, and explored racial and ethnic disparities that could otherwise explain the associations. The study sample included 13,179 nursing homes where 131,000 residents experienced major injury fall or pressure ulcer hospitalizations. Of the 98,669 major injury fall hospitalizations, 60.0% were reported, and of the 39,894 stage 3 or 4 pressure ulcer hospitalizations, 67.7% were reported. Underreporting for both conditions was pervasive, with 69.9% and 71.7% of nursing homes having reporting rates less than 80% for major injury fall and pressure ulcer hospitalizations, respectively. Lower reporting rates had few correlations with facility characteristics other than racial and ethnic composition. Facilities with high vs low fall reporting rates had significantly more White residents (86.9% vs 73.3%), and facilities with high vs low pressure ulcer reporting rates had significantly fewer White residents (69.7% vs 74.9%).
AHRQ-funded; HS026957.
Citation: Sanghavi P, Chen Z .
Underreporting of quality measures and associated facility characteristics and racial disparities in US nursing home ratings.
JAMA Netw Open 2023 May; 6(5):e2314822. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.14822..
Keywords: Quality Measures, Quality of Care, Elderly, Disparities, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Nursing Homes, Pressure Ulcers, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Quality Indicators (QIs), Long-Term Care
Morgan DJ, Dubberke ER, Hink T
The impact of universal glove and gown use on Clostridioides difficile acquisition: a cluster-randomized trial.
This article described a secondary analysis of a cluster-randomized trial in medical and surgical intensive care units (ICUs) in 20 US hospitals to assess whether universal gown and glove use decreases Clostridioides difficile infection. ICUs were randomized to standard practice for glove and gown use versus all healthcare workers required to wear gloves and gowns for all patient contact or when entering a patient room. The results showed no significant difference in the rate of toxigenic C. difficile with universal gown and glove use.
AHRQ-funded; HS025456.
Citation: Morgan DJ, Dubberke ER, Hink T .
The impact of universal glove and gown use on Clostridioides difficile acquisition: a cluster-randomized trial.
Clin Infect Dis 2023 Feb 8; 76(3):e1202-e07. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciac519..
Keywords: Clostridium difficile Infections, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Prevention
Gregory ME, MacEwan SR, Sova LN
A qualitative examination of interprofessional teamwork for infection prevention: development of a model and solutions.
The objective of this study was to investigate the role of interprofessional teamwork in the prevention of health care-associated infections (HAIs), focusing on central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) and catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) prevention. The authors interviewed participating physicians, nurses, and other staff from 18 hospitals about interprofessional collaboration, and proposed an Input-Mediator-Output-Input (IMOI) model as well as strategies to support teamwork for the prevention of HAIs.
AHRQ-funded; HS024958.
Citation: Gregory ME, MacEwan SR, Sova LN .
A qualitative examination of interprofessional teamwork for infection prevention: development of a model and solutions.
Med Care Res Rev 2023 Feb;80(1):30-42. doi: 10.1177/10775587221103973..
Keywords: Teams, Prevention, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs)
McNeil JC, Sommer LM, Vallejo JG
Going back in time: Increasing penicillin susceptibility among methicillin-susceptible staphylococcus aureus osteoarticular infections in children.
Researchers investigated the prevalence of penicillin susceptibility (PSSA) among pediatric methicillin susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) acute hematogenous osteoarticular infection (OAI) isolates; the isolates were obtained through surveillance studies at Texas Children's and St. Louis Children's Hospitals. Overall, PSSA isolates were found to be associated with a similar clinical presentation as penicillin-resistant isolates. The researchers concluded that potential for use of penicillin treatment in PSSA OAI merits further study.
AHRQ-funded; HS026896'HS021736' HS024269.
Citation: McNeil JC, Sommer LM, Vallejo JG .
Going back in time: Increasing penicillin susceptibility among methicillin-susceptible staphylococcus aureus osteoarticular infections in children.
Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2023 Jan 24; 67(1):e0119622. doi: 10.1128/aac.01196-22..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Medication, Prevention
Goto M, Hasegawa S, Balkenende EC
Effectiveness of ultraviolet-c disinfection on hospital-onset gram-negative rod bloodstream infection: a nationwide stepped-wedge time-series analysis.
This study evaluated the effectiveness of enhanced terminal room cleaning with ultraviolet C (UV-C) disinfection in reducing gram-negative rod (GNR) infections. The authors used information regarding UV-C use and the timing of implementation through a survey of all Veterans Health Administration (VHA) hospitals providing inpatient acute care from January 2010 and December 2018. Among 128 Veterans Health Administration hospitals, 120 provided complete survey responses with 40 reporting implementations of UV-C systems. UV-C use was associated with a 19% lower incident of hospital-onset (HO) GNR bloodstream infection (BSI).
AHRQ-funded; HS027472.
Citation: Goto M, Hasegawa S, Balkenende EC .
Effectiveness of ultraviolet-c disinfection on hospital-onset gram-negative rod bloodstream infection: a nationwide stepped-wedge time-series analysis.
Clin Infect Dis 2023 Jan 13; 76(2):291-98. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciac776..
Keywords: Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSI), Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Hospitals, Prevention, Sepsis
Patel P, Deshpande A, Yu PC
Association of fluoroquinolones or cephalosporin plus macrolide with Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) after treatment for community-acquired pneumonia.
The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between the antibiotic regimens of empiric therapy with a respiratory fluoroquinolone or cephalosporin plus macrolide combination and the development of hospital-onset Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). The researchers used data from 638 United States hospitals and included adults admitted with pneumonia and discharged from July 2010 through June 2015 with a pneumonia diagnosis code who received 3 or more days of either antibiotic regimen. The study sample included 58,060 patients treated with either cephalosporin plus macrolide (36,796 patients) or a fluoroquinolone alone (21,264 patients). 0.35% of patients who received cephalosporin plus macrolide and 0.31% who received a fluoroquinolone developed CDI, making CDI risks similar for fluoroquinolones versus cephalosporin plus macrolide.
AHRQ-funded; HS024277.
Citation: Patel P, Deshpande A, Yu PC .
Association of fluoroquinolones or cephalosporin plus macrolide with Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) after treatment for community-acquired pneumonia.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2023 Jan; 44(1):47-54. doi: 10.1017/ice.2022.60..
Keywords: Pneumonia, Clostridium difficile Infections, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Medication, Infectious Diseases, Community-Acquired Infections
Metersky ML, Wang Y, Klompas M
Trend in ventilator-associated pneumonia rates between 2005 and 2013.
This study found that, from 2005 through 2013, Medicare Patient Safety Monitoring System (MPSMS) ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) rates remained stable and substantial, affecting approximately 10 percent of ventilated patients. Persistently high VAP rates bolster concerns that most interventions purported to reduce VAP are supported by limited evidence.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 290201200003C.
Citation: Metersky ML, Wang Y, Klompas M .
Trend in ventilator-associated pneumonia rates between 2005 and 2013.
JAMA 2016 Dec 13;316(22):2427-29. doi: 10.1001/jama.2016.16226.
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Keywords: Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Patient Safety, Evidence-Based Practice
Nuckols TK, Keeler E, Morton SC
Economic evaluation of quality improvement interventions for bloodstream infections related to central catheters: a systematic review.
The authors systematically reviewed economic evaluations of QI interventions designed to prevent central-line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) and catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSI) in acute care hospitals. They concluded that interventions related to central venous catheters were, on average, associated with 57% fewer bloodstream infections and substantial savings to hospitals. Larger initial investments may be associated with greater savings.
AHRQ-funded.
Citation: Nuckols TK, Keeler E, Morton SC .
Economic evaluation of quality improvement interventions for bloodstream infections related to central catheters: a systematic review.
JAMA Intern Med 2016 Dec;176(12):1843-54. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.6610.
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Keywords: Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSI), Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Healthcare Costs, Quality Improvement
Cohen B, Murray M, Jia H
Is hand hygiene frequency associated with the onset of outbreaks in pediatric long-term care?
The authors studied the possibility of a correlation between hand hygiene and viral outbreak reduction in pediatric long-term care facilities. Contrary to findings in adult long-term care facilities, they found no association between hand hygiene frequency and subsequent outbreak onset in pediatric long-term care facilities.
AHRQ-funded; HS021470.
Citation: Cohen B, Murray M, Jia H .
Is hand hygiene frequency associated with the onset of outbreaks in pediatric long-term care?
Am J Infect Control 2016 Dec;44(12):1492-94. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2016.06.022.
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Keywords: Prevention, Children/Adolescents, Long-Term Care, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Patient Safety, Children/Adolescents
Peterson LR, Boehm S, Beaumont JL
Reduction of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection in long-term care is possible while maintaining patient socialization: a prospective randomized clinical trial.
The researchers sought to demonstrate that a novel, minimally invasive program not interfering with activities of daily living or socialization could lower methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) disease in long-term care facilities (LTCFs). They found that the MRSA infection rate decreased 65% between baseline and year 2, with a significant reduction observed at each of the three participating LTCFs. They concluded that on-site MRSA surveillance with targeted decolonization resulted in a significant decrease in clinical MRSA infection among LTCF residents.
AHRQ-funded; HS019968.
Citation: Peterson LR, Boehm S, Beaumont JL .
Reduction of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection in long-term care is possible while maintaining patient socialization: a prospective randomized clinical trial.
Am J Infect Control 2016 Dec;44(12):1622-27. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2016.04.251.
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Keywords: Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Long-Term Care, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Patient Safety, Prevention
Warnock DG, Powell TC, Siew ED
Serum creatinine trajectories for community- versus hospital-acquired acute kidney injury.
The researchers hypothesized that the timing and values of minimum and maximum serum creatinine (sCr) could be used to distinguish between transient hospital-associated AKI (THA-AKI) and hospital-acquired AKI (HA-AKI). They found that peak creatinine followed the minimum creatinine for HA-AKI, while the peak creatinine preceded the minimum creatinine for THA-AKI.
AHRQ-funded; HS013852.
Citation: Warnock DG, Powell TC, Siew ED .
Serum creatinine trajectories for community- versus hospital-acquired acute kidney injury.
Nephron 2016;134(3):177-82. doi: 10.1159/000447757.
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Keywords: Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs)
Musuuza JS, Hundt AS, Zimbric M
Standardizing direct observation for assessing compliance to a daily chlorhexidine bathing protocol among hospitalized patients.
This paper describes the authors' experience training observers to conduct chlorhexidine gluconate bathing observations, and they present findings from pilot observations.
AHRQ-funded; HS024039.
Citation: Musuuza JS, Hundt AS, Zimbric M .
Standardizing direct observation for assessing compliance to a daily chlorhexidine bathing protocol among hospitalized patients.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016 Dec;37(12):1516-18. doi: 10.1017/ice.2016.214.
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Keywords: Guidelines, Quality of Care, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Patient Safety, Prevention
Mimoz O, Chopra V, Widmer A
What's new in skin antisepsis for short-term intravascular catheters: new data to address old problems?
Catheter-related infections remain a leading cause of healthcare-associated infections (HAI) in ICUs and the most preventable HAI. The authors discussed skin antiseptic solutions and included a table of practical recommendations for skin antisepsis before insertion of a short-term vascular catheter.
AHRQ-funded; HS022835.
Citation: Mimoz O, Chopra V, Widmer A .
What's new in skin antisepsis for short-term intravascular catheters: new data to address old problems?
Intensive Care Med 2016 Dec;42(12):2043-45. doi: 10.1007/s00134-016-4490-5.
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Keywords: Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSI), Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Patient Safety, Prevention
Ruis AR, Shaffer DW, Shirley DK
Teaching health care workers to adopt a systems perspective for improved control and prevention of health care-associated infections.
The authors argue that procedural approaches alone, even with high levels of adherence, are often insufficient to solve the growing problem of health care-associated infections (HAIs); it is equally important that interventions address the more complex cognitive aspects of HAI control and prevention. Health care workers (HCWs) face many patient care situations for which standard procedures have not been and cannot be developed.
AHRQ-funded; HS023791.
Citation: Ruis AR, Shaffer DW, Shirley DK .
Teaching health care workers to adopt a systems perspective for improved control and prevention of health care-associated infections.
Am J Infect Control 2016 Nov;44(11):1360-64. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2016.04.211.
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Keywords: Clostridium difficile Infections, Education: Continuing Medical Education, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Prevention, Provider
Krishnan S, Karg PE, Boninger ML
Early detection of pressure ulcer development following traumatic spinal cord injury using inflammatory mediators.
The authors aimed to identify changes in concentrations of inflammatory mediators in plasma and urine after traumatic spinal cord injury and before the occurrence of a first pressure ulcer. They found that an increase in concentration of the chemokine interferon-γ-induced protein in plasma and a decrease in concentration of the cytokine interferon-α in urine were observed before occurrence of a first pressure ulcer compared with matched controls. They concluded that inflammatory mediators should be explored as possible biomarkers for identifying individuals at risk for pressure ulcer formation.
AHRQ-funded; HS022134.
Citation: Krishnan S, Karg PE, Boninger ML .
Early detection of pressure ulcer development following traumatic spinal cord injury using inflammatory mediators.
Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2016 Oct;97(10):1656-62. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2016.01.003.
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Keywords: Pressure Ulcers, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Injuries and Wounds
Diehl A, Yang T, Speck K
AHRQ Author: Battles J
Evaluating the accuracy of sampling strategies for estimation of compliance rate for ventilator-associated pneumonia process measures.
The researchers evaluated the accuracy of sampling strategies to estimate monthly compliance rates with ventilator-associated pneumonia prevention measures. They concluded that sampling process measures intermittently rather than continually can yield accurate estimates of process measure performance rates.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 290201000027I; 29032002T.
Citation: Diehl A, Yang T, Speck K .
Evaluating the accuracy of sampling strategies for estimation of compliance rate for ventilator-associated pneumonia process measures.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016 Sep;37(9):1037-43. doi: 10.1017/ice.2016.136.
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Keywords: Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP), Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Pneumonia, Quality Improvement, Quality Measures