Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) occur frequently and are associated with patient harm. It is important that healthcare facilities take the necessary steps to prevent the spread of resistant bacteria. ESKAPE bacteria (Enterococcus, S. aureus, Klebsiella, Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, and Enterobacter spp.) are particularly pathogenic. Isolation of these pathogens from intraoperative reservoirs has been associated with postoperative infection development (i.e. surgical site infections). This project involves implementation of a software platform and bacterial collection system (OR PathTrac) that leverages the epidemiology of intraoperative bacterial transmission to guide dynamic, prospective improvements in perioperative infection control measures. The investigators will assess the effectiveness of OR PathTrac feedback in optimizing an evidence-based, multifaceted, perioperative infection control program.
Our objective was to analyze the impact of surveillance feedback optimization of a multifaceted, perioperative infection control program on S. aureus transmission and SSIs. A multifaceted infection control program was implemented over 8 months (November 2018 to June 2019). A prospective cohort impact study was then conducted over 8 months (July 2019 to March 2020) to compare the incidence of within-case S. aureus transmission (primary outcome) and surgical site infection (secondary outcome) before (4.5 months) and after (3.5 months) implementation of surveillance feedback.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
804
OR PathTrac (RDB Bioinformatics, Omaha, NE 68154) uses a systematic phenotypic approach leveraging temporal association to monitor 13 anesthesia work area reservoirs proven to be associated with high-risk intraoperative bacterial transmission events and subsequent infection development.
Georgetown University
Georgetown, District of Columbia, United States
within-case S. aureus transmission
S. aureus transmission events detected within a surgical case
Time frame: From patient entry into the operating room until case end, up to 6 hours
surgical site infection
evidence of infection (office note documentation with anti-infective order and/or isolation of one or more potentially pathogenic organisms
Time frame: Up to 90 days following surgery
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