Reduced rate of intensive care unit acquired gram-negative bacilli after removal of sinks and introduction of 'water-free' patient care
Publication year
2017Source
Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control, 6, (2017), pp. 59, article 59ISSN
Publication type
Article / Letter to editor
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Organization
Medical Microbiology
Primary and Community Care
IQ Healthcare
Intensive Care
Journal title
Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control
Volume
vol. 6
Page start
p. 59
Page end
p. 59
Subject
Radboudumc 18: Healthcare improvement science RIHS: Radboud Institute for Health Sciences; Radboudumc 4: lnfectious Diseases and Global Health RIHS: Radboud Institute for Health Sciences; Radboudumc 4: lnfectious Diseases and Global Health RIMLS: Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences; IQ Healthcare Radboud University Medical Center; Intensive Care Radboud University Medical Center; Medical Microbiology Radboud University Medical Center; Primary and Community Care Radboud University Medical CenterAbstract
BACKGROUND: Sinks in patient rooms are associated with hospital-acquired infections. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of removal of sinks from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patient rooms and the introduction of 'water-free' patient care on gram-negative bacilli colonization rates. METHODS: We conducted a 2-year pre/post quasi-experimental study that compared monthly gram-negative bacilli colonization rates pre- and post-intervention using segmented regression analysis of interrupted time series data. Five ICUs of a tertiary care medical center were included. Participants were all patients of 18 years and older admitted to our ICUs for at least 48 h who also received selective digestive tract decontamination during the twelve month pre-intervention or the twelve month post-intervention period. The effect of sink removal and the introduction of 'water-free' patient care on colonization rates with gram-negative bacilli was evaluated. The main outcome of this study was the monthly colonization rate with gram-negative bacilli (GNB). Yeast colonization rates were used as a 'negative control'. In addition, colonization rates were calculated for first positive culture results from cultures taken >/=3, >/=5, >/=7, >/=10 and >/=14 days after ICU-admission, rate ratios (RR) were calculated and differences tested with chi-squared tests. RESULTS: In the pre-intervention period, 1496 patients (9153 admission days) and in the post-intervention period 1444 patients (9044 admission days) were included. Segmented regression analysis showed that the intervention was followed by a statistically significant immediate reduction in GNB colonization in absence of a pre or post intervention trend in GNB colonization. The overall GNB colonization rate dropped from 26.3 to 21.6 GNB/1000 ICU admission days (colonization rate ratio 0.82; 95%CI 0.67-0.99; P = 0.02). The reduction in GNB colonization rate became more pronounced in patients with a longer ICU-Length of Stay (LOS): from a 1.22-fold reduction (>/=2 days), to a 1.6-fold (>/=5 days; P = 0.002), 2.5-fold (for >/=10 days; P < 0.001) to a 3.6-fold (>/=14 days; P < 0.001) reduction. CONCLUSIONS: Removal of sinks from patient rooms and introduction of a method of 'water-free' patient care is associated with a significant reduction of patient colonization with GNB, especially in patients with a longer ICU length of stay.
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