Study: Surveillance for antibiotic-resistant bacteria continues to be core focus for healthcare facilities

Below is a summary of a study published online today in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology. This article will be freely available for a limited time. SHEA members have full access to all ICHE articles through the online portal.

Title: "Current infection prevention and antibiotic stewardship program practices: A survey of the SHEA Research Network."

Summary: This study was conducted within the SHEA Research Network, a large consortium of healthcare facilities dedicated to conducting high-quality studies related to infection prevention and control and antibiotic stewardship. The survey demonstrates that surveillance for antibiotic-resistant bacteria continues to be a core focus for healthcare facilities. As compared to a similar 2013 survey, active surveillance for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has declined, while active surveillance for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) is now performed in half of centers.

This work further highlights the growth in financially supported antibiotic stewardship programs over the past 5 years, as well as frequent use of rapid molecular diagnostic tests to expedite appropriate antibiotic therapy for patients with bloodstream infections. Finally, while half of facilities anticipated increased responsibilities for infection control and antibiotic stewardship staff, the minority anticipated increases in funding for this important work.

Highlights:

- Antimicrobial stewardship programs were present in 95 facilities in 2018, an increase from 85 percent in 2013.

- There's been a shift in focus toward active surveillance for MDR-GN organisms, with fewer facilities reporting active MRSA surveillance, which may reflect 2015 CDC recommendations

- Financial support for physician stewardship medical directors increased to 78 percent in 2018 from 52 percent in 2013.

- Monitoring of environmental cleaning effectiveness was more frequent in 2018, when it was performed in 98% of facilities compared to 80 % in 2013.

- Ultraviolet light and hydrogen peroxide mist were used for environmental cleaning in 37 and 16 percent of facilities, respectively, in 2018 and 2013.