Healthcare-Associated Pathogens and Nursing Home Policies and Practices: Results From a National Survey. (23rd March 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ye, Zhiqiu; Mukamel, Dana B.; Huang, Susan S.; Li, Yue; Temkin-Greener, Helena
• Is Part Of: Infection control and hospital epidemiology. Volume 36:Number 7(2015)
• Page Start: 759
• Page End: 766
• Publication Date: 2015-03-23
• Subjects: Nosocomial infections -- Epidemiology -- Periodicals; Health facilities -- Sanitation -- Periodicals; Hospital buildings -- Sanitation -- Periodicals; Cross Infection -- Periodicals; Epidemiology -- Periodicals; Hospitals -- Periodicals; Infection Control -- Periodicals; 614.44
• DOI: 10.1017/ice.2015.59
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0899-823X

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="normal"> <title> <x content-type="archive" xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec id="abs1" sec-type="general"> <title>OBJECTIVE</title> <p>To examine the prevalence of healthcare-associated pathogens and the infection control policies and practices in a national sample of nursing homes (NHs).</p> </sec> <sec id="abs2" sec-type="methods"> <title>METHODS</title> <p>In 2012, we conducted a national survey about the extent to which NHs follow suggested infection control practices with regard to 3 common healthcare-associated pathogens: methicillin-resistant <italic>Staphylococcus aureus</italic>, <italic>Clostridium difficile</italic>, and extended-spectrum <italic>β</italic>-lactamase producers, and their prevalence in NHs. We adapted a previously used and validated NH infection control survey, including questions on prevalence, admission and screening policies, contact precautions, decolonization, and cleaning practices.</p> </sec> <sec id="abs3" sec-type="results"> <title>RESULTS</title> <p>A total of 1, 002 surveys were returned. Of the responding NHs, 14.2% were less likely to accept residents with methicillin-resistant <italic>Staphylococcus aureus</italic>, with the principal reason being lack of single or cohort rooms. NHs do not routinely perform admission screening (96.4%) because it is not required by regulation (56.2%) and would not change care provision (30.7%). Isolation strategies vary substantially, with gloves being most commonly used. Most NHs (75.1%) do not decolonize carriers of methicillin-resistant <italic>Staphylococcus aureus</italic>, but some (10.6%) decolonize more than 90% of residents. Despite no guidance on how resident rooms on contact precautions should be cleaned, 59.3% of NHs report enhanced cleaning for such rooms.</p> </sec> <sec id="abs4" sec-type="conclusion"> <title>CONCLUSION</title> <p>Overall, NHs tend to follow voluntary infection control guidelines only if doing so does not require substantial financial investment in new or dedicated staff or infrastructure.</p> <p> <italic>Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol</italic> 2015;36(7):759–766</p> </sec> </abstract>