Device Utilization Ratios in Infection Prevention: Process or Outcome Measure?

Purpose Of Review: The purpose of this review is to describe the role of device utilization as a component of surveillance for healthcare-associated infections and describe its potential role as a measurement of healthcare quality.

Recent Findings: Device utilization, while primarily a process-based measure in the prevention of device-associated infections can also serve as an important outcome in the evaluation of an infection prevention program. Device utilization can be an important and resource-efficient measurement when coupled with measurements of risk-adjusted infection rates.

Antibiotic Utilization and Opportunities for Stewardship Among Hospitalized Patients With Influenza Respiratory Tract Infection.

Objective: Hospitalized influenza patients are often treated with antibiotics empirically while awaiting final diagnosis. The goal of this study was to describe the inappropriate continuation of antibiotics for influenza respiratory tract infections (RTIs).

Design: We retrospectively studied adults admitted to our institution over 2 respiratory flu seasons with positive influenza RTIs.

Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae: A Case Series of Infections at Hartford Hospital.

Infections due to carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) represent a growing problem nationally, are difficult to treat, and are associated with high mortality rates. Features of CRE infection within Connecticut, a nonendemic area, have not been described in the medical literature. We report a case series of five patients with CRE isolates who were treated at Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut from 2011-2013.

Cardiac tamponade as a result of Mycobacterium avium-complex pleural effusion.

Patients with advanced AIDS are prone to opportunistic infections, including disseminated disease from Mycobacterium avium-complex (MAC). We describe the first reported case of MAC related pleural effusion causing cardiac tamponade.