Factors influencing self-reported facial-protective equipment adherence among home care nurses and personal support workers: A multisite cross-sectional study.

Background: Facial-protective equipment (FPE) use increased during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. This study explored factors influencing home care personal support workers' (PSWs) and nurses' self-reported adherence to FPE.

Methods: A cross-sectional, electronic, survey was distributed to PSWs and nurses (1,108 complete responses) at 3 home care agencies in Ontario, Canada, in May to June 2022.

Factors influencing nursing professionals' adherence to facial protective equipment usage: A comprehensive review.

Background: Facial protective equipment (FPE) adherence is necessary for the health and safety of nursing professionals. This review was conducted to synthesize predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors that influence FPE adherence, and thus inform efforts to promote adherence.

Methods: Articles were collected using Cumulated Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and MEDLINE and screened for inclusion.

A Good Investment: Expanding Capacity to Care for Older Adults in the Home and Community Care Sector Through Increased Personal Support Worker Wages.

Most older adults prefer to age in place, which for many will require home and community care (HCC) support. Unfortunately, HCC capacity is insufficient to meet demand due in part to low wages, particularly for personal support workers (PSWs) who provide the majority of paid care. Using Ontario as a case study, this paper estimates the cost and capacity impacts of implementing wage parity between PSWs employed in HCC and institutional long-term care (ILTC).

Economic Evidence for Home and Community Care Investment: The Case for Ontario Personal Support Workers' Wage Parity.

The home and community care (HCC) sector is in a health human resource crisis. Particularly concerning is the shortage of personal support workers (PSWs) who provide the majority of HCC. This paper outlines a strategy to mitigate the HCC PSW shortage by applying appropriate funding to HCC and focusing on equal pay between HCC and institutional long-term care facilities' PSWs.

"You Have to Be Careful About Every Detail" How the COVID-19 Pandemic Shaped the Experiences of Canadian Personal Support Workers Working in Home Care.

Objectives: Personal support workers (PSWs) are an essential but vulnerable workforce supporting the home care sector in Canada. Given the impact COVID-19 has had on healthcare workers globally, understanding how PSWs have been impacted is vital.

Methods: We conducted a qualitative descriptive study to understand the working experiences of PSWs over the COVID-19 pandemic.

Occupational Hand Dermatitis in Health Care: Development and Evaluation of an Online Training E-Module.

Occupational hand dermatitis (OHD) is an important health concern for health care workers (HCWs), yet there is a lack of accessible training materials on this topic. The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate an OHD training e-module for HCWs. The e-module was created in collaboration with an expert advisory committee and tested by Ontario HCWs through pre- and post-training OHD knowledge tests, a usability survey, and a survey about intent to change work skin care practices.

Determinants of nurse's and personal support worker's adherence to facial protective equipment in a community setting during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Canada: A pilot study.

Background: Appropriate and consistent facial protective equipment (FPE) use is critical for preventing respiratory illness transmission. Little is known about FPE adherence by home care providers. The purpose of this study is to adapt an existing facial protection questionnaire and use it to develop an initial understanding of factors influencing home care providers' adherence to FPE during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Antimicrobial susceptibility of Clostridioides difficile isolated from diarrhoeal stool specimens of Canadian patients: summary of results from the Canadian Clostridioides difficile (CAN-DIFF) surveillance study from 2013 to 2017.

Objectives: To summarize data generated by the Canadian Clostridioides difficile (CAN-DIFF) surveillance study from 2013 to 2017.

Methods: Isolates of C. difficile (n = 2158) were cultured from toxin-positive diarrhoeal stool specimens submitted by eight hospital laboratories to a coordinating laboratory.

Characterization of MRSA in Canada from 2007 to 2016.

Objectives: This study assessed the demographic and molecular characteristics of community-associated (CA) and healthcare-associated (HA) MRSA genotypes in Canadian hospitals between 2007 and 2016.

Methods: A total of 1963 MRSA were identified among 9103 Staphylococcus aureus isolates collected from inpatients and outpatients presenting to tertiary-care medical centres across Canada. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by broth microdilution in accordance with CLSI standards (M7 11th edition, 2018).

42936 pathogens from Canadian hospitals: 10 years of results (2007-16) from the CANWARD surveillance study.

Objectives: The CANWARD surveillance study was established in 2007 to annually assess the in vitro susceptibilities of a variety of antimicrobial agents against bacterial pathogens isolated from patients receiving care in Canadian hospitals.

Methods: 42 936 pathogens were received and CLSI broth microdilution testing was performed on 37 355 bacterial isolates. Limited patient demographic data submitted with each isolate were collated and analysed.

Antimicrobial-resistant pathogens in Canadian ICUs: results of the CANWARD 2007 to 2016 study.

Objectives: To describe the microbiology and antimicrobial resistance patterns of cultured samples acquired from Canadian ICUs.

Methods: From 2007 to 2016, tertiary care centres from across Canada submitted 42938 bacterial/fungal isolates as part of the CANWARD surveillance study. Of these, 8130 (18.

Molecular characterization of predominant Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes causing invasive infections in Canada: the SAVE study, 2011-15.

Objectives: This study characterized the 11 most predominant serotypes of invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae infections collected by the annual SAVE study in Canada, between 2011 and 2015.

Methods: A subset of the 11 most predominant serotypes (7F, 19A, 22F, 3, 12F, 11A, 9N, 8, 33F, 15A and 6C) collected by the SAVE study was analysed using PFGE and MLST, as well as PCR to identify pilus-encoding genes. WGS analyses were performed on a subset of the above isolates plus a random selection of background strains.

Analysis of multidrug resistance in the predominant Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes in Canada: the SAVE study, 2011-15.

Objectives: This study assessed MDR invasive isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae, in relation to serotype evolution in Canada between 2011 and 2015 as part of the annual SAVE study.

Methods: As part of a collaboration between the Canadian Antimicrobial Resistance Alliance and Public Health Agency of Canada-National Microbiology Laboratory, 6207 invasive isolates of S. pneumoniae were evaluated.

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of invasive isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae from Canadian patients: the SAVE study, 2011-15.

Objectives: To assess antimicrobial susceptibility for 14 agents tested against 6001 invasive isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae cultured from invasive patient samples from 2011 to 2015 as a part of the annual SAVE study.

Methods: Isolates of S. pneumoniae were tested using the standard CLSI broth microdilution method (M07-A10, 2015) with MICs interpreted by CLSI M100 27th Edition (2017) MIC breakpoints.

Evaluation of three MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry libraries for the identification of filamentous fungi in three clinical microbiology laboratories in Manitoba, Canada.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is commonly used by clinical microbiology laboratories to identify bacterial pathogens and yeasts, but not for the identification of moulds. Recent progress in extraction protocols and the composition of comparative libraries support potential application of MALDI-TOF MS for mould identification in clinical microbiology laboratories. We evaluated the performance of the Bruker Microflex™ MALDI-TOF MS instrument (Billerica, MA, USA) to identify clinical isolates and reference strains of moulds using 3 libraries, the Bruker mould library, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) library and the Mass Spectrometry Identification (MSI) online library, and compared those results to conventional (morphological) and molecular (18S/ITS; gold standard) identification methods.

PCR ribotyping and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of isolates of Clostridium difficile cultured from toxin-positive diarrheal stools of patients receiving medical care in Canadian hospitals: the Canadian Clostridium difficile Surveillance Study (CAN-DIFF) 2013-2015.

Clostridium difficile toxin-positive diarrheal stool specimens submitted to eight Canadian hospital laboratories from 2013 to 2015 were cultured. Polymerase chain reaction ribotyping of isolates was performed using an internationally standardized, high-resolution capillary gel-based electrophoresis protocol and antimicrobial susceptibility testing conducted by CLSI-defined agar dilution (M11-A8, 2012). Among the 1310 isolates of C.

Characterization of MDR and XDR Streptococcus pneumoniae in Canada, 2007-13.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to characterize Streptococcus pneumoniae demonstrating MDR (resistant to three or more antimicrobial classes) or XDR (resistant to five or more classes) phenotypes, collected from Canada during the CANWARD 2007-13 study.

Methods: From 2007 to 2013 inclusive, S. pneumoniae isolates were collected as a part of the CANWARD surveillance study.

Assessment of multidrug resistance, clonality and virulence in non-PCV-13 Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes in Canada, 2011-13.

Objectives: Serotype replacement in Streptococcus pneumoniae following the implementation of a new vaccine has been associated with the emergence of non-vaccine serotypes as prominent causes of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). The aim of this study was to characterize specific non-PCV-13 serotypes 15A, 22F, 33F and 35B from IPD, isolated in Canada post-PCV-13 introduction in 2010.

Methods: Of 3802 IPD isolates collected from across Canada in 2011-13, 18.

Evolution and molecular characterization of macrolide-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae in Canada between 1998 and 2008.

Objectives: Studies were performed to assess resistance mechanisms, multidrug resistance (MDR), genetic relatedness, serotype distribution, heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) coverage and pili virulence factors among macrolide-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (MRSP) isolated from respiratory samples submitted to hospital laboratories across Canada from 1998 to 2008.

Methods: Isolates of MRSP (n = 1518) collected by the national surveillance studies CROSS (Canadian Respiratory Organism Susceptibility Study; 1998-2006) and CANWARD (Canadian Ward Surveillance Study; 2007-08) were tested using the CLSI broth microdilution method to establish antimicrobial susceptibilities. PCR was used to detect macrolide resistance genes [mef(A) and erm(B)] and pili virulence factors (type 1 pili and type 2 pili), the Quellung reaction was used to identify serotypes and PFGE was used to determine genetic relatedness.

Antimicrobial susceptibility of 22746 pathogens from Canadian hospitals: results of the CANWARD 2007-11 study.

Objectives: The purpose of the CANWARD study was to assess the antimicrobial activity of a variety of available agents against 22,746 pathogens isolated from patients in Canadian hospitals between 2007 and 2011.

Methods: Between 2007 and 2011, 27,123 pathogens were collected from tertiary-care centres from across Canada; 22,746 underwent antimicrobial susceptibility testing using CLSI broth microdilution methods. Patient demographic data were also collected.

Changing epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Canada.

Objectives: To compare the demographics, antimicrobial susceptibilities and molecular epidemiology of community-associated (CA) and healthcare-associated (HA) methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Canada.

Methods: Between 2007 and 2011, 1266 MRSA were collected from inpatients and outpatients attending tertiary-care medical centres across Canada. Susceptibility testing was performed using broth microdilution and isolates were characterized by spa typing and PCR to detect the Panton-Valentine leucocidin (PVL) gene.

Trends in antibiotic resistance over time among pathogens from Canadian hospitals: results of the CANWARD study 2007-11.

Objectives: Antimicrobial resistance patterns change over time and longitudinal surveillance studies provide insight into these trends. We sought to describe the important trends in antimicrobial resistance in key pathogens across Canada to provide useful information to clinicians, policy makers and industry, to assist in optimizing antimicrobial therapy, formulary choices and drug development.

Methods: We analysed longitudinal data from the CANWARD study using a multivariate regression model to control for possible effects of patient demographics on resistance, in order to assess the impact of time on antimicrobial resistance independent of other measured variables.

Identification of blood culture isolates directly from positive blood cultures by use of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry and a commercial extraction system: analysis of performance, cost, and turnaround time.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry represents a revolution in the rapid identification of bacterial and fungal pathogens in the clinical microbiology laboratory. Recently, MALDI-TOF has been applied directly to positive blood culture bottles for the rapid identification of pathogens, leading to reductions in turnaround time and potentially beneficial patient impacts. The development of a commercially available extraction kit (Bruker Sepsityper) for use with the Bruker MALDI BioTyper has facilitated the processing required for identification of pathogens directly from positive from blood cultures.