Assessing the Utility of GeneXpert MTB/Rif Assay in a Tertiary Care Centre in Southern India with Established Microscopy and Liquid Culture Facilities.

Background: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the Xpert MTB/RIF assay for the detection of M. tuberculosis in pulmonary and extra pulmonary specimens and to compare it with conventional techniques.

Methods: A prospective study was conducted with the introduction of GeneXpert in a tertiary care hospital which relied on microscopy and culture for diagnosis of tuberculosis.

Surgical site infection rates in six cities of India: findings of the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC).

Background: Surgical site infections are a threat to patient safety. However, in India, data on their rates stratified by surgical procedure are not available.

Methods: From January 2005 to December 2011, the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) conducted a cohort prospective surveillance study on surgical site infections in 10 hospitals in 6 Indian cities.

Impact of an international nosocomial infection control consortium multidimensional approach on central line-associated bloodstream infection rates in adult intensive care units in eight cities in India.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) multidimensional infection control approach on central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) rates in eight cities of India.

Methods: This was a prospective, before-and-after cohort study of 35650 patients hospitalized in 16 adult intensive care units of 11 hospitals. During the baseline period, outcome surveillance of CLABSI was performed, applying the definitions of the CDC/NHSN (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/National Healthcare Safety Network).

Phenotypic & molecular characterization of AmpC β-lactamases among Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp. & Enterobacter spp. from five Indian Medical Centers.

Background & Objectives: AmpC β-lactamases which are often plasmid mediated hydrolyze all β-lactam antibiotics except cefepime and carbapenems. We evaluated the presence of AmpC β-lactamases among Enterobacteriaceae strains recovered prospectively from patients at five Indian tertiary care centres.

Methods: The study included 909 consecutive Gram-negative isolates recovered from clinically significant specimens during June 2007 - May 2008 as part of an ICMR-ESBL study.

Effectiveness of a multidimensional approach to reduce ventilator-associated pneumonia in pediatric intensive care units of 5 developing countries: International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium findings.

Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is one of the most common health care-associated infections in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). Practice bundles have been shown to reduce VAP rates in PICUs in developed countries; however, the impact of a multidimensional approach, including a bundle, has not been analyzed in PICUs from developing countries.

Methods: This was a before-after study to determine rates of VAP during a period of active surveillance without the implementation of the multidimensional infection control program (phase 1) to be compared with rates of VAP after implementing such a program, which included the following: bundle of infection control interventions, education, outcome surveillance, process surveillance, feedback on VAP rates, and performance feedback on infection control practices (phase 2).