Poor outcomes in both infection and colonization with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales.

Objectives: To describe the epidemiology of patients with nonintestinal carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) colonization and to compare clinical outcomes of these patients to those with CRE infection.

Design: A secondary analysis of Consortium on Resistance Against Carbapenems in and other Enterobacteriaceae 2 (CRACKLE-2), a prospective observational cohort.

Setting: A total of 49 US short-term acute-care hospitals.

SARS-CoV-2 Cycle Thresholds, Poverty, Race, and Clinical Outcomes.

Background: Poverty and high viral load are associated with worse outcomes among COVID-19 patients.

Methods: We included patients admitted to Froedtert Health between March 16 and June 1, 2020. SARS-CoV-2 viral load was proxied by cycle-threshold values.

Elastomeric Respirators for COVID-19 and the Next Respiratory Virus Pandemic: Essential Design Elements.

Respiratory viruses are transmitted via respiratory particles that are emitted when people breath, speak, cough, or sneeze. These particles span the size spectrum from visible droplets to airborne particles of hundreds of nanometers. Barrier face coverings ("cloth masks") and surgical masks are loose-fitting and provide limited protection from airborne particles since air passes around the edges of the mask as well as through the filtering material.

Antibiotic resistance patterns of Escherichia coli isolates from the clinic through the wastewater pathway.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) remains one of the leading global health threats. This study compared antimicrobial resistance patterns among E. coli isolates from clinical uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) to hospital wastewater populations and throughout an urban wastewater treatment facility - influent, pre- and post-chlorinated effluents.

SARS-CoV-2 and Wisconsin Nursing Homes: Temporal Dynamics During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objectives: Evidence suggests that quality, location, and staffing levels may be associated with COVID-19 incidence in nursing homes. However, it is unknown if these relationships remain constant over time. We describe incidence rates of COVID-19 across Wisconsin nursing homes while examining factors associated with their trajectory during 5 months of the pandemic.

Predicting asymptomatic severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection rates of inpatients: A time-series analysis.

Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections are often difficult to identify because widespread surveillance has not been the norm. Using time-series analyses, we examined whether COVID-19 rates at the county level could predict positivity rates among asymptomatic patients in a large health system. Asymptomatic positivity rates at the system level and county-level COVID-19 rates were not associated.

Duration of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriales carriage among ICU patients in Miami, FL: A retrospective cohort study.

Background: Current recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest placing patients with carbapenem-producing Enterobacteriales (CPE) in contact precautions, but there is no consensus on the appropriate duration of precautions.

Aim: We aimed to evaluate predictors for prolonged CPE carriage and median clearance time.

Methods: Patients with first isolated CPE identified from 2012-2016 were followed for clearance of CPE using at least two rectal or tracheal aspirate surveillance cultures and clinical cultures during intensive-care-unit admission.

Surveillance cultures following a regional outbreak of carbapenem-resistant .

Objectives: The primary aim of this study was to assess the epidemiology of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) for 9 months following a regional outbreak with this organism. We also aimed to determine the differential positivity rate from different body sites and characterize the longitudinal changes of surveillance test results among CRAB patients.

Design: Observational study.

Air contamination of households versus hospital inpatient rooms occupied by severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-positive patients.

The household setting has some of the highest coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) secondary-attack rates. We compared the air contamination in hospital rooms versus households of COVID-19 patients. Inpatient air samples were only positive at 0.

Transmission Dynamics of Clostridioides difficile in 2 High-Acuity Hospital Units.

Background: The key epidemiological drivers of Clostridioides difficile transmission are not well understood. We estimated epidemiological parameters to characterize variation in C. difficile transmission, while accounting for the imperfect nature of surveillance tests.

Risk factors for the development of infections associated with carbapenemase-producing among previously colonized patients: A retrospective cohort study.

Not all patients who acquire carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) develop infections by these organisms; many remain only colonized. Of 54 CPE-colonized patients, 16 (30%) developed CPE infections. We identified indwelling urinary catheter exposure, exposure to intravenous colistin, and overseas transfer as variables associated with CPE infection development among colonized patients.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in long-term care facilities: A review of epidemiology, clinical presentations, and containment interventions.

Long-term care facilities (LTCFs) and their populations have been greatly affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In this review, we summarize the literature to describe the current epidemiology of COVID-19 in LTCFs, clinical presentations and outcomes in the LTCF population with COVID-19, containment interventions, and the role of healthcare workers in SARS-CoV-2 transmission in these facilities.

Infection Prevention Precautions for Routine Anesthesia Care During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic.

Many health care systems around the world continue to struggle with large numbers of SARS-CoV-2-infected patients, while others have diminishing numbers of cases following an initial surge. There will most likely be significant oscillations in numbers of cases for the foreseeable future, based on the regional epidemiology of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Less affected hospitals and facilities will attempt to progressively resume elective procedures and surgery.

Racial Disparities in Incidence and Outcomes Among Patients With COVID-19.

Importance: Initial public health data show that Black race may be a risk factor for worse outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Objective: To characterize the association of race with incidence and outcomes of COVID-19, while controlling for age, sex, socioeconomic status, and comorbidities.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cross-sectional study included 2595 consecutive adults tested for COVID-19 from March 12 to March 31, 2020, at Froedtert Health and Medical College of Wisconsin (Milwaukee), the largest academic system in Wisconsin, with 879 inpatient beds (of which 128 are intensive care unit beds).

Toxigenic colonization as a risk factor for development of infection in solid-organ transplant patients.

Background: The association between Clostridioides difficile colonization and C. difficile infection (CDI) is unknown in solid-organ transplant (SOT) patients. We examined C.

Prevalence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Asymptomatic Infections in 2 Large Academic Health Systems in Wisconsin.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) asymptomatic infections may play a critical role in disease transmission. We aim to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection at 2 hospital systems in 2 counties in Wisconsin. The SARS-CoV-2 prevalence was 1% or lower at both systems despite the higher incidence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Milwaukee County.

Distribution of SARS-CoV-2 PCR Cycle Threshold Values Provide Practical Insight Into Overall and Target-Specific Sensitivity Among Symptomatic Patients.

Objectives: We examined the distribution of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) cycle threshold (CT) values obtained from symptomatic patients being evaluated for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) to determine the proportion of specimens containing a viral load near the assay limit of detection (LoD) to gain practical insight to the risk of false-negative results. We also examined the relationship between CT value and patient age to determine any age-dependent difference in viral load or test sensitivity.

Methods: We collected CT values obtained from the cobas severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) assay corresponding to 1,213 combined nasopharyngeal-oropharyngeal specimens obtained from symptomatic individuals that were reported as positive or presumptive positive for SARS-CoV-2.