National validation of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services strategy for identifying potential surgical-site infections following colon surgery and abdominal hysterectomy.

Objective: National validation of claims-based surveillance for surgical-site infections (SSIs) following colon surgery and abdominal hysterectomy.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: US hospitals selected for data validation by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Automated outbreak detection of hospital-associated pathogens: Value to infection prevention programs.

Objective: To assess the utility of an automated, statistically-based outbreak detection system to identify clusters of hospital-acquired microorganisms.

Design: Multicenter retrospective cohort study.

Setting: The study included 43 hospitals using a common infection prevention surveillance system.

Chlorhexidine versus routine bathing to prevent multidrug-resistant organisms and all-cause bloodstream infections in general medical and surgical units (ABATE Infection trial): a cluster-randomised trial.

Background: Universal skin and nasal decolonisation reduces multidrug-resistant pathogens and bloodstream infections in intensive care units. The effect of universal decolonisation on pathogens and infections in non-critical-care units is unknown. The aim of the ABATE Infection trial was to evaluate the use of chlorhexidine bathing in non-critical-care units, with an intervention similar to one that was found to reduce multidrug-resistant organisms and bacteraemia in intensive care units.

Chlorhexidine and Mupirocin Susceptibility of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolates in the REDUCE-MRSA Trial.

Whether targeted or universal decolonization strategies for the control of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) select for resistance to decolonizing agents is unresolved. The REDUCE-MRSA trial (ClinicalTrials registration no. NCT00980980) provided an opportunity to investigate this question.

Lack of Comprehensive Outbreak Detection in Hospitals.

Timely identification of outbreaks of hospital-associated infections is needed to implement control measures and minimize impact. Survey results from 33 hospitals indicated that most hospitals lacked a formal cluster definition and all targeted a very limited group of prespecified pathogens. Standardized, statistically based outbreak detection could greatly improve current practice.

Effect of body surface decolonisation on bacteriuria and candiduria in intensive care units: an analysis of a cluster-randomised trial.

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common health-care-associated infections. Bacteriuria commonly precedes UTI and is often treated with antibiotics, particularly in hospital intensive care units (ICUs). In 2013, a cluster-randomised trial (REDUCE MRSA Trial [Randomized Evaluation of Decolonization vs Universal Clearance to Eradicate MRSA]) showed that body surface decolonisation reduced all-pathogen bloodstream infections.

Does chlorhexidine bathing in adult intensive care units reduce blood culture contamination? A pragmatic cluster-randomized trial.

Objective: To determine rates of blood culture contamination comparing 3 strategies to prevent intensive care unit (ICU) infections: screening and isolation, targeted decolonization, and universal decolonization.

Design: Pragmatic cluster-randomized trial.

Setting: Forty-three hospitals with 74 ICUs; 42 of 43 were community hospitals.

Medicare claims can be used to identify US hospitals with higher rates of surgical site infection following vascular surgery.

Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) following vascular surgery have high morbidity and costs, and are increasingly tracked as hospital quality measures.

Objective: To assess the ability of Medicare claims to identify US hospitals with high SSI rates after vascular surgery.

Research Design: Using claims from fee-for-service Medicare enrollees of age 65 years and older who underwent vascular surgery from 2005 to 2008, we derived hospital rankings using previously validated codes suggestive of SSI, with individual-level adjustment for age, sex, and comorbidities.

Targeted versus universal decolonization to prevent ICU infection.

Background: Both targeted decolonization and universal decolonization of patients in intensive care units (ICUs) are candidate strategies to prevent health care-associated infections, particularly those caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Methods: We conducted a pragmatic, cluster-randomized trial. Hospitals were randomly assigned to one of three strategies, with all adult ICUs in a given hospital assigned to the same strategy.

Use of Medicare claims to identify US hospitals with a high rate of surgical site infection after hip arthroplasty.

Objective: To assess the ability of Medicare claims to identify US hospitals with high rates of surgical site infection (SSI) after hip arthroplasty.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Acute care US hospitals.