Outcome of Electronic Order Alert Intervention Relative to Toxigenic Clostridium difficile PCR Analysis and Hospital-Onset C difficile Infection in a Multihospital Health Care System.

Objectives: Concern exists regarding overdiagnosis of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) via molecular modalities. We determined effects of a preanalytic order intervention on laboratory and CDI prevention measures in a multihospital system.

Methods: Intervals before and following implementation of a CDI electronic order alert (relative to appropriate testing scenario) were assessed for C difficile test volume and positivity rate, hospital-onset CDI frequency, and hospital-onset C difficile standardized infection ratio (SIR).

Laboratory Focus on Improving the Culture of Biosafety: Statewide Risk Assessment of Clinical Laboratories That Process Specimens for Microbiologic Analysis.

The Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene challenged Wisconsin laboratories to examine their biosafety practices and improve their culture of biosafety. One hundred three clinical and public health laboratories completed a questionnaire-based, microbiology-focused biosafety risk assessment. Greater than 96% of the respondents performed activities related to specimen processing, direct microscopic examination, and rapid nonmolecular testing, while approximately 60% performed culture interpretation.

Surveillance of Wisconsin Antibacterial Susceptibility Patterns.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance presents a threat to quality patient care. Knowledge of localantibacterial susceptibility patterns can guide clinicians in empiric antibacterial administration andassist pharmacists and infectious disease physicians in development of appropriate therapeutic pathways.

Methods: To characterize Wisconsin antibacterial susceptibility patterns and elucidate geographicor temporal variation in antibacterial resistance, a retrospective, observational analysis of antibiogram data was performed.