Background: Surveillance of healthcare-associated infections is fundamental for infection prevention. The methods and practices for surveillance have evolved as technology becomes more advanced. The availability of electronic surveillance software (ESS) has increased, and yet adoption of ESS is slow. It is argued that ESS delivers savings through automation, particularly in terms of human resourcing and infection prevention (IP) staff time.
Aim: To describe the findings of a systematic review on the impact of ESS on IP resources.
Methods: A systematic search was conducted of electronic databases Medline and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature published between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2016 with analysis using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.
Findings: In all, 2832 articles were reviewed, of which 16 studies met the inclusion criteria. IP resources were identified as time undertaken on surveillance. A reduction in IP staff time to undertake surveillance was demonstrated in 13 studies. The reduction proportion ranged from 12.5% to 98.4% (mean: 73.9%). The remaining three did not allow for any estimation of the effect in terms of IP staff time. None of the studies demonstrated an increase in IP staff time.
Conclusion: The results of this review demonstrate that adopting ESS yields considerable dividends in IP staff time relating to data collection and case ascertainment while maintaining high levels of sensitivity and specificity. This has the potential to enable reinvestment into other components of IP to maximize efficient use of scarce IP resources.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2017.09.002 | DOI Listing |
Antimicrob Resist Infect Control
January 2025
Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, 222, Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Background: Clinical characteristics and outcomes of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) infection and colonization have rarely been reported in patients with severe burns, who are prone to severe bacterial infections. This study aimed to evaluate clinical characteristics and outcomes of CRE infection and colonization in patients with severe burns.
Methods: The characteristics of 106 episodes of CRE acquisition (infection or colonization) in 98 patients with severe burns were evaluated by a retrospective medical record review.
Parasit Vectors
January 2025
Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK.
Mosquitoes are responsible for the transmission of numerous pathogens, including Plasmodium parasites, arboviruses and filarial worms. They pose a significant risk to public health with over 200 million cases of malaria per annum and approximately 4 billion people at risk of arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses). Mosquito populations are geographically expanding into temperate regions and their distribution is predicted to continue increasing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Microbiol
January 2025
Center for Public Health Research, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
Background: Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is one of the major causative agents of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD), and can cause severe cerebral complications and even fatality in children younger than 5 years old. However, there is no specific medication for EV71 infection in clinical practice. Our previous studies had identified the 6-thioguanine (6-TG), an FDA-approved anticancer drug, as a potential antiviral agent, but its anti-EV71 activity is largely unknown, therefore, we aim to explore the antiviral effect of 6-TG on EV71.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Infect Dis
January 2025
Department of Family Medicine, Epidemiology & Community Health, School of Health Sciences, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya.
Background: HIV and HBV remain significant public health challenges characterized by high prevalence, morbidity, and mortality, especially among women of reproductive age in Uganda. Patients with HBV do not receive routine counselling and education, and there are limited resources for laboratory investigation coupled with a high loss to follow-up. This study set out to assess barriers and facilitators of integrated viral hepatitis B C and HIV care model to optimize screening uptake among mothers and newborns at health facilities in Koboko District, west Nile sub-region, Uganda.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJMIR Mhealth Uhealth
January 2025
HIV Unit, Hospital Civil de Guadalajara, Hospital 278, Guadalajara, 44280, Mexico, 52 3338093219.
Background: HIV continues to be a public health concern in Mexico and Latin America due to an increase in new infections, despite a decrease being observed globally. Treatment adherence is a pillar for achieving viral suppression. It prevents the spread of the disease at a community level and improves the quality and survival of people living with HIV.
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