To determine the prevalence of Clostridium difficile colonization among patients who meet the 2017 IDSA/SHEA C. difficile infection (CDI) Clinical Guideline Update criteria for the preferred patient population for C. difficile testing.

Retrospective cohort.

Tertiary-care hospital in St. Louis, Missouri.

Patients whose diarrheal stool samples were submitted to the hospital’s clinical microbiology laboratory for C. difficile testing (toxin EIA) from August 2014 to September 2016.

Electronic and manual chart review were used to determine whether patients tested for C. difficile toxin had clinically significant diarrhea and/or any alternate cause for diarrhea. Toxigenic C. difficile culture was performed on all stool specimens from patients with clinically significant diarrhea and no known alternate cause for their diarrhea.

A total of 8,931 patients with stool specimens submitted were evaluated: 570 stool specimens were EIA positive (+) and 8,361 stool specimens were EIA negative (−). Among the EIA+stool specimens, 107 (19% of total) were deemed eligible for culture. Among the EIA− stool specimens, 515 (6%) were eligible for culture. One EIA+stool specimen (1%) was toxigenic culture negative. Among the EIA− stool specimens that underwent culture, toxigenic C. difficile was isolated from 63 (12%).

Most patients tested for C. difficile do not have clinically significant diarrhea and/or potential alternate causes for diarrhea. The prevalence of toxigenic C. difficile colonization among EIA− patients who met the IDSA/SHEA CDI guideline criteria for preferred patient population for C. difficile testing was 12%.

To determine which healthcare worker (HCW) roles and patient care activities are associated with acquisition of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) on HCW gloves or gowns after patient care, as a surrogate for transmission to other patients.

Prospective cohort study.

Medical and surgical intensive care units at a tertiary-care academic institution.

VRE-colonized patients on Contact Precautions and their HCWs.

Overall, 94 VRE-colonized patients and 469 HCW–patient interactions were observed. Research staff recorded patient care activities and cultured HCW gloves and gowns for VRE before doffing and exiting patient room.

VRE were isolated from 71 of 469 HCWs’ gloves or gowns (15%) following patient care. Occupational/physical therapists, patient care technicians, nurses, and physicians were more likely than environmental services workers and other HCWs to have contaminated gloves or gowns. Compared to touching the environment alone, the odds ratio (OR) for VRE contamination associated with touching both the patient (or objects in the immediate vicinity of the patient) and environment was 2.78 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.99–0.77) and the OR associated with touching only the patient (or objects in the immediate vicinity) was 3.65 (95% CI, 1.17–11.41). Independent risk factors for transmission of VRE to HCWs were touching the patient’s skin (OR, 2.18; 95% CI, 1.15–4.13) and transferring the patient into or out of bed (OR, 2.66; 95% CI, 1.15–6.43).

Patient contact is a major risk factor for HCW contamination and subsequent transmission. Interventions should prioritize contact precautions and hand hygiene for HCWs whose activities involve touching the patient.

As the US population ages, the number of hip and knee arthroplasties is expected to increase. Because surgical site infections (SSIs) following these procedures contribute substantial morbidity, mortality, and costs, we projected SSIs expected to occur from 2020 through 2030.

We used a stochastic Poisson process to project the number of primary and revision arthroplasties and SSIs. Primary arthroplasty rates were calculated using annual estimates of hip and knee arthroplasty stratified by age and gender from the 2012–2014 Nationwide Inpatient Sample and standardized by census population data. Revision rates, dependent on time from primary procedure, were obtained from published literature and were uniformly applied for all ages and genders. Stratified complex SSI rates for arthroplasties were obtained from 2012–2015 National Healthcare Safety Network data. To evaluate the possible impact of prevention measures, we recalculated the projections with an SSI rate reduced by 30%, the national target established by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Without a reduction in SSI rates, we projected an increase in complex SSIs following hip and knee arthroplasty of 14% between 2020 and 2030. We projected a total burden of 77,653 SSIs; however, meeting the 30% rate reduction could prevent 23,297 of these SSIs.

Given current SSI rates, we project that complex SSI burden for primary and revision arthroplasty may increase due to an aging population. Reducing the SSI rate to the national HHS target could prevent 23,000 SSIs and reduce subsequent morbidity, mortality, and Medicare costs.

To analyze whether electronically available comorbid conditions are risk factors for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-defined, hospital-onset Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) after controlling for antibiotic and gastric acid suppression therapy use.

Patients aged ≥18 years admitted to the University of Maryland Medical Center between November 7, 2015, and May 31, 2017.

Comorbid conditions were assessed using the Elixhauser comorbidity index. The Elixhauser comorbidity index and the comorbid condition components were calculated using the International Classification of Disease, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) codes extracted from electronic medical records. Bivariate associations between CDI and potential covariates for multivariable regression, including antibiotic use, gastric acid suppression therapy use, as well as comorbid conditions, were estimated using log binomial multivariable regression.

After controlling for antibiotic use, age, proton-pump inhibitor use, and histamine-blocker use, the Elixhauser comorbidity index was a significant risk factor for predicting CDI. There was an increased risk of 1.26 (95% CI, 1.19–1.32) of having CDI for each additional Elixhauser point added to the total Elixhauser score.

An increase in Elixhauser score is associated with CDI. Our study and other studies have shown that comorbid conditions are important risk factors for CDI. Electronically available comorbid conditions and scores like the Elixhauser index should be considered for risk-adjustment of CDC CDI rates.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;39:297–301

Collaborative programs have helped reduce catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) rates in community-based nursing homes. We assessed whether collaborative participation produced similar benefits among Veterans Health Administration (VHA) nursing homes, which are part of an integrated system.

This study included 63 VHA nursing homes enrolled in the “AHRQ Safety Program for Long-Term Care,” which focused on practices to reduce CAUTI.

Changes in CAUTI rates, catheter utilization, and urine culture orders were assessed from June 2015 through May 2016. Multilevel mixed-effects negative binomial regression was used to derive incidence rate ratios (IRRs) representing changes over the 12-month program period.

There was no significant change in CAUTI among VHA sites, with a CAUTI rate of 2.26 per 1,000 catheter days at month 1 and a rate of 3.19 at month 12 (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.99; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.67–1.44). Results were similar for catheter utilization rates, which were 11.02% at month 1 and 11.30% at month 12 (IRR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.95–1.09). The numbers of urine cultures per 1,000 residents were 5.27 in month 1 and 5.31 in month 12 (IRR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.82–1.05).

No changes in CAUTI rates, catheter use, or urine culture orders were found during the program period. One potential reason was the relatively low baseline CAUTI rate, as compared with a cohort of community-based nursing homes. This low baseline rate is likely related to the VHA’s prior CAUTI prevention efforts. While broad-scale collaborative approaches may be effective in some settings, targeting higher-prevalence safety issues may be warranted at sites already engaged in extensive infection prevention efforts.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;820–825

The impact of storage on stability and detection of Clostridium difficile toxins in feces is poorly understood. The objective of this study was to investigate the immunological stability of C. difficile toxins in clinical stool specimens under different storage conditions by evaluating this stability using toxin detection by enzyme immunoassay (EIA).

Stool specimens positive for C. difficile infection (CDI) by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were used for EIA testing with the C. difficile Tox A/B II kit. The EIA-positive specimens were stored aerobically under refrigerated (4–10°C) and frozen (−30°C and −80°C) conditions. Measurement of toxin quantity was conducting using optical density (OD) on days 0, 14, 30, 60, 90, and 120 of storage.

Clostridium difficile toxins demonstrated good detection in undiluted stool specimens by EIA up to 120 days of storage. Good detection of the toxins was observed in diluted samples at refrigerated and −80°C temperatures. Dilution detrimentally affected toxin detection at −30°C.

Storage of undiluted clinical stool specimens at refrigerated, −30°C, and −80°C temperatures for up to 120 days has no discernible effect on the immunological stability of C. difficile cytotoxins. However, storage at −30°C has a detrimental effect on C. difficile toxin stability in diluted specimens.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;39:434–438

To identify the factors associated with first Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) that predict fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) for recurrent CDI

We carried out a retrospective single-center cohort study to compare the clinical characteristics of 200 patients who underwent FMT for recurrent CDI to 75 patients who did not.

A single academic hospital in the United States

Adult patients

The time from first to second CDI correlated to subsequent FMT use. Concomitant inflammatory bowel disease (IBD; P=.002), use of immunosuppressive therapy (P=.04), and use of metronidazole within 2 months before the first CDI (P=.02) correlated positively to subsequent FMT in univariate analysis. The use of oral vancomycin for first CDI was more common in those who required FMT than those who did not in univariate (P=.02) and multivariate (P=.03) analyses. In contrast, intravenous vancomycin use within 2 months before the first CDI reduced the risk for FMT in univariate P=.000003) and multivariate (P=.0001) analyses. Black patients with recurrent CDI were less likely to receive FMT than white patients (P=.00005). Patients who received FMT were also less likely to have comorbidities.

This study provides important insights into the factors predictive for FMT in patients with recurrent CDI and highlights the potential racial and medical characteristics that affect the access of the patients to FMT.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;39:302–306

To determine whether assignment to a multiple-bed room increased the risk of hospital-onset C. difficile diarrhea (HO-CDI).

Case-control study.

San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center.

Adult general medical and surgical inpatients.

Consecutive cases of HO-CDI were identified between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2015. To investigate the effect of multiple-bed room exposure both at admission and at the time of symptom onset, 2 sets of controls were selected from the general medical/surgical inpatient population using incidence density sampling. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate the relationship between room assignment (single bed vs multiple beds) and the development of HO-CDI.

In total, 187 cases were identified and matched with 512 and 515 controls for the admission and at-diagnosis analyses, respectively. The adjusted rate ratio (RR) associated with the development HO-CDI associated with multiple-bed room exposure during the 7 and 14 days immediately prior to HO-CDI diagnosis were 1.08 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.93–1.25; P=.31) and 0.96 (95% CI, 0.93–1.18; P=.12), respectively. Furthermore, no significant association was detected in the analysis of the first 7 and 14 days after case admission or among patients with Charlson comorbidity scores ≥4 in either period.

Assignment of patients to multiple-bed rooms on general medical and surgical wards was not associated with an increased risk in the development of HO-CDI. Future investigation should be performed with larger cohorts in multiple sites to more definitively address the question because this issue could have implications for patient room assignment and hospital design.

To determine the continued need for active surveillance to prevent extended-spectrum β-lactamase–producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E) transmission in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

This retrospective observational study included patients with ESBL-E colonization or infection identified during their NICU stay at our institution between 1999 and March 2018. Active surveillance was conducted between 1999 and March 2017 by testing rectal swab specimens collected upon admission and weekly thereafter. The overall incidence rates, of ESBL-E colonization or infection (including hospital acquired) before and after active surveillance were calculated. The cost associated with active surveillance was then estimated.

Overall, 171 NICU patients were found to have ESBL-E colonization or infection, and 150 of those patients (87.7%) were detected by active surveillance. The overall incidence rate was 1.4 per 100 patient admissions. The hospital-acquired incidence rate was 0.41 per 1,000 patient days, and this rate had decreased since 2002, with an average of 6 cases detected annually. A significant decrease was observed in 2009 when the unit moved to a new single-bed unit featuring private rooms. Active surveillance was discontinued with no increase in the number of infections. Of the 150 ESBL-E colonized patients, 14 (9.3%) subsequently developed an infection. Active surveillance resulted in a total of 50,950 specimen collections and a cost of $127,187 for processing, an average of $848 to detect 1 ESBL-E colonized patient.

ESBL-E transmission and infection in our NICU remains uncommon. Active surveillance may have contributed to the decline of ESBL-E transmission when used in conjunction with contact precautions and private rooms, but its relatively high cost could be prohibitive.

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is common in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients, but few studies have examined long-term outcomes. We studied the impact of CDI after SOT on mortality and transplant organ complication-related hospitalizations (TOH).

SOT recipients ≥18 years of age with at least 1 year of posttransplant data were analyzed using the MarketScan database for 2007–2014. Patients who died within one year of transplant were followed until death. Patients were grouped as early CDI (ie, first occurrence ≤90 days posttransplant), late CDI (ie, first occurrence >90 days posttransplant) and controls (ie, no CDI occurrence during follow-up). The risk of mortality or TOH after CDI was evaluated using Cox and logistic regressions, respectively.

Overall, 96 patients had early CDI, 97 patients had late CDI, and 5,913 patients were used as controls. The risk for death was significantly higher in the early CDI group than the control group (hazard ratio [HR],1.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12–3.29; P=.018); there was no significant difference between the late CDI group and the control group (HR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.38–1.94; P=.717). Both the early CDI group (odds ratio [OR], 2.19; 95% CI, 1.45–3.31; P<.001) and the late CDI group (OR, 4.36; 95% CI, 2.84–6.71; P<.001) had higher risk for TOH than the control group. For those patients who survived >90 days posttransplant, both the early CDI group (n=89) and the late CDI group (n=97) had increased risk for death or TOH during follow-up than the control group (n=5,734).

Though our study could not prove causality, both early and late CDI occurrence in SOT recipients were associated with worse future outcomes than for SOT recipients without CDI.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;39:563–570

To directly observe healthcare workers in a nursing home setting to measure frequency and duration of resident contact and infection prevention behavior as a factor of isolation practice

Observational study

Healthcare workers in 8 VA nursing homes in Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Washington, and Texas

Over a 15-month period, trained research staff without clinical responsibilities on the units observed nursing home resident room activity for 15–30-minute intervals. Observers recorded time of entry and exit, isolation status, visitor type (staff, visitor, etc), hand hygiene, use of gloves and gowns, and activities performed in the room when visible.

A total of 999 hours of observation were conducted across 8 VA nursing homes during which 4,325 visits were observed. Residents in isolation received an average of 4.73 visits per hour of observation compared with 4.21 for nonisolation residents (P<.01), a 12.4% increase in visits for residents in isolation. Residents in isolation received an average of 3.53 resident care activities per hour of observation, compared with 2.46 for residents not in isolation (P<.01). For residents in isolation, compliance was 34% for gowns and 58% for gloves. Healthcare worker hand hygiene compliance was 45% versus 44% (P=.79) on entry and 66% versus 55% (P<.01) on exit for isolation and nonisolation rooms, respectively.

Healthcare workers visited residents in isolation more frequently, likely because they required greater assistance. Compliance with gowns and gloves for isolation was limited in the nursing home setting. Adherence to hand hygiene also was less than optimal, regardless of isolation status of residents.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;39:683–687

Competing risks are a necessary consideration when analyzing risk factors for nosocomial infections (NIs). In this article, we identify additional information that a competing risks analysis provides in a hospital setting. Furthermore, we improve on established methods for nested case-control designs to acquire this information.

Using data from 2 Spanish intensive care units and model simulations, we show how controls selected by time-dynamic sampling for NI can be weighted to perform risk-factor analysis for death or discharge without infection. This extension not only enables hazard rate analysis for the competing risk, it also enables prediction analysis for NI.

The estimates acquired from the extension were in good agreement with the results from the full (real and simulated) cohort dataset. The reduced dataset results averted any false interpretation common in a competing-risks setting.

Using additional information that is routinely collected in a hospital setting, a nested case-control design can be successfully adapted to avoid a competing risks bias. Furthermore, this adapted method can be used to reanalyze past nested case-control studies to enhance their findings.

To compare the effectiveness of manual and automated methods for cleaning laparoscopic instruments.

Experimental laboratory study.

We evaluated 4 methods of cleaning laparoscopic instruments: (1) manual-only cleaning and rinsing with potable tap water; (2) manual cleaning and rinsing with potable tap water, followed by ultrasonic cleaning without rinsing; (3) manual cleaning and rinsing with potable tap water followed by ultrasonic cleaning and rinsing with potable tap water; and (4) manual cleaning and rinsing with potable tap water, followed by ultrasonic cleaning and rinsing: first with potable tap water and then with sterile distilled water. Organic residues of protein, hemoglobin, and carbohydrates were evaluated using spectrophotometry.

The various cleaning methods tested did not result in statistically significant differences (P>.05) in the levels of investigated organic residues.

All cleaning and rinsing methods tested were found to be effective in reducing the levels of organic residues on laparoscopic instruments. Thus, there is no advantage gained by supplementing manual-only cleaning with automated ultrasonic cleaning, nor was there a difference between rinsing with potable tap versus sterile distilled water.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;39:58–63

Antibiotic use varies widely between hospitals, but the influence of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) on this variability is not known. We aimed to determine the key structural and strategic aspects of ASPs associated with differences in risk-adjusted antibiotic utilization across facilities.

Observational study of acute-care hospitals in Ontario, Canada

A survey was sent to hospitals asking about both structural (8 elements) and strategic (32 elements) components of their ASP. Antibiotic use from hospital purchasing data was acquired for January 1 to December 31, 2014. Crude and adjusted defined daily doses per 1,000 patient days, accounting for hospital and aggregate patient characteristics, were calculated across facilities. Rate ratios (RR) of defined daily doses per 1,000 patient days were compared for hospitals with and without each antimicrobial stewardship element of interest.

Of 127 eligible hospitals, 73 (57%) participated in the study. There was a 7-fold range in antibiotic use across these facilities (min, 253 defined daily doses per 1,000 patient days; max, 1,872 defined daily doses per 1,000 patient days). The presence of designated funding or resources for the ASP (RRadjusted, 0·87; 95% CI, 0·75–0·99), prospective audit and feedback (RRadjusted, 0·80; 95% CI, 0·67–0·96), and intravenous-to-oral conversion policies (RRadjusted, 0·79; 95% CI, 0·64–0·99) were associated with lower risk-adjusted antibiotic use.

Wide variability in antibiotic use across hospitals may be partially explained by both structural and strategic ASP elements. The presence of funding and resources, prospective audit and feedback, and intravenous-to-oral conversion should be considered priority elements of a robust ASP.

To examine neonatal risk factors associated with recurrent Staphylococcus aureus colonization and to determine the genetic relatedness of S. aureus strains cultured from neonates before and after decolonization.

Single-center retrospective cohort study of neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) from April 2013 to December 2015, during which weekly nasal cultures from hospitalized NICU patients were routinely obtained for S. aureus surveillance.

Johns Hopkins Hospital’s 45-bed level IV NICU in Baltimore, Maryland.

Demographics and clinical data were collected on all neonates admitted to the NICU with S. aureus nasal colonization who underwent mupirocin-based decolonization during the study period. A decolonized neonate was defined as a neonate with ≥1 negative culture after intranasal mupirocin treatment. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was used for strain typing.

Of 2,060 infants screened for S. aureus, 271 (13%) were colonized, and 203 of these 271 (75%) received intranasal mupirocin. Of those treated, 162 (80%) had follow-up surveillance cultures, and 63 of these 162 infants (39%) developed recurrent colonization after treatment. The S. aureus strains were often genetically similar before and after decolonization. The presence of an endotracheal tube or nasal cannula/mask was associated with an increased risk of recurrent S. aureus colonization (hazard ratio [HR], 2.65; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.19–5.90; and HR, 2.21; 95% CI, 1.02–4.75, respectively).

Strains identified before and after decolonization were often genetically similar, and the presence of invasive respiratory devices increased the risk of recurrent S. aureus nasal colonization in neonates. To improve decolonization efficacy, alternative strategies may be needed.

Multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) are increasingly reported in residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs). We assessed whether implementation of directly observed hand hygiene (DOHH) by hand hygiene ambassadors can reduce environmental contamination with MDROs.

From July to August 2017, a cluster-randomized controlled study was conducted at 10 RCHEs (5 intervention versus 5 nonintervention controls), where DOHH was performed at two-hourly intervals during daytime, before meals and medication rounds by a one trained nurse in each intervention RCHE. Environmental contamination by MRDOs, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter species (CRA), and extended-spectrum β-lactamse (ESBL)–producing Enterobacteriaceae, was evaluated using specimens collected from communal areas at baseline, then twice weekly. The volume of alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) consumed per resident per week was measured.

The overall environmental contamination of communal areas was culture-positive for MRSA in 33 of 100 specimens (33%), CRA in 26 of 100 specimens (26%), and ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae in 3 of 100 specimens (3%) in intervention and nonintervention RCHEs at baseline. Serial monitoring of environmental specimens revealed a significant reduction in MRSA (79 of 600 [13.2%] vs 197 of 600 [32.8%]; P<.001) and CRA (56 of 600 [9.3%] vs 94 of 600 [15.7%]; P=.001) contamination in the intervention arm compared with the nonintervention arm during the study period. The volume of ABHR consumed per resident per week was 3 times higher in the intervention arm compared with the baseline (59.3±12.9 mL vs 19.7±12.6 mL; P<.001) and was significantly higher than the nonintervention arm (59.3±12.9 mL vs 23.3±17.2 mL; P=.006).

The direct observation of hand hygiene of residents could reduce environmental contamination by MDROs in RCHEs.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;39:571–577

Healthcare-associated bloodstream infections (HABSI) are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In Québec, Canada, HABSI arising from acute-care hospitals have been monitored since April 2007 through the Surveillance des bactériémies nosocomiales panhospitalières (BACTOT) program, but this is the first detailed description of HABSI epidemiology.

This retrospective, descriptive study was conducted using BACTOT surveillance data from hospitals that participated continuously between April 1, 2007, and March 31, 2017. HABSI cases and rates were stratified by hospital type and/or infection source. Temporal trends of rates were analyzed by fitting generalized estimating equation Poisson models, and they were stratified by infection source.

For 40 hospitals, 13,024 HABSI cases and 23,313,959 patient days were recorded, for an overall rate of 5.59 per 10,000 patient days (95% CI, 5.54–5.63). The most common infection sources were catheter-associated BSIs (23.0%), BSIs secondary to a urinary focus (21.5%), and non–catheter-associated primary BSIs (18.1%). Teaching hospitals and nonteaching hospitals with ICUs often had rates higher than nonteaching hospitals without ICUs. Annual HABSI rates did not exhibit statistically significant changes from year to year. Non–catheter-associated primary BSIs were the only HABSI type that exhibited a sustained change across the 10 years, increasing from 0.69 per 10,000 patient days (95% CI, 0.59–0.80) in 2007–2008 to 1.42 per 10,000 patient days (95% CI, 1.27–1.58) in 2016–2017.

Despite ongoing surveillance, overall HABSI rates have not decreased. The effect of BACTOT participation should be more closely investigated, and targeted interventions along alternative surveillance modalities should be considered, prioritizing high-burden and potentially preventable BSI types.

Outpatient central venous catheters (CVCs) are being used more frequently; however, data describing mechanical complications and central-line–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) in the outpatient setting are limited. We performed a retrospective observational cohort study to understand the burden of these complications to elucidate their impact on the healthcare system.

Data were retrospectively collected on patients discharged from Vanderbilt University Medical Center with a CVC in place and admitted into the care of Vanderbilt Home Care Services. Risk factors for medically attended catheter-associated complications (CACs) and outpatient CLABSIs were analyzed.

A CAC developed in 143 patients (21.9%), for a total of 165 discrete CAC events. Among these, 76 (46%) required at least 1 visit to the emergency department or an inpatient admission, while the remaining 89 (54%) required an outpatient clinic visit. The risk for developing a CAC was significantly increased in female patients, patients with a CVC with >1 lumen, and patients receiving total parenteral nutrition. The absolute number of CLABSIs identified in the study population was small at 16, or 2.4% of the total cohort.

Medically attended catheter complications were common among outpatients discharged with a CVC, and reduction of these events should be the focus of outpatient quality improvement programs.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;39:439–444

To describe an adenovirus outbreak in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), including the use of qualitative and semiquantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) data to inform the outbreak response.

Mixed prospective and retrospective observational study.

A level IV NICU in the southeastern United States.

Two adenovirus cases were identified in a NICU. Screening of all inpatients with qPCR on nasopharyngeal specimens revealed 11 additional cases.

Outbreak response procedures, including enhanced infection control policies, were instituted. Serial qPCR studies were used to screen for new infections among exposed infants and to monitor viral clearance among cases. Changes to retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) exam procedures were made after an association was noted in those patients. At the end of the outbreak, a retrospective review allowed for comparison of clinical factors between the infected and uninfected groups.

There were no new cases among patients after outbreak identification. One adenovirus-infected patient died; the others recovered their clinical baselines. The ROP exams were associated with an increased risk of infection (odds ratio [OR], 84.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.5–1,601). The duration of the outbreak response was 33 days, and the previously described second wave of cases after the end of the outbreak did not occur. Revisions to infection control policies remained in effect following the outbreak.

Retinopathy of prematurity exams are potential mechanisms of adenovirus transmission, and autoclaved or single-use instruments should be used to minimize this risk. Real-time molecular diagnostic and quantification data guided outbreak response procedures, which rapidly contained and fully terminated a NICU adenovirus outbreak.