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We investigated epidemiologic and molecular characteristics of healthcare-associated (HA) and community-associated (CA) Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) among adult patients in Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program hospitals during 2015-2019. The study encompassed 18,455 CDI cases, 13,735 (74.4%) HA and 4,720 (25.6%) CA. During 2015-2019, HA CDI rates decreased by 23.8%, whereas CA decreased by 18.8%. HA CDI was significantly associated with increased 30-day all-cause mortality as compared with CA CDI (p<0.01). Of 2,506 isolates analyzed, the most common ribotypes (RTs) were RT027, RT106, RT014, and RT020. RT027 was more often associated with CDI-attributable death than was non-RT027, regardless of acquisition type. Overall resistance C. difficile rates were similar for all drugs tested except moxifloxacin. Adult HA and CA CDI rates have declined, coinciding with changes in prevalence of RT027 and RT106. Infection prevention and control and continued national surveillance are integral to clarifying CDI epidemiology, investigation, and control.

Here, Hota and Poutanen present five things to know about fecal microbiota transplantation for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection. These are: 1. Fecal microbiota transplantation is an effective treatment for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection. 2 Most fecal microbiota transplantations are performed by gastroenterologists and infectious disease specialists. 3. Donors should be rigorously screened. 4. There are four ways to administer fecal microbiota transplantation. 5. The long-term health effects are unknown.

A 33-year-old woman, 3 months postpartum, was referred to our infectious disease clinic after multiple episodes of Clostridioides difficile (previously known as Clostridium difficile) infection. Her first episode occurred 2 years earlier after a course of ciprofloxacin was prescribed to treat mild diarrhea. Although the initial episode of C. difficile infection resolved after a course of metronidazole (formerly the first-line therapy as per the Infectious Diseases Society of America [IDSA] guideline), the patient experienced 3 further recurrences within 2 years, each confirmed by testing stool for C. difficile toxins, and each responding to therapy. The first recurrence was treated with metronidazole, and the subsequent 2 recurrences were treated with fidaxomicin because of a remote history of allergy to vancomycin. Only the last of the 3 recurrences had an identifiable precipitating event, when ciprofloxacin was prescribed to treat postpartum mastitis. The patient was referred to our clinic while on a course of fidaxomicin for consideration of fecal microbiota transplantation.

Mental fatigue and burnout are concerns for healthcare organizations, but their effects on leaders have not been thoroughly studied. Infectious diseases teams and leaders are at risk for mental fatigue and burnout due to the increased demands from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, additive effects of severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (omicron) and δ (delta) variant surges, and unique pre-existing pressures. No single intervention can reduce stress and burnout in healthcare workers. Work-hour limitations may have the biggest impact in physician burnout mitigation. Institutional and individual programs focused on mindfulness may improve well-being in the workplace. Leading during times of stress requires a multimodal approach and an understanding of goals and priorities. Greater awareness of burnout and fatigue across the healthcare spectrum and continued research are required to advance healthcare worker well-being.

Background Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality with limited treatment options and have an ability to spread rapidly in healthcare settings. We analyzed surveillance data from the Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program to describe trends and the epidemiology of CPE from 2010 to 2023. Methods Participating acute-care hospitals submitted eligible isolates to the National Microbiology Laboratory for detection of carbapenemase genes. Trained infection control professionals applied standardized definitions to collect epidemiological data by chart review from 30–97 hospitals from 2010 to 2023. Results The national incidence of CPE infection (0.03 to 0.14 per 10,000 patient days; R 2  = 0.76) and colonization (0.02 to 0.78 per 10,000 patient days; R 2  = 0.83) increased exponentially from 2010 to 2023. We identified rapidly rising rates of healthcare-associated (HA) CPE infections from 2019 to 2023 (0.05 to 0.09 per 10,000 patient-days, p  = 0.04), attributed to select hospitals (7/97) which accounted for half (53%) of all HA-CPE infections in 2023. Similarly, we identified that 2023 HA-CPE colonization rates were highest in medium (201–499 beds) and large (≥500 beds) hospitals in the Central region. Most patients did not report international travel (66%) nor receipt of medical care abroad (74%). Travel and receipt of medical care were less commonly reported among bla KPC associated cases (7.1% and 5.3% respectively) compared to bla NDM (55% and 45% respectively) and bla OXA-48 (57% and 39%) associated cases. Furthermore, bla KPC was the predominant carbapenemase among all HA-CPE isolates (62%, 950/1,534). Conclusions Surveillance data from a national network of Canadian acute care hospitals indicates that while the incidence of CPE in Canada remains low, it is accelerating at an exponential rate. Our findings suggest that nosocomial transmission is driving the recent increase in CPE incidence in Canada. Improved infection control measures and antimicrobial stewardship as well as access to newer antimicrobials are all urgently needed.

A multisite research team proposed a survey to assess burnout among healthcare epidemiologists. Anonymous surveys were disseminated to eligible staff at SRN facilities. Half of the respondents were experiencing burnout. Staffing shortages were a key stressor. Allowing healthcare epidemiologists to provide guidance without directly enforcing policies may improve burnout.

Objective:Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been widely used in the care of patients with respiratory failure from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We characterized bloodstream infections (BSIs) and ventilator-associated pneumonias (VAPs) in COVID-19 patients supported with ECMO, and we investigated their impact on patient outcomes.Design:Retrospective cohort study from March 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021.Setting:Academic tertiary-care referral center.Patients:Consecutive adult patients admitted for COVID-19 who received ECMO.Methods:We identified BSIs and VAPs and described their epidemiology and microbiology. Cumulative antimicrobial use and the specific management of BSIs were determined. Multivariate time-dependent Cox proportional hazards models were constructed to evaluate the impact of BSIs and VAPs on mortality, controlling for age, receipt of COVID-19–specific therapeutics, and new renal replacement therapy.Results:We identified 136 patients who received ECMO for COVID-19 pneumonia during the study period. BSIs and VAPs occurred in 81 patients (59.6%) and 93 patients (68.4%), respectively. The incidence of BSIs was 29.5 per 1,000 ECMO days and increased with duration of ECMO cannulation. Enterococci, Enterobacterales, and Staphylococcus aureus were the most common causes of BSIs, whereas S. aureus, Klebsiella species, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa comprised the majority of VAPs. Mean antibiotic use comprised 1,031 days of therapy per 1,000 ECMO days (SD, 496). We did not detect an association between BSIs or VAPs and mortality.Conclusions:BSIs and VAPs are common in COVID-19 ECMO-supported patients. Efforts to optimize their diagnosis, prevention, and management should be prioritized.

Background. Fecal transplantation (FT) is a promising treatment for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), but its true effectiveness remains unknown. We compared 14 days of oral vancomycin followed by a single FT by enema with oral vancomycin taper (standard of care) in adult patients experiencing acute recurrence of CDI. Methods. In a phase 2/3, single-center, open-label trial, participants from Ontario, Canada, experiencing recurrence of CDI were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to 14 days of oral vancomycin treatment followed by a single 500-mL FT by enema, or a 6-week taper of oral vancomycin. Patients with significant immunocompromise, history of fulminant CDI, or irreversible bleeding disorders were excluded. The primary endpoint was CDI recurrence within 120 days. Microbiota analysis was performed on fecal filtrate from donors and stool samples from FT recipients, as available. Results. The study was terminated at the interim analysis after randomizing 30 patients. Nine of 16 (56.2%) patients who received FT and 5 of 12 (41.7%) in the vancomycin taper group experienced recurrence of CDI, corresponding with symptom resolution in 43.8% and 58.3%, respectively. Fecal microbiota analysis of 3 successful FT recipients demonstrated increased diversity. A futility analysis did not support continuing the study. Adverse events were similar in both groups and uncommon. Conclusions. In patients experiencing an acute episode of recurrent CDI, a single FT by enema was not significantly different from oral vancomycin taper in reducing recurrent CDI. Further research is needed to explore optimal donor selection, FT preparation, route, timing, and number of administrations. Clinical Trials Registration. NCT01226992.

[...]FMT donor programmes are time consuming and require rigorous administrative and quality controls. Lack of access to FMT centres has led patients to turn to dangerous practices such as do-it-yourself FMT, with few to no safety measures.9 Commercial MBT that physicians prescribe to patients with the appropriate indications for use could improve access to therapy without the need to invest in human resources, equipment, and space. [...]one of the main advantages of commercial MBT is increasing access to therapy.

BackgroundHuman auditing has been the gold standard for evaluating hand hygiene (HH) compliance but is subject to the Hawthorne effect (HE), the change in subjects’ behaviour due to their awareness of being observed. For the first time, we used electronic HH monitoring to characterise the duration of the HE on HH events after human auditors have left the ward.MethodsObservations were prospectively conducted on two transplant wards at a tertiary centre between May 2018 and January 2019. HH events were measured using the electronic GOJO Smartlink Activity Monitoring System located throughout the ward. Non-covert human auditing was conducted in 1-hour intervals at random locations on both wards on varying days of the week. Two adjusted negative binomial regression models were fit in order to estimate an overall auditor effect and a graded auditor effect.ResultsIn total, 365 674 HH dispensing events were observed out of a possible 911 791 opportunities. In the adjusted model, the presence of an auditor increased electronic HH events by approximately 2.5-fold in the room closest to where the auditor was standing (9.86 events per hour/3.98 events per hour; p<0.01), an effect sustained across only the partial hour before and after the auditor was present but not beyond the first hour after the auditor left. This effect persisted but was attenuated in areas distal from the auditor (total ward events of 6.91*6.32–7.55, p<0.01). Additionally, there was significant variability in the magnitude of the HE based on temporal and geographic distribution of audits.ConclusionThe HE on HH events appears to last for a limited time on inpatient wards and is highly dynamic across time and auditor location. These findings further challenge the validity and value of human auditing and support the need for alternative and complementary monitoring methods.