Development and evaluation of a structured guide to assess the preventability of hospital-onset bacteremia and fungemia

OBJECTIVE

To assess preventability of hospital-onset bacteremia and fungemia (HOB), we developed and evaluated a structured rating guide accounting for intrinsic patient and extrinsic healthcare-related risks.

DESIGN

HOB preventability rating guide was compared against a reference standard expert panel.

PARTICIPANTS

A 10-member panel of clinical experts was assembled as the standard of preventability assessment, and 2 physician reviewers applied the rating guide for comparison.

METHODS

The expert panel independently rated 82 hypothetical HOB scenarios using a 6-point Likert scale collapsed into 3 categories: preventable, uncertain, or not preventable. Consensus was defined as concurrence on the same category among ≥70% experts. Scenarios without consensus were deliberated and followed by a second round of rating.Two reviewers independently applied the rating guide to adjudicate the same 82 scenarios in 2 rounds, with interim revisions. Interrater reliability was evaluated using the κ (kappa) statistic.

RESULTS

Expert panel consensus criteria were met for 52 scenarios (63%) after 2 rounds.After 2 rounds, guide-based rating matched expert panel consensus in 40 of 52 (77%) and 39 of 52 (75%) cases for reviewers 1 and 2, respectively. Agreement rates between the 2 reviewers were 84% overall (κ, 0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.64-0.88]) and 87% (κ, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.65-0.94) for the 52 scenarios with expert consensus.

CONCLUSIONS

Preventability ratings of HOB scenarios by 2 reviewers using a rating guide matched expert consensus in most cases with moderately high interreviewer reliability. Although diversity of expert opinions and uncertainty of preventability merit further exploration, this is a step toward standardized assessment of HOB preventability.

Epidemiology, Outcomes, and Trends of Patients With Sepsis and Opioid-Related Hospitalizations in U.S. Hospitals

OBJECTIVES

Widespread use and misuse of prescription and illicit opioids have exposed millions to health risks including serious infectious complications. Little is known, however, about the association between opioid use and sepsis.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING

About 373 U.S. hospitals.

PATIENTS

Adults hospitalized between January 2009 and September 2015.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Sepsis was identified by clinical indicators of concurrent infection and organ dysfunction. Opioid-related hospitalizations were identified by the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification codes and/or inpatient orders for buprenorphine. Clinical characteristics and outcomes were compared by sepsis and opioid-related hospitalization status. The association between opioid-related hospitalization and all-cause, in-hospital mortality in patients with sepsis was assessed using mixed-effects logistic models to adjust for baseline characteristics and severity of illness.The cohort included 6,715,286 hospitalizations; 375,479 (5.6%) had sepsis, 130,399 (1.9%) had opioid-related hospitalizations, and 8,764 (0.1%) had both. Compared with sepsis patients without opioid-related hospitalizations (n = 366,715), sepsis patients with opioid-related hospitalizations (n = 8,764) were younger (mean 52.3 vs 66.9 yr) and healthier (mean Elixhauser score 5.4 vs 10.5), had more bloodstream infections from Gram-positive and fungal pathogens (68.9% vs 47.0% and 10.6% vs 6.4%, respectively), and had lower in-hospital mortality rates (10.6% vs 16.2%; adjusted odds ratio, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.60-0.79; p < 0.001 for all comparisons). Of 1,803 patients with opioid-related hospitalizations who died in-hospital, 928 (51.5%) had sepsis. Opioid-related hospitalizations accounted for 1.5% of all sepsis-associated deaths, including 5.7% of sepsis deaths among patients less than 50 years old. From 2009 to 2015, the proportion of sepsis hospitalizations that were opioid-related increased by 77% (95% CI, 40.7-123.5%).

CONCLUSIONS

Sepsis is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with opioid-related hospitalizations, and opioid-related hospitalizations contribute disproportionately to sepsis-associated deaths among younger patients. In addition to ongoing efforts to combat the opioid crisis, public health agencies should focus on raising awareness about sepsis among patients who use opioids and their providers.

Bacterial Infections Associated With Substance Use Disorders, Large Cohort of United States Hospitals, 2012-2017

BACKGROUND

Rises in the incidence of bacterial infections, such as infective endocarditis (IE), have been reported in conjunction with the opioid crisis. However, recent trends for IE and other serious infections among persons with substance use disorders (SUDs) are unknown.

METHODS

Using the Premier Healthcare Database, we identified hospitalizations from 2012 through 2017 among adults with primary discharge diagnoses of bacterial infections and secondary SUD diagnoses, using International Classification of Diseases, Clinical Modification Ninth and Tenth Revision codes. We calculated annual rates of infections with SUD diagnoses and evaluated temporal trends. Blood and cardiac tissue specimens were identified from IE hospitalizations to describe the microbiology distribution and temporal trends among hospitalizations with and without SUDs.

RESULTS

Among 72 481 weighted IE admissions recorded, SUD diagnoses increased from 19.9% in 2012 to 39.4% in 2017 (P < .0001). Hospitalizations with SUDs increased from 1.1 to 2.1 per 100 000 persons for IE, 1.4 to 2.4 per 100 000 persons for osteomyelitis, 0.5 to 0.9 per 100 000 persons for central nervous system abscesses, and 24.4 to 32.9 per 100 000 persons for skin and soft tissue infections. For adults aged 18-44 years, IE-SUD hospitalizations more than doubled, from 1.6 in 2012 to 3.6 in 2017 per 100 000 persons. Among all IE-SUD hospitalizations, 50.3% had a Staphylococcus aureus infection, compared with 19.4% of IE hospitalizations without SUDs.

CONCLUSIONS

Rates of hospitalization for serious infections among persons with SUDs are increasing, driven primarily by younger age groups. The differences in the microbiology of IE hospitalizations suggest that SUDs are changing the epidemiology of these infections.

Demographic, clinical, and epidemiologic characteristics of persons under investigation for Coronavirus Disease 2019-United States, January 17-February 29, 2020

Background

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), evolved rapidly in the United States. This report describes the demographic, clinical, and epidemiologic characteristics of 544 U.S. persons under investigation (PUI) for COVID-19 with complete SARS-CoV-2 testing in the beginning stages of the pandemic from January 17 through February 29, 2020.

Methods

In this surveillance cohort, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided consultation to public health and healthcare professionals to identify PUI for SARS-CoV-2 testing by quantitative real-time reverse-transcription PCR. Demographic, clinical, and epidemiologic characteristics of PUI were reported by public health and healthcare professionals during consultation with on-call CDC clinicians and subsequent submission of a CDC PUI Report Form. Characteristics of laboratory-negative and laboratory-positive persons were summarized as proportions for the period of January 17−February 29, and characteristics of all PUI were compared before and after February 12 using prevalence ratios.

Results

A total of 36 PUI tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and were classified as confirmed cases. Confirmed cases and PUI testing negative for SARS-CoV-2 had similar demographic, clinical, and epidemiologic characteristics. Consistent with changes in PUI evaluation criteria, 88% (13/15) of confirmed cases detected before February 12, 2020, reported travel from China. After February 12, 57% (12/21) of confirmed cases reported no known travel- or contact-related exposures.

Conclusions

These findings can inform preparedness for future pandemics, including capacity for rapid expansion of novel diagnostic tests to accommodate broad surveillance strategies to assess community transmission, including potential contributions from asymptomatic and presymptomatic infections.

National Public Health Burden Estimates of Endocarditis and Skin and Soft-Tissue Infections Related to Injection Drug Use: A Review

BACKGROUND

Despite concerns about the burden of the bacterial and fungal infection syndromes related to injection drug use (IDU), robust estimates of the public health burden of these conditions are lacking. The current article reviews and compares data sources and national burden estimates for infective endocarditis (IE) and skin and soft-tissue infections related to IDU in the United States.

METHODS

A literature review was conducted for estimates of skin and soft-tissue infection and endocarditis disease burden with related IDU or substance use disorder terms since 2011. A range of the burden is presented, based on different methods of obtaining national projections from available data sources or published data.

RESULTS

Estimates using available data suggest the number of hospital admissions for IE related to IDU ranged from 2900 admissions in 2013 to more than 20 000 in 2017. The only source of data available to estimate the annual number of hospitalizations and emergency department visits for skin and soft-tissue infections related to IDU yielded a crude estimate of 98 000 such visits. Including people who are not hospitalized, a crude calculation suggests that 155 000-540 000 skin infections related to IDU occur annually.

DISCUSSION

These estimates carry significant limitations. However, regardless of the source or method, the burden of disease appears substantial, with estimates of thousands of episodes of IE among persons with IDU and at least 100 000 persons who inject drugs (PWID) with skin and soft-tissue infections annually in the United States. Given the importance of these types of infections, more robust and reliable estimates are needed to better quantitate the occurrence and understand the impact of interventions.

Public Health Importance of Invasive Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus Infections: Surveillance in 8 US Counties, 2016

BACKGROUND

Public health and infection control prevention and surveillance efforts in the United States have primarily focused on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). We describe the public health importance of methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) in selected communities.

METHODS

We analyzed Emerging Infections Program surveillance data for invasive S. aureus (SA) infections (isolated from a normally sterile body site) in 8 counties in 5 states during 2016. Cases were considered healthcare-associated if culture was obtained >3 days after hospital admission; if associated with dialysis, hospitalization, surgery, or long-term care facility (LTCF) residence within 1 year prior; or if a central venous catheter was present ≤2 days prior. Incidence per 100 000 census population was calculated, and a multivariate logistic regression model with random intercepts was used to compare MSSA risk factors with those of MRSA.

RESULTS

Invasive MSSA incidence (31.3/100 000) was 1.8 times higher than MRSA (17.5/100 000). Persons with MSSA were more likely than those with MRSA to have no underlying medical conditions (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26-3.39) and less likely to have prior hospitalization (aOR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.60-0.82) or LTCF residence (aOR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.29-0.47). MSSA accounted for 59.7% of healthcare-associated cases and 60.1% of deaths.

CONCLUSIONS

Although MRSA tended to be more closely associated with healthcare exposures, invasive MSSA is a substantial public health problem in the areas studied. Public health and infection control prevention efforts should consider MSSA prevention in addition to MRSA.

A National Approach to Pediatric Sepsis Surveillance

Pediatric sepsis is a major public health concern, and robust surveillance tools are needed to characterize its incidence, outcomes, and trends. The increasing use of electronic health records (EHRs) in the United States creates an opportunity to conduct reliable, pragmatic, and generalizable population-level surveillance using routinely collected clinical data rather than administrative claims or resource-intensive chart review. In 2015, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recruited sepsis investigators and representatives of key professional societies to develop an approach to adult sepsis surveillance using clinical data recorded in EHRs. This led to the creation of the adult sepsis event definition, which was used to estimate the national burden of sepsis in adults and has been adapted into a tool kit to facilitate widespread implementation by hospitals. In July 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention convened a new multidisciplinary pediatric working group to tailor an EHR-based national sepsis surveillance approach to infants and children. Here, we describe the challenges specific to pediatric sepsis surveillance, including evolving clinical definitions of sepsis, accommodation of age-dependent physiologic differences, identifying appropriate EHR markers of infection and organ dysfunction among infants and children, and the need to account for children with medical complexity and the growing regionalization of pediatric care. We propose a preliminary pediatric sepsis event surveillance definition and outline next steps for refining and validating these criteria so that they may be used to estimate the national burden of pediatric sepsis and support site-specific surveillance to complement ongoing initiatives to improve sepsis prevention, recognition, and treatment.

1890. Missed Clinical Opportunities to Prevent Infections and Treat Substance Use Disorder (SUD) in People Who Inject Drugs (PWID)

Background

The age-adjusted rate of drug overdose deaths in the United States tripled from 1999 to 2016. Public health surveillance data indicate that an increasing proportion of infections due to bacterial and fungal pathogens is associated with injection drug use (IDU). We describe healthcare encounters (HCEs) of PWID as potential opportunities to prevent infections related to IDU by identifying risks and treating SUD, including with medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder.

Methods

At six hospitals in western New York, we abstracted medical records from hospital admissions and emergency department (ED) visits for PWID (i.e., IDU in the preceding year) who had positive cultures for Staphylococcus aureus (any clinical specimen, April–July 2017), group A Streptococcus (invasive specimens, all of 2017) or Candida spp. (blood specimens, all of 2017). We reviewed hospital admission and ED records for 1 year preceding the positive culture to identify visits during which opportunities to prevent infection and treat SUD by addressing SUD and IDU were missed.

Results

We identified 99 PWID with positive cultures. The median age was 33 years (range 19–68) and 61 were female. Sixty-nine had a skin and soft-tissue infection, 44 had a bloodstream infection, and 20 had both. Thirty-one PWID left against medical advice during a hospital admission or an ED visit. Seventy-nine PWID were hospitalized, of whom 4 died. Ninety-five used opioids and 71 used cocaine in the preceding year. Seventy-five PWID had an HCE in the 12 months prior to the index visit, with a median of two HCE per person (interquartile range 1–4); 53 of PWID had a previous HCE for infection and 28 for opioid overdose. SUD was documented during a prior HCE at the same hospital for 61 PWID, but only 10 (16%) were offered MAT during any prior HCE and for 24 (39%) there was no documentation that any form of treatment for SUD was offered.

Conclusion

In this cohort, PWID frequently had one or more healthcare encounters documented at the same hospital in the year prior to a serious bacterial or fungal infection. These prior HCEs were often for infections or overdose that signaled the need for MAT, demonstrating that there are critical missed opportunities to identify risks, prevent infection, and treat SUD.

Disclosures

All Authors: No reported Disclosures.

Retention in HIV care depends on patients' perceptions of the clinic experience

Institutional barriers in HIV primary care settings can contribute substantially to disparities in retention in HIV treatment and HIV-related outcomes. This qualitative study compared the perceptions of clinic experiences of persons living with HIV (PLWH) in a Veterans Affairs HIV primary care clinic setting who were retained in care with the experiences of those who were not retained in care. Qualitative data from 25 in-depth interviews were analyzed to identify facilitators and barriers to retention in HIV care. Results showed that participants not retained in care experienced barriers to retention involving dissatisfaction with clinic wait times, low confidence in clinicians, and customer service concerns. For participants retained in care, patience with procedural issues, confidence in clinicians, and interpersonal connections were factors that enhanced retention despite the fact that these participants recognized the same barriers as those who were not retained in care. These findings can inform interventions aimed at improving retention in HIV care.

Performance of Xpert® MTB/RIF among tuberculosis outpatients in Lilongwe, Malawi

BACKGROUND

Xpert® MTB/RIF is a molecular test for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and rifampicin resistance. It is considered to be a great advance over smear microscopy and culture. However, there is very little information regarding the performance characteristics of Xpert MTB/RIF in Malawi.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to evaluate the performance of Xpert MTB/RIF in a Malawian setting.

METHODS

Stored sputum pellets were processed on Xpert MTB/RIF between June 2012 and May 2014. Results were compared to mycobacteria growth indicator tube and Löwenstein-Jensen cultures, LED fluorescent microscopy and GenoType® MTBDRplus assay. Rifampicin resistance was confirmed by DNA sequencing.

RESULTS

Of the 348 specimens with valid Xpert MTB/RIF results, 129/348 (37%) were smear-positive and 198/348 (57%) were culture-positive. Xpert MTB/RIF demonstrated a sensitivity of 93.8% (95% CI 89.4% - 96.8%) and specificity of 97.4% (95% CI 93.5% - 99.3%), with a positive predictive value of 97.8% (95% CI 94.6% - 99.4%) and a negative predictive value of 92.6% (95% CI 87.4% - 96.1%). Xpert MTB/RIF correctly identified 185/186 (99.5%) rifampicin-sensitive and 2/2 (100%) rifampicin-resistant M. tuberculosis strains. Mutations were not detected by sequencing in one isolate which was rifampicin resistant on Xpert MTB/RIF but sensitive on MTBDRplus. Four non-tuberculous mycobacteria grew from four smear-negative specimens, namely, M. avium (n = 1) and M. intracellulare (n = 3). No cross-reactivity was observed with any of the non-tuberculous mycobacteria when using Xpert MTB/RIF.

CONCLUSION

When fully implemented, Xpert MTB/RIF may have an impact on patient care in Malawi. The increased diagnostic yield of Xpert MTB/RIF over smear microscopy can increase laboratory-confirmed tuberculosis detection and ensure that treatment is given to appropriate individuals or groups.

Reproductive health counseling delivered to women living with HIV in the United States

Advances in antiretroviral therapy (ART) and reproductive technologies have made transmission of HIV to partners and infants almost completely preventable. Comprehensive reproductive health counseling (CRHC) is an important component of care for women living with HIV, but few women report discussing reproductive health with an HIV care provider. We surveyed a probability sample of U.S. HIV care providers during 2013-2014. Of 2023 eligible providers, 1234 responded (64% adjusted provider response rate). We estimated the percentage delivering CRHC to their female patients. CRHC was defined as delivering each of five components of reproductive health care to most or all female patients. We assessed associations between provider characteristics and delivering CRHC using chi-squared tests and multivariable logistic regression. Of all providers, 49% (95% confidence interval [CI], 42-55) reported delivering all components of CRHC: 71% assessed reproductive intentions of reproductive-aged women, 78% explained perinatal transmission risk, 87% discussed ART for preventing perinatal transmission, 76% provided contraception as appropriate, and 64% provided referrals for preconception care. Among providers who offered primary care (83% of sample), 52% (CI: 44-60) delivered CRHC compared to 33% (CI: 22-44) of providers who did not offer primary care (P = .01). More female providers (46% of sample) compared to male providers delivered CRHC (57% [CI: 48-65] vs. 40% [CI: 31-50], P < .01). Delivery of CRHC by providers did not differ by patient caseload. After adjusting for gender, years of HIV experience, and patient caseload, providing primary care to HIV-infected patients remained associated with delivering CRHC (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] 1.48, 95% CI 1.02-2.16). Provider delivery of CRHC is not consistent with current guidelines that recommend discussing reproductive health with all reproductive-aged women who are living with HIV, even among providers offering primary care to their HIV patients.

Prevalence of drug resistant TB among outpatients at an HIV/TB clinic in Lilongwe, Malawi

BACKGROUND

We sought to determine the prevalence of drug resistant TB among outpatients initiating TB treatment in Lilongwe, Malawi.

METHODS

This was a prospective cohort study of patients 18 years and older initiating TB treatment at Martin Preuss Centre, the primary integrated HIV/TB clinic in Lilongwe, Malawi, from April 2011 to July 2012. Procedures included questionnaires, physical exam, chest x-ray, full blood count and sputum collection. Sputum samples underwent acid-fast bacilli (AFB) smear testing and culture by Lowenstein-Jensen (LJ) and liquid Mycobacteria Growth Indicator Tube (MGIT) methods. Drug sensitivity was investigated using the Hain GenoType MTBDRplus line probe assay.

RESULTS

Of the 702 patients, 219 (31.2%) were female and 653 (93.0%) were presenting for first-time TB treatment. HIV co-infection was present in 420 (59.8%) cases, with 137 (32.6%) of those patients receiving antiretroviral therapy at presentation. TB was culture-confirmed in 375 (53.4%) patients, 349 of which were first time treatment and 26 retreatment. Ten cases of isoniazid-resistant TB (2.9% of culture confirmed cases of newly treated TB), one of rifampin-resistant TB (0.3% culture confirmed cases of newly treated TB) and one of multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) (3.8% of culture confirmed cases of retreatment TB) were detected.

CONCLUSIONS

MDR-TB prevalence is low among outpatients initiating TB treatment in Lilongwe.