Pseudo-Outbreak of “Mycobacterium paraffinicum” Infection and/or Colonization in a Tertiary Care Medical Center

2009 ◽  
Vol 30 (9) ◽  
pp. 848-853 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shu-Hua Wang ◽  
Preeti Pancholi ◽  
Kurt Stevenson ◽  
Mitchell A. Yakrus ◽  
W. Ray Butler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Patient Care ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Water System ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Molecular Tools ◽  
Environmental Isolates ◽  
Environmental Investigation ◽  
Tertiary Care Medical Center ◽  
Slow Growing

Objective.To investigate a pseudo-outbreak of “Mycobacterium paraffinicum” (unofficial taxon) infection and/or colonization, using isolates recovered from clinical and environmental specimens.Design.Outbreak investigation.Setting.University-affiliated, tertiary-care hospital.Methods.M. paraffinicum, a slow-growing, nontuberculous species of mycobacteria, was recovered from 21 patients and an ice machine on a single patient care unit over a 2.5-year period. The clinical, epidemiological, and environmental investigation of this pseudo-outbreak is described.Results.Twenty-one patients with pulmonary symptoms and possible risk factors for tuberculosis were admitted to inpatient rooms that provided airborne isolation conditions in 2 adjacent hospital buildings. In addition, 1 outpatient had induced sputum cultured for mycobacteria in the pulmonary function laboratory. Of the samples obtained from these 21 patients, 26 isolates from respiratory samples and 1 isolate from a stool sample were identified asM. paraffinicum. Environmental isolates obtained from an ice machine in the patient care unit where the majority of the patients were admitted were also identified asM. paraffinicum.Conclusions.An epidemiological investigation that used molecular tools confirmed the suspicion of a pseudo-outbreak ofM. paraffinicuminfection and/or colonization. The hospital water system was identified as the source of contamination.

Platelet Utilization In a Tertiary Care Hospital: An Opportunity for Reduced Transfusion?

Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 116 (21) ◽  
pp. 2575-2575
Author(s):  
Vipra Sharma ◽  
Maya Shah ◽  
Ravi Pullela ◽  
Alice J. Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Tertiary Care Hospital ◽  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Invasive Procedure ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Tertiary Care Medical Center ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Transfusion Guidelines

Abstract Abstract 2575 Background: Use of platelet (plt) transfusions to treat and prevent bleeding varies widely between hospitals and by medical and surgical services. Standard indications include active bleeding with thrombocytopenia or plt dysfunction, pre or peri-invasive procedure, and prophylaxis for low plt counts. Rising demand for plt transfusions and donor shortage, coupled with the risks of transfusion (including infectious disease transmission and alloimmunization) are concerns which often lead to strict regulation of plt transfusion in hospitals. In order to evaluate appropriate use of plt transfusion based on Newark Beth Israel Medical Center transfusion guidelines, a review of plt use was undertaken at this tertiary care hospital. Design: A retrospective review was performed of plt utilization over a 3 month period from October to December 2009. All charts of hospitalized and outpatient patients receiving plt transfusions were reviewed to determine reasons for plt transfusion. Pre-transfusion plt values, site/service ordering plt transfusions, number of units transfused and cost were determined. Results: 421 plt units were transfused to 125 patients (51.6% female), mean age 44 years (yrs.) (range 0–89). All plt transfusions were single donor units. The mean plt count prior to transfusion for all procedures was 127,000, well above hospital guidelines. The majority of plt utilized were by cardiothoracic (CT) surgery (168/421, 40%) with the highest cost (Table 1). 124/421(29%) of transfusions occurred pre- or peri- invasive procedure, with 88/124 (71%) of those transfusions occurring prior or peri- cardio-thoracic procedure. 83/421 (20%) of transfusions had no clear indication based on hospital guidelines, predominately ordered by CT surgery and occurring post-op for asymptomatic thrombocytopenia (cost $45, 650). The mean plt count at which transfusion was found to have no indication was 55,000 (range 25,000–105,000). 136/421(32%) of the cases were prophylactic transfusions with a plt count < 20,000, with 121/136 (89%) in the oncology patients, and the rest in the medical pts due to sepsis. 114/421(27%) of the transfusions were for bleeding. Only 5 patients, 3 in the CT group, and 2 in neonate group had plt dysfunction as the indication for transfusion prior to procedure. The lowest incidence of plt transfusions without an indication was in the adult oncology department. Conclusion: Platelet utilization varied by departments. CT surgery followed by neonatal and pediatric oncology are the principal users of plt in our tertiary care medical center. CT surgery, general surgery, and neonatal services had the highest pre-transfusion plt counts. As 20% of all transfusions had no clinical reason for plt use (no bleeding, invasive procedure, or severely low plt count) the opportunities may exist for lower platelet usage by educating physicians about compliance to transfusion guidelines in order to decrease the risks associated with transfusion and resultant complications. Disclosure: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Mathematical Modeling of Pathogen Trajectory in a Patient Care Environment

2013 ◽  
Vol 34 (11) ◽  
pp. 1181-1188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela L. Hewlett ◽  
Scott E. Whitney ◽  
Shawn G. Gibbs ◽  
Philip W. Smith ◽  
Hendrik J. Viljoen
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Modeling ◽  
Infection Control ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
Infection Control Practice ◽  
Control Practice ◽  
Tertiary Care Medical Center

Objective.Minimizing healthcare worker exposure to airborne infectious pathogens is an important infection control practice. This study utilized mathematical modeling to evaluate the trajectories and subsequent concentrations of particles following a simulated release in a patient care room.Design.Observational study.Setting. Biocontainment unit patient care room at a university-affiliated tertiary care medical center.Methods. Quantitative mathematical modeling of airflow in a patient care room was achieved using a computational fluid dynamics software package. Models were created on the basis of a release of particles from various locations in the room. Computerized particle trajectories were presented in time-lapse fashion over a blueprint of the room. A series of smoke tests were conducted to visually validate the model.Results.Most particles released from the head of the bed initially rose to the ceiling and then spread across the ceiling and throughout the room. The highest particle concentrations were observed at the head of the bed nearest to the air return vent, and the lowest concentrations were observed at the foot of the bed.Conclusions.Mathematical modeling provides clinically relevant data on the potential exposure risk in patient care rooms and is applicable in multiple healthcare delivery settings. The information obtained through mathematical modeling could potentially serve as an infection control modality to enhance the protection of healthcare workers.

Intraoperative Consultation in Gynecologic Pathology: A 6-Year Audit at a Tertiary Care Medical Center

2009 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 152-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia Ismiil ◽  
Zeina Ghorab ◽  
Sharon Nofech-Mozes ◽  
Anna Plotkin ◽  
Allan Covens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Surgical Procedure ◽  
Ovarian Tumor ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Group Management ◽  
Tertiary Care Medical Center ◽  
Wide Range

Background:Most of the literature on intraoperative consultation (IOC) in gynecologic pathology focuses on the accuracy of this technique. This study addresses a wide range of quality assurance issues regarding this practice through a comprehensive audit of our experience.Design:The anatomic pathology database was searched between 1999 and 2005 for all gynecologic cases who received IOCs. Seven hundred thirty-one IOCs rendered were identified and analyzed. The accuracy of IOC by gynecologic pathologists was comparable to that of surgical pathologists.Results:Patient care was potentially negatively impacted in 14 IOCs; 2 were conducted by the former and 12 by the latter group. Management of ovarian tumors with borderline features significantly improved when the terminology of "at least borderline" was used. Intraoperative consultation by gross inspection only had a low accuracy of 94.7%. Intraoperative consultation was able to definitively and correctly answer the question of whether an ovarian tumor was primary or metastatic in only 35% of patients. As a result of the IOC, the surgical procedure proceeded as originally intended in 96% of patients, was modified in 2%, and was terminated in 2%.Conclusions:This audit identifies certain procedural and communication strategies that can increase accuracy. It also highlights the situations where IOC could be less reliable. Patient's safety can increase by improving the communication between the surgeons and the consultant pathologist, consulting with gynecologic pathologists in oncology cases whenever feasible, and using the term of "at least borderline" rather than "borderline."

scholarly journals Characterizing rescue performance in a tertiary care medical center: a systems approach to provide management decision support

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan P. McGrath ◽  
Todd MacKenzie ◽  
Irina Perreard ◽  
George Blike
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Early Recognition ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Management Decision ◽  
Hospital Inpatient ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Specific System ◽  
Tertiary Care Medical Center

Abstract Background Allocation of limited resources to improve quality, patient safety, and outcomes is a decision-making challenge health care leaders face every day. While much valuable health care management research has concentrated on administrative data analysis, this approach often falls short of providing actionable information essential for effective management of specific system implementations and complex systems. This comprehensive performance analysis of a hospital-wide system illustrates application of various analysis approaches to support understanding specific system behaviors and identify leverage points for improvement. The study focuses on performance of a hospital rescue system supporting early recognition and response to patient deterioration, which is essential to reduce preventable inpatient deaths. Methods Retrospective analysis of tertiary care hospital inpatient and rescue data was conducted using a systems analysis approach to characterize: patient demographics; rescue activation types and locations; temporal patterns of activation; and associations of patient factors, including complications, with post-rescue care disposition and outcomes. Results Increases in bedside consultations (20% per year) were found with increased rescue activations during periods of resource limitations and changes (e.g., shift changes, weekends). Cardiac arrest, respiratory failure, and sepsis complications present the highest risk for rescue and death. Distributions of incidence of rescue and death by day of patient stay may suggest opportunities for earlier recognition. Conclusions Specific findings highlight the potential of using rescue-related risk and targeted resource deployment strategies to improve early detection of deterioration. The approach and methods applied can be used by other institutions to understand performance and allow rational incremental improvements to complex care delivery systems.

Development of a Flexible, Computerized Database to Prioritize, Record, and Report Influenza Vaccination Rates for Healthcare Personnel

2009 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 361-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Melia ◽  
Sarah O'Neill ◽  
Sherry Calderon ◽  
Sandra Hewitt ◽  
Kelly Orlando ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Vaccination ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
The United States ◽  
Healthcare Personnel ◽  
Direct Patient Care ◽  
Vaccination Rates ◽  
Tertiary Care Medical Center ◽  
The Status

Objective.To describe the method used to develop a flexible, computerized database for recording and reporting rates of influenza vaccination among healthcare personnel who were classified by their individual levels (hereafter, “tiers”) of direct patient contact.Design.Three-year descriptive summary.Setting.Large, academic, tertiary care medical center in the United States.Participants.All of the medical center's healthcare personnel.Methods.The need to develop a computer-based system to record direct patient care tiers and vaccination data for healthcare personnel was identified. A plan that was to be implemented in stages over several seasons was developed.Results.Direct patient care tiers were defined by consensus opinion on the basis of the extent, frequency, and intensity of direct contact with patients. The definitions of these tiers evolved over 3 seasons. Direct patient care classifications were assigned and recorded in a computerized database, and data regarding the receipt of vaccination were tracked by using the same database. Data were extracted to generate reports of individual, departmental, and institutional vaccination rates, both overall and according to direct patient care tiers.Conclusions.Development of a computerized database to record direct patient care tiers for individual healthcare workers is a daunting but manageable task. Widespread use of these direct patient care definitions will facilitate uniform comparisons of vaccination rates between institutions. This computerized database can easily be used by infection control personnel to accomplish several other key tasks, including vaccination triage in the context of shortage or delay, prioritization of personnel to receive interventions in times of crisis, and monitoring the status of other employee health or occupational health measures.

scholarly journals The Role of Preprocedure Screening of SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Tertiary Care Medical Center Analysis

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Catarina Correia ◽  
Nuno Almeida ◽  
Pedro Figueiredo
Keyword(s):  
Medical Center ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Endoscopic Procedures ◽  
Tertiary Care Medical Center ◽  
The Cost

<b><i>Purpose:</i></b> This study aimed to understand the prevalence of asymptomatic COVID-19 infection among patients undergoing endoscopic procedures at a tertiary care hospital. The results allow prediction of the magnitude of cases which this endoscopic service might witness in the next months and planning of future actions accordingly. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> This retrospective study was conducted in the gastroenterology department of a large urban tertiary care medical center from October 15, 2020, to November 15, 2020. In this institution, all patients proposed for endoscopic procedures under deep sedation must be submitted to reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) detection. These results were thoroughly reviewed. <b><i>Results:</i></b> In the 1-month period, a total of 833 different procedures were done in 833 patients admitted to the endoscopy unit. Of these, 167 (20%) were submitted to nasal swab for SARS-CoV-2. Only 1 (0.6%) was positive for this infection, and her procedure was postponed. This RT-PCR-positive patient was not symptomatic for CO­VID-19 infection at the time of preprocedure screening. She had no positive contacts for COVID-19 and had not traveled outside the country. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> We found that the proportion of patients proposed for an endoscopic intervention who were asymptomatic carriers of SARS-CoV-2 was low. However, only one fifth of patients were tested and, considering the proportion of 0.6%, it is reasonable to consider that exposure of healthcare workers and other patients can occur. So, all prevention measures must be strictly followed. However, the cost-benefit of an universal testing policy must be proven.

scholarly journals Clinical Team Distribution and Antibiotic Use Patterns at a Tertiary-Care Academic Medical Center

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. s168-s169
Author(s):  
Rebecca Choudhury ◽  
Ronald Beaulieu ◽  
Thomas Talbot ◽  
George Nelson
Keyword(s):  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Hospital Units ◽  
Antibiotic Utilization ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Utilization Data

Background: As more US hospitals report antibiotic utilization to the CDC, standardized antimicrobial administration ratios (SAARs) derived from patient care unit-based antibiotic utilization data will increasingly be used to guide local antibiotic stewardship interventions. Location-based antibiotic utilization surveillance data are often utilized given the relative ease of ascertainment. However, aggregating antibiotic use data on a unit basis may have variable effects depending on the number of clinical teams providing care. In this study, we examined antibiotic utilization from units at a tertiary-care hospital to illustrate the potential challenges of using unit-based antibiotic utilization to change individual prescribing. Methods: We used inpatient pharmacy antibiotic use administration records at an adult tertiary-care academic medical center over a 6-month period from January 2019 through June 2019 to describe the geographic footprints and AU of medical, surgical, and critical care teams. All teams accounting for at least 1 patient day present on each unit during the study period were included in the analysis, as were all teams prescribing at least 1 antibiotic day of therapy (DOT). Results: The study population consisted of 24 units: 6 ICUs (25%) and 18 non-ICUs (75%). Over the study period, the average numbers of teams caring for patients in ICU and non-ICU wards were 10.2 (range, 3.2–16.9) and 13.7 (range, 10.4–18.9), respectively. Units were divided into 3 categories by the number of teams, accounting for ≥70% of total patient days present (Fig. 1): “homogenous” (≤3), “pauciteam” (4–7 teams), and “heterogeneous” (>7 teams). In total, 12 (50%) units were “pauciteam”; 7 (29%) were “homogeneous”; and 5 (21%) were “heterogeneous.” Units could also be classified as “homogenous,” “pauciteam,” or “heterogeneous” based on team-level antibiotic utilization or DOT for specific antibiotics. Different patterns emerged based on antibiotic restriction status. Classifying units based on vancomycin DOT (unrestricted) exhibited fewer “heterogeneous” units, whereas using meropenem DOT (restricted) revealed no “heterogeneous” units. Furthermore, the average number of units where individual clinical teams prescribed an antibiotic varied widely (range, 1.4–12.3 units per team). Conclusions: Unit-based antibiotic utilization data may encounter limitations in affecting prescriber behavior, particularly on units where a large number of clinical teams contribute to antibiotic utilization. Additionally, some services prescribing antibiotics across many hospital units may be minimally influenced by unit-level data. Team-based antibiotic utilization may allow for a more targeted metric to drive individual team prescribing.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None

scholarly journals EVALUATION OF FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH MORTALITY AMONGST PATIENTS ADMITTED TO A TERTIARY CARE MEDICAL CENTER FOR COVID-19 INFECTION

2021 ◽  
Vol 77 (18) ◽  
pp. 3123
Author(s):  
Anish Samuel ◽  
Ashesha Mechineni ◽  
Robin Craven ◽  
Wilbert Aronow ◽  
Mourad Ismail ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Center ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Tertiary Care Medical Center

scholarly journals Evaluation of post-ERCP pancreatitis after biliary stenting with self-expandable metal stents vs. plastic stents in benign and malignant obstructions

2021 ◽  
Vol 09 (06) ◽  
pp. E888-E894
Author(s):  
Nichol S. Martinez ◽  
Sumant Inamdar ◽  
Sheila N. Firoozan ◽  
Stephanie Izard ◽  
Calvin Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pancreatic Duct ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Plastic Stents ◽  
Metal Stents ◽  
Limited Data ◽  
Sems Group ◽  
Tertiary Care Medical Center ◽  
Stent Type ◽  
Pancreatic Duct Stent

Abstract Background and study aims There are conflicting data regarding the risk of post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) with self-expandable metallic stents (SEMS) compared to polyethylene stents (PS) in malignant biliary obstructions and limited data related to benign obstructions. Patients and methods A retrospective cohort study was performed of 1136 patients who underwent ERCP for biliary obstruction and received SEMS or PS at a tertiary-care medical center between January 2011 and October 2016. We evaluated the association between stent type (SEMS vs PS) and PEP in malignant and benign biliary obstructions. Results Among the 1136 patients included in our study, 399 had SEMS placed and 737 had PS placed. Patients with PS were more likely to have pancreatic duct cannulation, pancreatic duct stent placement, double guidewire technique, sphincterotomy and sphincteroplasty as compared to the SEMS group. On multivariate analysis, PEP rates were higher in the SEMS group (8.0 %) versus the PS group (4.8 %) (OR 2.27 [CI, 1.22, 4.24]) for all obstructions. For malignant obstructions, PEP rates were 7.8 % and 6.6 % for SEMS and plastic stents, respectively (OR 1.54 [CI, 0.72, 3.30]). For benign obstructions the PEP rate was higher in the SEMS group (8.8 %) compared to the PS group (4.2 %) (OR 3.67 [CI, 1.50, 8.97]). No significant differences between PEP severity were identified based on stent type when stratified based on benign and malignant. Conclusions PEP rates were higher when SEMS were used for benign obstruction as compared to PS. For malignant obstruction, no difference was identified in PEP rates with use of SEMS vs PS.

Utility of electroencephalography: Experience from a U.S. tertiary care medical center

2016 ◽  
Vol 127 (10) ◽  
pp. 3335-3340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kapil Gururangan ◽  
Babak Razavi ◽  
Josef Parvizi
Keyword(s):  
Medical Center ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Tertiary Care Medical Center
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