A/Prof. Philip Russo1,2, Dr Lucille Kerr1,2, Dr John Ferguson3, Dr Andrew Stewardson1,4, L Busija1, Professor Brett Mitchell1,5
1Monash University, Clayton, Australia
2Cabrini Health, Malvern, Australia
3John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, Australia
4Alfred Health, Prahran, Australia, 5Monash University, Australia
6Avondale University, Cooranbong, Australia
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the healthcare environment including the increased use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and awareness of hand hygiene in hospital settings. The aim of this study was to measure if heightened awareness of infection prevention and control (IPC) measures during COVID-19 influenced the rates of healthcare associated infections (HAI).
Methods: A 3 year retrospective review of laboratory data from 1 large private and 4 large public hospitals was undertaken. Monthly bloodstream infection (BSI) data, urinary tract infection (UTI) data and cerebrospinal fluid cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) data were collected from January 2017 to March 2021. Occupied bed days (OBDs) were used to generate HAI incidence per 10,000 OBDs. An interrupted time series analysis was undertaken to compare incidence pre and post February 2020.
Results: A total of 1,988 BSI, 1,697 UTI and 238 CSF episodes were identified. The overall rate of HAI aggregated for all sites did not differ significantly between the two periods. One hospital demonstrated a significant downwards trend following February 2020 (p=0.024) and a significant difference between the two periods. The aggregated BSI rate for all sites demonstrated a significant difference between the two periods (p=0.004). No other significant differences were identified.
Conclusion: Whilst there was no significant reduction in overall HAI rates for all sites aggregated, there was a downward trend. Factors to consider in this analysis include likely changes in patient populations with widespread cancellation of elective admissions and increased admission for COVID-19.
Biography: Philip is the Director of Research, Nursing and Midwifery, Monash University, and Director Nursing Research at Cabrini Health. He is also the Immediate Past President of ACIPC