Ms Inutu Kashina1, Olivia Kamau1, Liana Varrone1, Lisa Nicolaou1, Khui Hung (Claire) Lee1, Melanie Trainor1, Claire Tinson1, Dr Rebecca Hogan1, Rebecca McCann1
1Infection Prevention, Policy & Surveillance Unit, Communicable Disease Control Directorate, Department of Health WA, Perth, Australia
Biography:
Inutu kashina is a Senior Program Officer in the Infection Prevention and Policy Surveillance Unit. She is responsible for the management and oversight of the state's electronic surveillance system which enables the collection and reporting of healthcare associated infection and multi-resistant organism surveillance data.
Abstract:
ICNet is an electronic surveillance system designed to provide real-time clinical information to assist in healthcare-associated infection surveillance, infection prevention, and patient management. The system integrates information about the patients’ hospitalisation from admission to discharge, including laboratory results, radiology reports, surgical procedures and other clinical information therefore enhancing outbreak management. The Infection Prevention and Policy Surveillance Unit (IPPSU) use ICNet to monitor multi-resistant organism outbreaks and events of public health concern, including non-notifiable diseases.
In September 2023, a cluster of Ralstonia picketti cases were detected in a New South Wales hospital. The outbreak was linked to a contaminated pharmaceutical product and the investigation subsequently broadened to other Australian jurisdictions including Western Australia. To assist with case identification, IPPSU utilised the ICNet microbiology reporting function to retrospectively search for cases. An “organism of interest” alert was created and configured. Through ICNet, three additional cases were identified and implicated in the outbreak.
This function has been subsequently used to monitor for cases in other outbreaks, including Burkholderia cenocepacia associated with a custodial setting, and more recently Achromobacter xylosoxidans linked to antiseptic skin preparation.
The utilisation of ICNet significantly improved the timeliness of case identification and investigation and facilitated inter-agency communication and reporting during these outbreaks. Electronic surveillance effectively addresses limitations of traditional reporting systems, highlighting the importance of digital solutions in infection prevention and control.