Risk Factors and Prevalence of Multi-Resistant Organisms in a Tertiary Australian Hospital: A point prevalence study

Dr Sarah Browning¹, Ms Amelia Bartczak², Ms Sally Munnoch¹, Mr Neil Fraser¹, Ms Lauren McMahon¹, Dr Rob George³, Dr Karl Hassan², Dr John Ferguson¹

¹Infection Prevention Service, Hunter New England Health, New Lambton, Australia
²School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia
³NSW Health Pathology, New Lambton, Australia

Methods: A point prevalence survey of MROs in patients across 22 medical, surgical, and acute wards, within a tertiary Australian hospital is to be conducted in June 2022. Simultaneous environmental sampling coupled with whole genome sequencing of all MRO isolates will allow for mapping of potential environmental reservoirs and hospital transmission events through clonal linkage. Risk factors for MRO acquisition are to be investigated using a prevalence case-control study, with incidence rate ratios determined using a multivariate logistic regression model.

Results: These data are not available at the time of abstract submission.

Conclusion: To our knowledge, this point prevalence survey study is unique in scale and inclusion of both patient and environmental MRO screening. These data will provide important insights into the prevalence and drivers of MRO acquisition in hospitalised patients within Australian hospitals.

Background: Increasing prevalence of multi-resistant organisms (MRO) is of major public health concern, complicating the treatment of bacterial infections with subsequent increases in patient morbidity and mortality. Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), carbapenemase-producing enterobacteriales (CPE) and extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) are MROs of significance which can colonise the bowel and contaminate environmental surfaces leading to healthcare associated MRO acquisition and infections. In Australian hospitals, screening via rectal swab is predominantly limited to intensive care units (ICUs), limiting our understanding of MRO prevalence outside of high acuity settings.

Biography: Sarah Browning is an Infectious Diseases physician at the John Hunter Hospital and Hunter New England Health’s Infection Prevention Service. She has completed a master of public health and tropical medicine at James Cook University is a conjoint lecturer at the University of Newcastle.