Category Archives: National

National HAI Point Prevalence Survey – August 2018 update

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Data collection commencing!!

It has been an exciting month for the National Healthcare Associated Infection Point Prevalence Survey team. Our two Research Assistants, Sophia Robinson and Stephanie Curtis, have commenced their appointments and spent the past month undergoing surveillance training. After rigorously testing the data collection tool, they are now experts in utilising the tool to investigate HAIs and are excited to commence the data collection at our sites.

Site visits for data collection across Australia will commence next week, August 8th and continue until November 30th. We have locked in several dates with sites, starting with Geelong, Bendigo, Launceston, Burnie and Adelaide.

As previously announced, 19 hospitals will be participating in the study, these hospitals are listed below. We sincerely thank all the hospitals for their involvement, particularly the site Principal Investigators who have worked hard to progress ethics approvals and organise the logistics of our visits. We look forward to visiting you all soon!

  • Alfred Hospital, Vic
  • Bendigo Health, Vic
  • Calvary Hospital, ACT
  • Fiona Stanley Hospital, WA
  • Frankston Hospital, Vic
  • Gold Coast University Hospital, QLD
  • Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital, NSW
  • Launceston General Hospital, Tas
  • North West Regional Hospital, Tas
  • Redcliffe Hospital, QLD
  • Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, QLD
  • Royal North Shore Hospital, NSW
  • Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, WA
  • The Prince of Wales Hospital, NSW
  • The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, SA
  • The Royal Adelaide Hospital, SA
  • The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Vic
  • The Tweed Hospital, Vic
  • University Hospital Geelong, Vic

 

​We will continue to provide updates on the project through this blog and Twitter via @PLR_aus and @1healthau , or for further information please contact either Dr Philip Russo or Professor Brett Mitchell 

 


Stephanie Curtis, Research Assistant, Australian National Healthcare Associated Infection Point Prevalence Survey

Outside the box: Infection prevention beyond the hospital walls

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The recent article published in the MJA by Agostino and colleagues from the Hunter New England area provided data that could be described as not so startling, but nevertheless alarming. Their study aimed to identify groups at risk of MRSA infection, as well as the proportion of patients with MRSA but no history of recent hospitalisation (previous 12 months).

In their large cohort, they found that “young people, Indigenous Australians, and residents of aged care facilities, are disproportionally affected by CA-MRSA infections”.

Two comments in their Discussion caught my eye. The authors call for:

  • the focus of control measures to move from the healthcare setting to the community
  • national surveillance of MRSAphotodune-598972-think-outside-the-box-xl

The results of this study are not so startling because the findings are consistent with previous studies, alarming because this is another piece of evidence highlighting the deficits of our local knowledge.

This brings me to my next point. I am excited to be part of a team conducting a large study exploring infection prevention in Australian residential and aged care facilities. Led by Prof Brett Mitchell, together with Prof Ramon Shaban and Dr Deborough MacBeth, we aim to mimic a recent program of work  that generated so much rich information about infection prevention in our hospital facilities. Here are links to a sample of some of papers from this work:

This cross sectional study aims to explore governance, education, practice, surveillance and competency and capability – five key domains relating to infection prevention and control. All aged care homes in Australia are in the process of being contacted.

The findings of this study will be significant, they will:

  • further support ACIPC to refine the role and scope of practice of ICPs and better target education strategies,
  • inform decision-makers faced with accessing and planning infection control resources in settings outside hospitals.
  • guide future research priorities in this area
  • understand priorities and gaps in infection control services

If you receive an invitation to participate, I strongly encourage you to do so.

We look forward to sharing our findings with you during 2018.

Phil