Numerous evidence-based practices for preventing device-associated infections are available, yet the extent to which these practices are regularly used in acute care hospitals across different countries has not been compared, to our knowledge.
Data from hospital surveys conducted in Japan, the United States, and Thailand in 2012, 2013, and 2014, respectively, were evaluated to determine the use of recommended practices to prevent central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI), ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), and catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI). The outcomes were the percentage of hospitals reporting regular use (a score of 4 or 5 on a scale from 1 [never use] to 5 [always use]) of each practice across countries and identified hospital characteristics associated with the use of selected practices in each country.
Survey response rates were 71% in Japan and the United States and 87% in Thailand. A majority of hospitals in Japan (76.6%), Thailand (63.2%), and the United States (97.8%) used maximum barrier precautions for preventing CLABSI and semirecumbent positioning to prevent VAP (66.2% for Japan, 86.7% for Thailand, and 98.7% for the United States). Nearly all hospitals (>90%) in Thailand and the United States reported monitoring CLABSI, VAP, and CAUTI rates, whereas in Japan only CLABSI rates were monitored by a majority of hospitals. Regular use of CAUTI prevention practices was variable across the 3 countries, with only a few practices adopted by >50% of hospitals.
A majority of hospitals in Japan, Thailand, and the United States have adopted certain practices to prevent CLABSI and VAP. Opportunities for targeting prevention activities and reducing device-associated infection risk in hospitals exist across all 3 countries.
Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. 2017 May 15 [Epub]
Sarah L Krein, M Todd Greene, Anucha Apisarnthanarak, Fumie Sakamoto, Yasuharu Tokuda, Tomoko Sakihama, Karen E Fowler, David Ratz, Sanjay Saint
VA Ann Arbor Center for Clinical Management Research and Medicine Service, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, and., Thammasat University, Pathumthani, Thailand., Center for Quality Improvement, St Luke's International Hospital, and., Department of Medicine, Mito Kyodo General Hospital, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan., International University of Health and Welfare Graduate School, Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo, and.