Nursing & Health

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://research.avondale.edu.au/handle/123456789/457

Browse

Search Results

  • Item
    Tasmanian Acute Public Hospitals Healthcare Associated Infection Surveillance Report 24 - Quarter 4 2014
    (2015-11-01) McGregor, Alistair; Wilson, Fiona; Wells, Anne; Mitchell, Brett G.

    This quarterly surveillance report provides an overview of the Tasmanian acute public hospitals healthcare associated infection surveillance. The TIPCU website (www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/tipcu) contains details of the surveillance program and the methodologies used in data collection, validation and analysis. These details are not contained in this report but are freely available online should further information be required.

  • Item
    Evaluating Environmental Cleanliness in Hospitals and Other Healthcare Settings
    (2012-03-01) Dancer, Stephanie; McGregor, Alistair; Brown, Saffron; Ware, Chris; Wilson, Fiona; Mitchell, Brett G.

    The purpose of this review is to describe some of the main methodologies currently used in assessing environmental cleanliness as well as document current local, national and international practices.

  • Item
    Tasmanian Acute Public Hospitals Healthcare Associated Infection Surveillance Report 23 - Quarter 3 2014
    (2014-08-01) Mitchell, Brett G.; McGregor, Alistair; Wilson, Fiona; Wells, Anne

    This annual report provides an overview of the Tasmanian acute public hospitals healthcare associated infection surveillance. This complements the quarterly surveillance data reports that the Tasmanian Infection Prevention and Control Unit (TIPCU) has been publishing since March 2009. The TIPCU website (www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/tipcu) contains details of the surveillance program and the methodologies used in data collection, validation and analysis. These details are not contained in this report but are freely available online should further information be required.
    Any form of comparison between hospitals should be done with extreme caution and direct comparisons are not recommended. Information about how Tasmanian rates compare with those of other Australian states (where available), are provided in the Key Points sections of this report. The Appendices in this report contain more detailed information.
    Compared to the quarterly reports published by the TIPCU, this report contains some additional detail, such as infection rates by financial year and antimicrobial use. From this report, the following findings can be made:
    • The rate of healthcare associated Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia remains low.
    • The rate and number of both hospital identified Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) and healthcare associated – healthcare facility onset Clostridium difficile infection (HCA – HCF CDI) are similar to those in the previous quarter.
    • The occurrence of vancomycin resistant enterococcus remains low.

  • Item
    Tasmanian Acute Public Hospitals Healthcare Associated Infection Surveillance Report 22 - Annual Report 2013-14
    (2014-12-01) Mitchell, Brett G.; McGregor, Alistair; Wilson, Fiona; Wells, Anne

    This annual report provides an overview of the Tasmanian acute public hospitals healthcare associated infection surveillance. This complements the quarterly surveillance data reports that the Tasmanian Infection Prevention and Control Unit (TIPCU) has been publishing since March 2009. The TIPCU website (www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/tipcu) contains details of the surveillance program, including the rationale for the indicators surveyed and the methodologies used in data collection, validation and analysis. These details are not contained in this report but are freely available online should further information be required.

  • Item
    Clostridium Difficile Infection in Tasmanian Public Hospitals 2006-2010
    (2011-09-01) Wells, Anne; Brown, Saffron; McGregor, Alistair; Ware, Chris; Mitchell, Brett G.

    Objective To describe the current epidemiology of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in Tasmania Design, setting and participants Tasmania undertakes continuous surveillance for CDI at all public hospitals. Data on cases of CDI between 2006 and 2010 were examined. All positive tests occurring within 8 weeks of a previous case, and cases occurring in children less than 2 years old were excluded, consistent with national definitions. Only cases identified at public hospitals were included in the analysis Main outcome measures The rate of CDI in Tasmanian hospitals over the study period and the ability to demonstrate the effect of variances in surveillance definitions. Results A total of 357 cases of CDI were reported over the study period – a rate of 3.08 per 10 000 patient care days (95%CI 2.90–3.27) or 0.94 per 1000 patient separations (95%CI 0.91–0.98) for hospital-identified cases of CDI. Yearly rates for the period 2006 to 2010 were 2.3, 3.2, 2.8 and 3.9 per 10 000 patient care days, respectively. The overall trend was an increase in cases over the study period. The CDI rate from 2009–10 was significantly higher than that from 2008–09. Of the total cases reported,64% were healthcare-associated, healthcare-facility onset (HCAHFO), equating to a rate of 2.1 per 10 000 patient care days over the 4-year period. Conclusion The Tasmanian rate of HCA HFO is increasing, and appears to be greater than that reported by other Australian states, but is less than many northern hemisphere regions, where hypervirulent strains of C. difficile are causing increasing morbidity and mortality. It is difficult to compare reported rates of CDI nationally and internationally owing to inconsistencies in study duration, denominator selection, testing effort and testing methodology. This study demonstrates the need for national standards for CDI testing and reporting.

  • Item
    Prevalence of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Colonisation in Tasmanian Rural Hospitals
    (2009-12-01) Coombs, Geoffrey; McGregor, Alistair; Mitchell, Brett G.

    A point prevalence study was performed to determine the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) nasal colonisation rates in Tasmanian rural hospital inpatients. Nasal swabs were performed on all Tasmanian rural hospital inpatients hospitalised for more than 48 h before collection. A single swab was collected from both anterior nares and cultured for MRSA. Molecular typing was performed on all MRSA isolated. Demographic and clinical data was collected for each study participant. Data was analysed using the statistical software program SPSS. A total of 185 patients from 14 rural hospitals were included in the study. MRSA was isolated from 13 (7%) patients. Significant differences in MRSA prevalence were found between regions (P < 0.05) and between hospitals (P < 0.05). In the northern region of Tasmania, 11% of rural inpatients were colonised with MRSA, compared with 3 and 0% of rural inpatients in the State’s north-west and

    southern regions, respectively. The presence of an indwelling urinary catheter was associated with a higher risk of MRSA nasal colonisation (P = 0.066). Patient age, gender and duration of hospital admission before the swab was collected were not identified as significant risk factors for MRSA nasal colonisation. Twelve of the 13 MRSA (92%) isolated were characterised as ST22-MRSA-IV (EMRSA-15). There is a higher prevalence of MRSA nasal colonisation in rural hospital inpatients in the northern region of Tasmania compared with other Tasmanian regions. ST22-MRSA-IV may be endemic in at least one northern Tasmanian rural hospital. This information may have implications for future strategies designed to minimise the prevalence and transmission of MRSA in Tasmania.

  • Item
    Tasmanian Acute Public Hospitals Healthcare Associated Infection Surveillance Report 20 - Quarter 4 2013
    (2014-01-01) Mitchell, Brett G.; McGregor, Alistair; Wilson, Fiona; Wells, Anne
  • Item
    ASID (HICSIG)/AICA Position Statement: Preventing Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections in Patients
    (2011-06-01) Mason, Matthew; Wilson, Fiona; Stuart, Rhonda; Wells, Anne; Brown, Saffron; McGregor, Alistair; Ware, Chris; Mitchell, Brett G.

    Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) occur frequently in healthcare settings. The insertion and maintenance of indwelling urinary catheters is a routine element of healthcare. In order to prevent CAUTI, it is important that healthcare professionals providing catheter care understand the indications for catheter use and the correct procedure for insertion and maintenance of catheters. This paper reviews and summarises three recent key publications on the prevention of CAUTIs and proposes the use of a care bundle and checklist for catheter indications, insertion and maintenance, and quality improvement.

  • Item
    Healthcare-associated Infections: Getting the Balance Right in Safety and Quality v. Public Reporting
    (2012-10-15) McGregor, Alistair; Gardner, Anne; Mitchell, Brett G.

    Healthcare settings are dangerous places. For those receiving care, the risk of unintended harm from healthcare failures continues to be significant. Given this, there is a need to monitor standards in healthcare, not only to identify potential issues, but also to plan and evaluate interventions aimed at improving healthcare standards. Public reporting of performance standards is one aspect to monitoring standards, but not the only one. Public reporting also brings with it challenges. This perspective explores the recent move to publicly report one healthcare-associated infection (HAI) on the MyHospitals website and comments on the broader issue of using existing HAI data for the purposes of public reporting.

  • Item
    Tasmanian Acute Public Hospitals Healthcare Associated Infection Surveillance Report 19 - Quarter 3 2013
    (2013-01-01) Mitchell, Brett G.; McGregor, Alistair; Wilson, Fiona; Wells, Anne

    This surveillance report describes data relating to a number of key Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) ‘indicators’. It is the intention of the Tasmanian Infection Prevention and Control Unit (TIPCU) to publish this report quarterly.