Managing MDROs in LTCFs National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion Nimalie D. Stone, MD/MS.

Managing MDROs in LTCFs

National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases

Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion

Nimalie D. Stone, MD/MSMedical Epidemiologist for LTC

GA LTC IC courseWinter/Spring 2011

Objectives

q Review basics about common bacteria which can develop antibiotic resistance in the healthcare setting

q Discuss mechanisms by which antibiotic resistance emerges and spreads

q Identify strategies for preventing MDRO transmission

Basics on Bacteria

• Bacteria have different characteristics that allow us to identify them in the lab• Growth patterns, structure of the cell

• We use these characteristics to develop antibiotics

Gram Stain Positive(purple)

Gram Stain Negative(pink/red)

Common types of Bacteria

Gram positive q Most are cocci, “round bacteria”

q Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Enterococcus

q Clostridium difficile (C. diff) is a Gram positive rod

Gram negative q Most are baccili, “rod-shaped

bacteria”q Enterobacteriaceae: E coli,

Klebsiella, Enterobacter , Proteusq Pseudomonas

Normal Bacterial Carriage• People have bacteria

living in and on us all the time

• Some live on our skin, some in our nose and throats, others in our bowels

• Our bodies need these bacteria to help us

• Some digest food/nutrients, others block bad bugs

• These “colonizing” bacteria aren’t harmful• Only bacteria that invade our system and

cause illness need to be treated

Antibiotics 101

q Antibiotics are drugs that treat and kill bacteriaq They are grouped into classes based on their

structure and activity§ Narrow-spectrum target a few specific bacteria § Broad-spectrum can kill a wide variety of bacteria

q Infection prevention programs track certain “bug-drug” combinations for evidence that the bacteria is getting resistant§ Bacteria with resistance can cause patients to have

more severe, costly infections which are harder to treat

Antibiotic Classes

Penicillinsq Examples: Penicillin, amoxicillin, ampicillin, methicillinq Penicillins can be combined with a drug to help them

overcome certain bacterial resistance§ Amoxicillin + Clavulante = Augmentin; § Piperacillin + tazobactam = Zosyn

Cephalosporins (cousins to penicillins)q 1st generation (more gram positive activity):

Cephalexin, Cefazolinq 3rd/4th generation (more gram negative): Ceftriaxone,

Ceftazidime

Antibiotic Classes (cont)Carbapenemsq Examples: Imipenem, meropenem, ertapenemq Extremely broad-spectrum, among the most powerful

antibiotics we currently

Miscellaneous drugs with only gram positive activity: Vancomycin, linezolid, daptomycin

q Vancomycin is the primary treatment for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)§ Oral vancomycin is ONLY used to treat C difficile;§ IV Vancomycin must be used to treat all other infections

q Enterococci that develop resistance to Vancomycin are called Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE)

Antibiotic Classes (cont)Fluoroquinolonesq 1st generation (Ciprofloxacin) mostly gram neg

activity, often used for UTI treatmentq 2nd/3rd gen (Levofloxacin/Moxifloxacin) have broader

activity, can cover Streptococcus pneumoniae and other respiratory/sinus bacteria

Aminoglycosidesq Examples: Gentamicin, Tobramycin, Amikacinq Excellent gram negative drugs – especially for urinary tractq Aren’t used as much because can be toxic to the kidneys,

need to be monitored when used

Antibiotic Classes (cont)

Miscellaneous drugsq Trimethoprim/Sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim):

Considered by many to be narrow spectrum, but has Gram neg and Gram pos activity, used to treat UTIs, also good for MRSA skin infections

q Azithromycin (“Z-pack”): Also considered more narrow spectrum, good for respiratory/sinus infections

q Metronidazole (Flagyl): One of the main treatments for C. difficile infections

Mechanisms of antibiotic resistanceq Production of proteins that

destroy antibioticsq Beta-lactamasesq Carbapenemases

q Change their cell structure so antibiotics can’t bind and block their function

q Reduce their antibiotic exposureq Pump drugs outq Increase cell barriers to

keep drug outhttp://bioinfo.bact.wisc.edu/themicrobialworld/bactresanti.html

Snapshot of resistance patterns: Facility antibiograms

q A yearly summary of the common bacteria from facility cultures and their susceptibility patterns to antibiotics

q Allows you to see trends in resistance over timeq Ask your microbiology lab about it

Defining Multidrug-resistance

q Resistant to treatment by several antibiotics from unrelated classes

q Sometimes just one key drug resistance will define an important MDRO, for example, Methicillin-resistance in Staph aureus

q Sometimes bacteria acquire resistance to several classes, often seen in gram negative rodsq Cephalosporin-resistance is a big concern in bacteria

like E coli/Klebsiella which often cause UTIsq Pseudomonas will be resistant to fluoroquinolones,

penicillins, cephalosporins, and carbapenems

ABC’s of MDROs

Bacteria Abbrev.

Antibiotic Resistance

Staphylococcus aureus

MRSA Methicillin-resistant

Enterococcus (faecalis/faecium)

VRE Vancomycin-resistant

Enterobacteriaceae(E coli/Klebsiella, etc)

CRE (KPC)

Carbapenem-resistant

Pseudomonas/ Acinetobacter

MDR Many drug classes

Staphylococcus aureus

• Derived from the Greek word Staphyle: “Bunch of grapes” and aureus: “gold”

• Part of the normal colonizing bacteria on our skin and in the nose

• Though it colonizes many people, it may not cause infection unless the skin gets broken or the immune system gets weak

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA): An ongoing

problem• First emerged in the US healthcare setting in 1968– Outbreaks linked to transmission via healthcare

workers– Prevalence in nursing homes, 20-50%

• Community-acquired strains are adding to the burden of infection in the healthcare setting

• Increasing public and legislative pressure to address the transmission of MRSA in healthcare

Risk Factors for Healthcare- associated MRSA infections

• Previous hospitalization• Increased length of stay prior to onset of

infection• Surgery• Enteral feeding• Prior antibiotics• Invasive devices• History of MRSA colonization• Residence in a long-term care facility

1. Graffunder EM & Venezia RA. J Antimic Chemo 2002;49:999-1005 2. Oztoprak, N. et al. Am J Infec Cont. 2006; 34: 1-5 3. Wertheim et al. Lancet 2005; 5: 751-62 4. Bader, M. Inf Cont Hosp Epi. 2006; 27: 1219-1225

Clostridium difficile

• Gram positive rod which grows best without oxygen (anaerobic)

• C. diff has a special growth characteristic called “spores” • Hard outer shells in which

sleeping bacteria can survive in the environment for long periods

• Spores are shed in large numbers during the diarrhea caused by C diff infection (CDI)

Steps to C. diff Infection (CDI)

Acquisition of C. difficile

Antibiotic therapy

Changes normal colonic bacteria

C diff over grows and produces toxin

n More than half of healthcare associated CDI cases occur in long-term care facilities

n A significant number of individuals admitted to LTC are colonized with C difficilen Up to 20% acquire it while in nursing

homesn CDI is the most commonly identified cause

of acute diarrheal illness in the LTC population

CDI risk factors causing disease

Poutanen & Simor. CMAJ. 2004 171:51-8

Exposures and risk factors related to CDI in older adults

Simor. JAGS. 2010, e publ

C diff. prevention challenges

• Spores are not killed by alcohol hand rubs; the act rubbing your hands with soap under water removes the spores

• Spores are resistant to common cleaners and require bleach to be effectively killed

Managing a resident with C diff.• The goal of therapy for C diff infection is to

stop the symptoms of diarrhea, abdominal upset and fever

• Once the diarrhea has resolved, the resident is safe to move about the facility

• Residents can carry C.diff in their bowels (colonized) for months after their diarrhea resolves

• After being treating a resident for CDI, there is NO VALUE in sending multiple C diff stool studies to see if “the infection has cleared”• Often you’ll continue to get positive

results which prompt unnecessary additional treatment

Carbapenemase producing GNRs

• Carbapenemases are protein enzymes that break down all penicillins, cephalosporins and carbapenems

• There are different types of these enzymes some found in bugs like Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas ; others found in bugs like Klebsiella

• The genetic material also tends to carry resistance to other antibiotic classes like fluoroquinolones and aminoglycosides

• What’s really scary is that the resistance genes can be easily shared to other bacteria– Especially since we have lots of gram-negative bacteria

colonizing our bowels

Walsh, TR. Current Opin Infect Dis 2008;21:367-71

States reporting Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE)

www.cdc.gov/HAI/organisms/cre.html

Monitor your culture reports for Carbapenem-resistant

GNRsq Widely reported in the US and specifically Georgia

q Ask your referral hospitals if they have had problems

q Being aware of new resistance patterns in your residents will help you prevent spread

q Lab examined all the Acinetobacter cultured from people at 4 local hospitals over 5 years

q Classified as hospital-associated, NH-associated, or community-associated

q Wanted to see how antibiotic resistance emerged in this community

Case of an emerging MDRO….

Multidrug-resistance emerged quickly

q Over 5 year period, antibiotic resistance increased dramatically q In the last 2 years of the study pan-resistant bacteria emerged

q Culture sources: Respiratory secretions (56%); Wounds (22%); Urine (12%)

Sengstock DM, et al. Clin Infect Dis. 2010 50(12): 1611-1616

Healthcare facilities are the source of MDROs

Sengstock DM, et al. Clin Infect Dis. 2010 50(12): 1611-1616

q All the highly resistant bacteria were coming from patients in the hospital or those in the nursing homes – NOT from people living at home

MDROs in the healthcare settingDEVELOPMENT

q Antibiotic pressureq Most common predictor of antibiotic resistance is

prior antibiotic use

q Device utilization q Biofilm formation on central lines, urinary catheters,

etc.

SPREADq Patient to patient transmission via healthcare

workersq Environmental / equipment contaminationq Role of colonization pressure on acquisition

Resistance from antibiotic pressure

q At first most of the bacteria can be killed by the drug (green)

q But, once they are wiped out, the resistant bugs take over (red)

Antibiotic use drives resistance

Johnson et al. Am J. Med. 2008; 121: 876-84

Biofilm formation on device surfaces

q Biofilm: An collection of bacteria within a sticky film that forms a community on the surface of a device

http://www.ul.ie/elements/Issue7/Biofilm%20Information.htm

Biofilm on an indwelling catheter

Tenke, P et al. World J. Urol. 2006; 24: 13-20

Resistance develops within biofilms

q Bacteria within a biofilm are grow every differently from those floating around freelyq These changes in their growth make our antibiotics

less effectiveq Antibiotics can’t penetrate the biofilm to get to

the bacteria q This leads to much less drug available to treat the

bugsq Bacteria within the biofilm can talk to each

other and share the traits that allow some to be resistantq Over time more and more of them become resistant

as wellTenke, P et al. World J. Urol. 2006; 24: 13-20

Improved Patient Outcomes Associated with Hand Hygiene

Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis

(1818-1865)

Chlorinated Lime Hand Antisepsis

Adapted from CDC. Prevent Antimicrobial Resistance: A Campaign for Clinicians. April 2002.

Bacterial contamination of HCW hands prior to hand hygiene in a LTCF

Mody L, et al. InfectContHospEpi. 2003; 24: 165-71

q Gram negative

bacteria were the most common bugs cultured from hands of staff

q Most Gram neg. bacteria live in the bowls or colonize the urine!!!

Hand Hygiene

q Most effective and least costly means of preventing the transmission of MDROsqYet, compliance still ranges between ~30-60%

Alcohol-based hand rub improves compliance and

decontamination

Mody L, et al. InfectContHospEpi. 2003; 24: 165-71

Decreased MRSA infections associated with increased hand

hygiene compliance

Pittet, D et al.Lancet 2000;356:1307-12

The invisible reservoir of MDROs

• Image from Abstract: The Risk of Hand and Glove Contamination after Contact with a VRE (+) Patient Environment. Hayden M, ICAAC, 2001, Chicago, IL.

X marks the locations where VRE was isolated in this room

Slide courtesy of Teresa Fox, GA Div PH

Duration of environmental contamination by MDROs

Colonization pressure on risk of acquisition

q Colonization pressure: Presence of other MDRO carriers on a unit will increase the risk of MDRO acquisition to a non-carrier close by

q Studies have demonstrated the impact of colonization pressure on acquisition of MRSA, VRE and CDI

q Both asymptomatic carriers (colonized) and actively infected individuals can be a source for transmission (spread) on a unit

Williams VR et al. Am J Infect Control. 2009 Mar;37(2):106-10Bonten MJ et al. Arch Intern Med. 1998 May 25;158(10):1127-32.Dubberke ER et al. Arch Intern Med. 2007 May 28;167(10):1092-7

Colonization pressure: C.diff example

Unit AFewer patients with active CDI

=lower risk of acquiring CDI

Unit BMore patients with active CDI=higher risk of acquiring CDI

CDI pressure=1 × days in unit

CDI pressure=5 × days in unit

Dubberke ER, et al. Clin Infect Dis. 2007;45:1543-1549.Dubberke ER et al. Arch InternMed.2007;167(10):1092-7

Key MDRO Prevention Strategies

q Assessing hand hygiene practicesq Implementing Contact Precautionsq Recognizing previously colonized patientsq Rapidly reporting MDRO lab resultsq Strategically place residents based on MDRO

risk factors q Careful device utilizationq Antibiotic stewardshipq Inter-facility communication

Assessing Hand Hygiene

• Hand hygiene should be a cornerstone of prevention efforts

• As part of a hand hygiene intervention, consider:– Ensuring easy access to soap and

water/alcohol-based hand gels– Observation of practices - particularly

around high-risk situations (before and after contact with colonized or infected patients)

– Feedback – “Just in time” feedback if failure to perform hand hygiene observed

Implementing Contact Precautions

• Involves use of gown and gloves for patient care– Don equipment prior to room entry– Remove prior to room exit

• Selective roommate placement for MDRO colonized/infected individuals

• Observation of practices - particularly around high-risk situations

• Use of dedicated non-essential items may help decrease transmission due to contamination– Blood pressure cuffs; Stethoscopes; IV poles and pumps

Recognizing Prior Colonization

q Individuals can be colonized with MDROs for monthsq Being able to identify previously colonized or

infected individuals allows for application of appropriate interventions in a timely fashion

q Being an MDRO carrier should not prevent a resident from being admitted to a LTCF,q Knowledge allows us to plan for them to have the safest

careq For every resident carrying an MDRO that we know about,

there are probably 3 others we don’t know

Strategic placement of residents based on risk factors

• Base new roommate assignments on resident characteristics– Wounds, devices, current antibiotics,

incontinence are all risks for being an MDRO carrier or acquiring a new MDRO

– Try to avoid placing two high risk residents together

• Don’t necessarily change stable room assignments just because of a new culture result unless it now poses new risk– Roommates who’ve been together for a long

time have already had opportunity to share organisms in the past (even if you only learned about it recently)

Prompt Recognition of MDROs in Laboratory Reports

• Facilities should have a mechanism for rapidly communicating positive MDRO lab results to clinical area– Allows for rapid initiation of interventions on

newly identified MDRO carriers

• Consider implementing precautions while waiting for results from the lab if an MDRO is possible– For example, contact precautions for a resident

with diarrhea while waiting for results of a C diff stool study

Careful Device Utilization

• Know the population of residents with indwelling medical devices– May require focused infection surveillance

• Continually assess the ongoing need for devices– Develop a bladder protocol for urinary catheter removal– Resist the temptation to retain IV lines beyond the

duration of treatment “just in case”

• Ensure staff are comfortable and trained on handling/maintenance of medical devices

Antibiotic Stewardship

• Careful antibiotic use is a critical component in the control of MDROs

• Know the frequency/indications for antibiotic use by medical providers in your facility– Apply criteria to assess utilization in a standard way

• Develop standard protocols for communicating concerns and assessing residents who are suspected to have an infection between nursing and medical staff– Ensure documentation of signs/symptoms is complete

Case study on care transitionsq A LTC resident was transferred to a local

ED with worsening lower extremity swelling and shortness of breathq Resident’s history included coronary heart

disease, Diabetes with neuropathy, enlarged prostate

q Diagnosed with worsening heart failure admitted to ICU for cardiac monitoring and fluid management

q A urinary catheter was placed at the time of admission and a specimen was sent for UA/culture in ED. q Based on the UA, the patient was started on

antibiotics

Case study (continued)

q After treatment for heart failure and the positive urine culture, the resident was discharged backed to the LTC facility with the catheter in place.

q Prior to removing the urinary catheter a repeat culture was sent which grew VREq A second course of antibiotics was initiated

q Two weeks later the resident developed diarrhea and fever q Stool sample was positive C. Diff toxin test.

Issues raised by our case

q Is the practice of screening urine cultures on admission a valuable strategy?q What are the pros/cons

q Did the resident continue to need the urinary catheter once the CHF was managed?q How is resident functionality communicated at

time of transferq How are antibiotics used in both acute/LTC

facilities in this shared population?q Who is accountable for the complications of

antibiotic use?

Inter-facility Communication

• Mechanism for communicating MDRO carriage and other risk factors at time of transfer between facilities

• Critical components:– MDRO history of current infection or carriage– Device utilization– Current antibiotic treatments (indication/duration)– Bedside care issues (wounds, continence, etc)

Summary of Prevention Strategies

q Assessing hand hygiene practicesq Implementing Contact Precautionsq Recognizing previously colonized patientsq Rapidly reporting MDRO lab resultsq Strategically place residents based on MDRO

risk factors q Careful device utilizationq Antibiotic stewardshipq Inter-facility communication

q Describes the impact of regionally implemented infection control strategies to address VRE emerging in the Siouxland region of Iowa, Nebraska and S. Dakota

q Three annual point prevalence surveys (active surveillance) for VRE among patients/residents in participating acute/long-term care facilities

Story of Success…

Ostrowsky BE et al. New Eng J Med 2001 344: 1427-1433

IC practice guidelines for facilities

Ostrowsky BE et al. New Eng J Med 2001 344: 1427-1433

VRE prevalence decreased following prevention

interventionq 32 Facilities participated in 1997 and 1998 (4 acute/ 28 LTC) vs. 30 in1999 (4 acute/ 26 LTC)

q Overall 85%-89% of eligible patients/ residents cultured each year§ 52-59% in acute care§ 90-95% in LTC

Critical message about collaboration

Ostrowsky BE et al. New Eng J Med 2001 344: 1427-1433

Thank you!!

National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases

Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion

Email: [email protected] with questions/comments