Healthcare Associated Infections Top Priorities
- How can infections be identified early?
- How can we change the behaviour of healthcare professionals to follow best practices in preventing and controlling HCAI?
- Can point-of-care testing (bedside testing) in the primary care or secondary care setting improve patient outcomes and decrease antibiotic resistance?
- What is the most effective cleaning agent to prevent multi-drug resistant organisms?
- Can antibiotic stewardship policies (including decreased antibiotic prescription) decrease antibiotic resistance, and do they cause any harm to the patients?
- How can we educate patients to look for clinical signs of HCAI?
- What is the role of change of bacteria in patients or the environment in the development of infection in hospital?
- In people with antibiotic resistant bacteria, what is the impact of single room isolation compared with open-ward care in the overall care and mental health of the person with antibiotic resistance and in preventing transmission of infections to others?
- Does infection prevention and control training of patients and carers help in the prevention of infection in vulnerable patients being cared for in their own homes?
- How can the development and severity of urinary tract infections in elderly be decreased?
The following questions were also discussed and put in order of priority at the workshop:
- How can we alter the public perception of antibiotics in order to ensure that antibiotics are not sought for conditions for which there is no benefit?
- How does individualised antimicrobial dosing compare with standard dosing regimen in patients admitted in intensive care unit with infections?
- Is screening and isolation of patients with antibiotic resistant bacteria effective (in decreasing transmission of infections and deaths)?
- How effective is alcohol gel in preventing HCAI?
- How can we improve general hygiene and hand hygiene in hospital visitors?
- Is outpatient antibiotic therapy better than inpatient antibiotic therapy in people requiring intravenous antibiotics?
- Can nanotechnology (that is working with very small particles) result in better treatments for infection?
- How can chest infections be prevented in elderly people admitted to hospital?
- Does antibiotic prescription based on point-of-care (bedside) C-reactive protein to diagnose bacterial infection decrease amount of antibiotic prescription, antibiotic resistance, and hospital admission due to community-acquired pneumonia?
- Does keeping intravenous lines connected for 72 hours decrease HCAI compared to frequent connection and disconnection of intravenous lines in patients with intravenous lines?
- How can we improve the resources available to healthcare professionals , volunteers, and cleaners and improve their knowledge and training for better identification, prevention, and treatment of HCAI?
- How can we improve the antimicrobial prescription by junior doctors?
- Should the requirement for urinary catheters be periodically reviewed in people with long-term urinary catheter?
- What are the alternatives to single room isolation of people with antibiotic resistant bacteria so that the care of such people can be improved?
- Do sensor operated taps, toilet lids, and door opening in hospitals prevent HCAI?
- Are single-day antibiotics better than longer course of antibiotics in treating urinary tract infection?
- What is the risk posed to the patients admitted in hospital by visitors in spreading all infections including Norovirus and flu?
- How can we improve the awareness of health-care professionals about sepsis?
- What is the best antibiotic treatment for urinary tract infection?
- Are bacteriophages better than antibiotics in people with antibiotic resistant bacteria?