Infection Control Matters

• The Sinkbug Survey: Antibiotics, AMR, Chemicals and Plumbing

  In this episode of Infection Control Matters, Martin Kiernan speaks with Dr. Nicole Stoesser about a large-scale, multi-centre study exploring the role of hospital sink infrastructure in antimicrobial resistance and pathogen dissemination. Representing the collaborative NITCAR-led "Sinkbug Consortium" we discuss surprising findings from 29 UK hospitals—including widespread antibiotic residues in sink traps—and reflect on the implications for sink design, waste disposal practices, and infection prevention strategies The paper we discuss is here: Rodger G, Chau K, Aranega Bou P, Moore G, Roohi A, The SinkBug Consortium, et al. Survey of healthcare-associated sink infrastructure, and sink trap antibiotic residues and biochemistry, in 29 UK hospitals. J Hosp Infect 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2025.02.002. Information on Nitcar: https://nitcollaborative.org.uk/wp/ Other papers of interest: Aranega-Bou P, George RP, Verlander NQ, Paton S, Bennett A, Moore G, et al. Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae dispersal from sinks is linked to drain position and drainage rates in a laboratory model system. J Hosp Infect 2019;102(1):63-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2018.12.007 Grabowski M, Lobo JM, Gunnell B, Enfield K, Carpenter R, Barnes L, et al. Characterizations of handwashing sink activities in a single hospital medical intensive care unit. J Hosp Infect 2018;100(3):e115-e22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2018.04.025

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• Surveillance for HCAI - What is important, feasible and useful - and what isn't..

  In this episode, Brett and Martin chat with Dr. Jessica Schults and Dr. Sally Havers about a recent study published in the American Journal of Infection Control. The study used a modified Delphi process to identify key healthcare infection surveillance priorities in Queensland. Through a two-round methodology, infection prevention experts identified 13 key infection measures for a standardized minimum dataset. This dataset aims to improve statewide HAI surveillance, enhance data consistency, and support targeted infection prevention efforts. The findings offer a model that could inform broader national and international surveillance strategies. The in-press paper is currently available here Schults JA, Havers S, Henderson B, Healy S, Runnegar N, Hurst T, et al. Expert consensus and recommendations for Healthcare-Associated Infection surveillance in Queensland, Australia: A modified Delphi study. Am J Infect Control 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2025.02.012.

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  38:12
• nv-HAP surveillance too time-consuming? Semi-automated may be easier than you think

  In this episode, Phil and Martin talk to Dr Aline Wolfensberger, Senior Attending Physician, Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology at University Hospital Zurich and a Senior Researcher at the Institute for Implementation Science in Health Care at the Univetsity of Zurich. We discuss a recent paper that has analysed a range of algorithms for detecting non-ventilator associated pneumonia (nvHAP) that have the potential for significantly reducing the surveillance burden. This work also demonstrated the value of an annual local hospital-wide point prevalence survey that provides data on which areas to target. Relevant reading: [1] Mueller A, Pfister M, Faes Hesse M, Zingg W, Wolfensberger A, Swissnoso G. Development and validation of selection algorithms for a non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia semi-automated surveillance system. Clin Microbiol Infect 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmi.2024.11.032 [2] Wolfensberger A, Scherrer AU, Sax H. Automated surveillance of non-ventilator-associated hospital-acquired pneumonia (nvHAP): a systematic literature review. Antimicrob Resist Infect Control 2024;13(1):30. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13756-024-01375-8 [3] Wolfensberger A, Jakob W, Faes Hesse M, Kuster SP, Meier AH, Schreiber PW, et al. Development and validation of a semi-automated surveillance system-lowering the fruit for non-ventilator-associated hospital-acquired pneumonia (nvHAP) prevention. Clin Microbiol Infect 2019;25(11):1428 e7- e13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmi.2019.03.019

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  30:20
• Methods of assessing effectiveness of hospital cleaning - a review and peek into the future?

  In this episode Martin Talks to Silvana Gastaldi who is a infection prevention and control health referent at UK-MED (a frontline humanitarian medical NGO). We discuss her revent paper in the Journal of Hospital Infection that reviews the literature on methods of assessing how effective environmental cleaning services and procedures are, including ATP, fluorescent UV marking, visual and microbiological methods and also discuss the potential for AI to assist in the healthcare environmental decontamination arena. The paper we discuss: Gastaldi S, Accorgi D, D'Ancona F. Tools and strategies for monitoring hospital environmental hygiene services. J Hosp Infect 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2025.01.011 To listen to a previous podcast in which Dr Phil Carling, developer of the UV marking systems talks about it's development and initial use please click here Podcast website and collections: www.infectioncontrolmatters.com

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  25:36
• Reducing CAUTI in intermittent self-catheterisation. The trial that didn't make it..

  In this episode, Phil Russo talks to Brett Mitchell and Kate Browne about a study that did not make it over the line. Following a systematic review in 2021 that examined the issue of UTIs in those who self catheterise, a study to examine whether previous work demonstrating a reduction in CAUTI in indwelling catheters through the use of Chlorhexidine for meatal cleansing would be effective was designed. The team discuss the complexities of getting what was essentially a community-based study over the line and why ultimately it did not progress, much to the sadness of the team. previous relevant work is listed below. Mitchell BG, Prael G, Curryer C, Russo PL, Fasugba O, Lowthian J, et al. The frequency of urinary tract infections and the value of antiseptics in community-dwelling people who undertake intermittent urinary catheterization: A systematic review. Am J Infect Control 2021;49(8):1058-65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2021.01.009. Fasugba O, Cheng AC, Gregory V, Graves N, Koerner J, Collignon P, et al. Chlorhexidine for meatal cleaning in reducing catheter-associated urinary tract infections: a multicentre stepped-wedge randomised controlled trial. Lancet Infect Dis 2019;19(6):611-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(18)30736-9.  

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  31:24

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