Focusing on Families and Visitors Reduces Healthcare Associated Respiratory Viral Infections in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

Please Note: The NHSN Patient Safety Component Manual is updated annually based on subject matter expert review and user feedback. Over time, certain chapters have been retired or moved to other components. To avoid confusion, the chapters in the PSC manual do not shift to account for these changes; therefore, chapters 8 and 13 are not listed in the Table of Contents or included in this document.

Unintended consequences of infection prevention and control measures during COVID-19 pandemic

“… 2 , 3 , 4 Prior to the pandemic, such strategies were only deployed in high-risk units, given concerns with cost-effectiveness and sustainability. 5 , 6 The current pandemic thus provides an opportunity to assess the effect of multi-modal IPC bundles when deployed at scale. However, the prioritisation of COVID-19 may have also forced compromises in other areas, potentially raising rates of other hospital-acquired infections(HAIs).…”

Respiratory viruses in pediatric emergency department patients and their family members

“…Alternatively, family members occasionally expose their child to viruses. 18 Influenza-like illness has been reported in 12% of the adult family members of the children with a laboratory-detected viral pathogen and viral pathogens have been detected in 42.3% of symptomatic family members. 19 In the current study, we analyzed swab specimens from children seeking medical care in pediatric EDs for acute respiratory illness, as well as from adults who accompanied these children and were living in the same household.…”

“…Children often carry respiratory viruses to their homes and spread infection to their families. Alternatively, family members occasionally expose their child to viruses 18 . Influenza‐like illness has been reported in 12% of the adult family members of the children with a laboratory‐detected viral pathogen and viral pathogens have been detected in 42.3% of symptomatic family members 19 …”

Hand hygiene knowledge and practices of family caregivers in inpatient pediatrics

“…3,8 Conventional strategies including education sheets and posters and interactive methods have proven effective among children and caregivers. 5,7,9 Alternatively, a multifaceted and unit-specific “frontline ownership” model of HH education can be used that includes posters, caregiver education, and staff role modeling. This approach was more effective in improving HH than conventional interventions.…”