At a glance
Using ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø's Containment Strategy and recent lab and prevention enhancements in every state, ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø, health departments, hospital microbiologists and epidemiologists, doctors and nurses, and infection control staff can take swift action when unusual resistance emerges.
Overview
- Health departments working with ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø's AR Lab Network, mobilized nationwide in 2017, uncovered more than 221 instances of germs with unusual resistance to antibiotics in the United States in the last year.
- 1 in 4 germ samples sent to the AR lab network for testing had special genes that allow them to spread their resistance to other germs.
- Further investigation in facilities with unusual resistance revealed that about 1 in 10 screening tests, from patients without symptoms, identified a hard-to-treat germ that spreads easily. This means the germ could have spread in that health care facility undetected.
Containment Strategy in Action
Rapid Response in Tennessee
- Health department identified an unusual resistance germ in a patient who recently received health care outside the US.
- Health department and the facility in Tennessee did infection control assessments and colonization screenings within 48 hours. No spread found.
- Moving forward, ÐÇ¿ÕÓéÀÖ¹ÙÍø's AR Lab Network regional labs expanded services to test patients in the US with recent health care outside the country.
Ongoing Vigilance in Iowa
- Health department identified an unusual resistance germ in a nursing home patient.
- Health department and the facility did infection control assessments and screened 30 patients for colonization. Investigation revealed the germ may have spread to 5 additional people.
- Facility used infection control and contact precautions, such as gloves and gowns, to help stop spread.
- No spread found during follow-up assessments.