Reminder, Our Chapter Meeting is scheduled tomorrow, Wednesday July 19, 2023 /Protect All Patients: A Paradigm Shift Focusing on the Impact the Nose has on Infections

Protect All Patients: A Paradigm Shift Focusing on the Impact the Nose has on Infections

The role of infection prevention is to mitigate and avoid hospital-associated infections (HAIs). Historically this was achieved by implementing infection control programs focused on surveillance, isolation, environmental hygiene, education, and targeted bundles. As a result of these strategies, infection rates dropped; however, the trend has now reversed, and rates have increased during the pandemic. A new paradigm is needed. Staph aureus is consistently the number one cause of BSI, SSI, and

PVAP HAIs. The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with a resurgence of MRSA, with a 34% (20192020) and 14% (2020-2021) increase reported to the NHSN. Significantly reducing Staph aureus colonization pressure would be a major step toward lowering HAIs.

This lecture will explore a major shift in strategy from screening and isolating/treating to decolonizing the pathogen at its source, the nose. This active source control strategy is proving to be the paradigm shift needed.  Nasal colonization is recognized as the primary driver of staph related HAIs. A Director in the Office of HAI Prevention Research at the CDC recently recommended a paradigm shift using universal nasal decolonization as a strategy to protect all patients. Universal nasal decolonization (active source control) has been shown to effectively reduce HAIs and readmissions by helping prevent selfinoculation and transmission from colonized and infected patients.