Among 124 older adults with advanced cancer who were hospitalized with pneumonia, 7.3% met criteria for postobstructive pneumonia. There were no differences in antibiotic duration, antibiotic spectrum, 30-day and 90-day readmissions, or mortality between those with and without postobstructive pneumonia. Bacteria were identified in 5 patients with postobstructive pneumonia.

We surveyed trainees about their urine culture practices and assessed the impact of an educational intervention delivered electronically and in person. Trainee scores improved across all levels of training and across all questions on the postintervention survey, but there was no difference in scores by mode of education (P = .91).

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the antimicrobial stewardship module in our electronic medical record was reconfigured for the management of COVID-19 patients. This change allowed our subspecialist providers to review charts quickly to optimize potential therapy and management during the patient surge.

Among 300 advanced cancer patients with potential urinary tract infection (UTI), 19 had symptomatic UTI. Among remaining patients (n = 281), 21% had asymptomatic bacteriuria or candiduria, and 14% received inappropriate therapy for 279 antimicrobial days. Bacteriuria or candiduria predicted antimicrobial therapy. At 10,000 to <100,000 CFU/mL, the incidence rate ratio [IRR] was 16.9 (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.0–47.2), and at ≥100,000 CFU/mL, the IRR was 27.9 (95% CI, 10.9–71.2).

Randomized controlled trials (RCT) produce the strongest level of clinical evidence when comparing interventions. RCTs are technically difficult, costly, and require specific considerations including the use of patient- and cluster-level randomization and outcome selection. In this methods paper, we focus on key considerations for RCT methods in healthcare epidemiology and antimicrobial stewardship (HE&AS) research, including the need for cluster randomization, conduct at multiple sites, behavior modification interventions, and difficulty with identifying appropriate outcomes. We review key RCTs in HE&AS with a focus on advantages and disadvantages of methods used. A checklist is provided to aid in the development of RCTs in HE&AS.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016;37:629–634

This white paper identifies knowledge gaps and new challenges in healthcare epidemiology research, assesses the progress made toward addressing research priorities, provides the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) Research Committee's recommendations for high-priority research topics, and proposes a road map for making progress toward these goals. It updates the 2010 SHEA Research Committee document, “Charting the Course for the Future of Science in Healthcare Epidemiology: Results of a Survey of the Membership of SHEA,” which called for a national approach to healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and a prioritized research agenda. This paper highlights recent studies that have advanced our understanding of HAIs, the establishment of the SHEA Research Network as a collaborative infrastructure to address research questions, prevention initiatives at state and national levels, changes in reporting and payment requirements, and new patterns in antimicrobial resistance.

Infection surveillance definitions for long-term care facilities (ie, the McGeer Criteria) have not been updated since 1991. An expert consensus panel modified these definitions on the basis of a structured review of the literature. Significant changes were made to the criteria defining urinary tract and respiratory tract infections. New definitions were added for norovirus gastroenteritis and Clostridum difficile infections.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2012;33(10):965-977

We examined the association between an increase in episodes of observed bacteriuria and adverse clinical outcomes among nursing home residents without catheters. Although bacteriuria was not associated with hospitalization for urinary tract infection (UTI) or change in mental status, it was associated with use of antibiotics to treat UTI and with isolation of multidrug-resistant gram-negative rods from urine specimens, which suggested a causal relationship.

In our study of nursing home residents with clinically suspected urinary tract infection who did not require the use of an indwelling catheter, we identified bacteria isolated from urine samples, the resistance patterns of these isolated bacteria, and the antibiotic therapy prescribed to the residents. Escherichia coli, the predominant organism isolated, frequently was resistant to commonly prescribed oral antibiotics. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole remains the best empiric antimicrobial therapy for a urinary tract infection, but nitrofurantoin should be considered if E. coli is identified.

We determined the interobserver variability in the assessment of clinical criteria for urinary tract infection (UTI) in nursing home residents. Pairs of nursing home staff caring for 30 residents were interviewed at the time UTI was suspected. At least one measure from each of 7 clinical criteria categories was reliably assessed by nursing home staff members.

Among 101 nursing home residents with suspected urinary tract infection (UTI), we determined the negative predictive value of dipstick testing for leukocyte esterase and nitrite to be 100% (95% confidence interval, 74%-100%), compared with laboratory evidence of UTI (greater than 10 white blood cells/mm3 on urinalysis and greater than 100,000 colony forming units/mL on urine culture). Nursing home dipstick testing effectively excluded the possibility of UTI.