Technologies to prevent infections in clinical practice

15 May 2023

Healthcare-associated infections affect 1 in 10 patients globally each year. In this symposium, leading experts in infection prevention and control present and discuss infection prevention technologies in clinical practice. The symposium is organized in collaboration between the HAI Proactive project, Karolinska Institute, Umeå University, and Bactiguard.

Speakers

Dr Anders Johansson
MD, PhD, Consultant infectious diseases and assoc. professor Umeå university hospital

Dr Pontus Nauclér
MD, PhD, Consultant infectious diseases and assoc. professor Karolinska university hospital

Dr Stefan Grass
MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer and Deputy CEO Bactiguard

HAI and AMR

  • 27 million deaths are attributable to bacterial AMR yearly and globally.
  • Deaths attributable to healthcare-associated infections (HAI) lack global data, but could be estimated to 1.3 million per year.
  • Technology designed to aid the collection of standardized HAI and AMR surveillance data and to aid judgements in a complex healthcare working environment.

Artificial intelligence algorithms to detect HAIs

Surveillance of HAI is essential for most infection prevention and control (IPC) programs and continuous epidemiological data can be used to:

  • Inform healthcare personnel (feedback)
  • Allocate resources
  • Evaluate interventions to prevent HAI

Patient safety surveillance system

Traditional HAI surveillance systems = manual review of patient records = time-consuming and resource-intensive

  • Continuous surveillance: 1.5 FTE (full-time equivalent) per 10,000 admissions

Automated surveillance system:

  • Increased efficiency
  • No subjective interpretation

Implementation of e-tools for infection prevention

  • E-tool for education on risk of healthcare-associated infections (HAI)
  • Functions well for HAI education among healthcare workers as a visually interactive e-tool

Implementation of nudging e-tool

  • Nationwide implementation of ”The Infection tool” integrated into the EHR  in Sweden, 2012
  • A tool designed to monitor HAI incidence and initial antimicrobial drug prescription
  • Nudging tool to remind prescribers of HAI and create awareness of an appropriate antimicrobial drug prescription
  • The tool adds approximately 30 seconds of extra work when prescribing an antimicrobial drug

Coating technology to prevent infections

  • Medical devices account for over 50% of all HAI cases.
  • Bactiguard has developed an anti-adhesive coating technology
  • The technology is applicable to medical devices in several materials
  • It is a non-releasing, tissue-friendly, and safe coating technology

Read about the Bactiguard technology

 

Used in clinical practice

  • The technology has been clinically tested on over 100 000 patients in over 40 publications
  • More than 200 million catheters with Bactiguard’s technology have been used and no reported adverse event related to the technology
  • 69% reduction of CAUTI with Bactiguard’s technology
  • 53% reduction of VAP with Bactiguard’s technology

Read about Bactiguard’s latest study

HAI Proactive

The symposium is done in collaboration with the project HAI Proactive (VRI-proaktiv), funded by the Swedish Innovation Agency Vinnova. The purpose of the project is to reduce healthcare-associated infections through new technology, and the project stakeholders include Karolinska University Hospital, Umeå university Hospital, Region Stockholm, Region Västernorrland, and Bactiguard.

 

References
Sources and references can be found in the symposium.