Josephine Keward1, Pauline Bradshaw1, Jonathan A Otter2. 1. Alder Hey Hospital, Infection Prevention and Control, Liverpool, UK. 2. Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Infection Prevention and Control, and Health Protection Research Unit (HPRU) in Healthcare Associated Infection (HCAI) and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) at Imperial College London, London, UK.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Single rooms are in short supply in many hospitals. AIM: To evaluate the impact of introducing semi-permanent pods to convert multi-occupancy bays into single occupancy pods. METHODS: We performed a 24-month pre-post observational study in a 15-bed paediatric high dependency unit. Three semi-permanent pods were installed in February 2013, in the middle of the 24-month period. The percentage of missed isolation days and the proportion of days for which >4 patients required isolation (which would exceed existing isolation facilities) were compared for the year prior to the pods with the first year of pod use using a Fisher's exact tests. RESULTS: Missed isolation days fell from 58.2% (662/1138; 95% confidence interval [CI], 55.3-61.0) pre-pod to 14.8% (205/1382; 95% CI, 13.0-16.8) during the first year of pod use (P <0.001). The percentage of days for which >4 patients required isolation was 74.5% overall (95% CI, 70.5-78.8), and increased from 63% (95% CI, 56.2-69.4) pre-Pod to 86% (95% CI, 80.9-90.3) during pod use (P <0.001). DISCUSSION: The introduction of three semi-permanent pods was feasible in our paediatric HDU setting and reduced the number of missed isolation days, and hence transmission risk, for important hospital pathogens.
BACKGROUND: Single rooms are in short supply in many hospitals. AIM: To evaluate the impact of introducing semi-permanent pods to convert multi-occupancy bays into single occupancy pods. METHODS: We performed a 24-month pre-post observational study in a 15-bed paediatric high dependency unit. Three semi-permanent pods were installed in February 2013, in the middle of the 24-month period. The percentage of missed isolation days and the proportion of days for which >4 patients required isolation (which would exceed existing isolation facilities) were compared for the year prior to the pods with the first year of pod use using a Fisher's exact tests. RESULTS: Missed isolation days fell from 58.2% (662/1138; 95% confidence interval [CI], 55.3-61.0) pre-pod to 14.8% (205/1382; 95% CI, 13.0-16.8) during the first year of pod use (P <0.001). The percentage of days for which >4 patients required isolation was 74.5% overall (95% CI, 70.5-78.8), and increased from 63% (95% CI, 56.2-69.4) pre-Pod to 86% (95% CI, 80.9-90.3) during pod use (P <0.001). DISCUSSION: The introduction of three semi-permanent pods was feasible in our paediatric HDU setting and reduced the number of missed isolation days, and hence transmission risk, for important hospital pathogens.
Entities:
Keywords:
Contact precautions; MRSA; isolation; respiratory viruses; single room
Authors: Catherine L Passaretti; Jonathan A Otter; Nicholas G Reich; Jessica Myers; John Shepard; Tracy Ross; Karen C Carroll; Pam Lipsett; Trish M Perl Journal: Clin Infect Dis Date: 2012-10-05 Impact factor: 9.079