In 2011, the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®) established a formal collaboration to develop the first IPC guideline. Both organizations agreed that RMH programs staff and other organizations operating similar programs would benefit from a standardized approach. In 2023, the collaboration was re-established to revise and update the original IPC guideline. This SHEA Practice Update on “Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) in Residential Facilities for Pediatric Patients and Their Families” addresses preventing transmission of infectious agents in “home away from home” residential settings, of which the Ronald McDonald Houses (RMHs) serve as a prototype.

This white paper provides clinicians and hospital leaders with practical guidance on the prevention and control of viral respiratory infections in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This document serves as a companion to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC)’s “Prophylaxis and Screening for Prevention of Viral Respiratory Infections in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Patients: A Systematic Review.” It provides practical, expert opinion and/or evidence-based answers to frequently asked questions about viral respiratory detection and prevention in the NICU. It was developed by a writing panel of pediatric and pathogen-specific experts who collaborated with members of the HICPAC systematic review writing panel and the SHEA Pediatric Leadership Council to identify questions that should be addressed. The document has been endorsed by SHEA, the American Hospital Association (AHA), The Joint Commission, the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS), the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), and the National Association of Neonatal Nurses (NANN).

We investigated whether and how infection prevention programs monitor for health disparities as part of healthcare-associated infection (HAI) surveillance through a survey of healthcare epidemiology leaders. Most facilities are not assessing for disparities in HAI rates. Professional society and national guidance should focus on addressing this gap.

Background: Inequities are seen in many health-related outcomes, and systemic and structural factors result in inequitable care based on social determinants of health (SDOH). However, whether disparities exist specifically in healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) based on these factors has not been well described. Furthermore, there are no national standards on whether information related to equity and SDOH should be included in HAI surveillance and how such information could be used. Methods: We surveyed US members of the SHEA Research Network (SRN), a consortium of healthcare facilities with leaders interested in healthcare epidemiology and infection prevention, via an online REDCap survey from October to December 2021. Results: Of the 68 eligible US SRN facilities, 28 (41%) responded. Among them, 27 institutions provide direct patient care and were analyzed. Of these 27 facilities, 8 (30%) collected data regarding variables related to equity including language for care, race or ethnicity, insurance status, and other. Of these faclilities, 38% are collecting but not otherwise using this information; other facilities use this information for a variety of reporting and intervention purposes (Fig. 2). Only 3 facilities (11%) analyzed whether disparities exist in any HAI rates. The most common barrier to collecting SDOH information is that facilities have not considered doing this work (Fig. 3). Of the 15 facilities not yet undertaking such work, 10 (67%) were interested in doing so. Specific recommendations about how to operationalize such collection are needed (Table 1). Conclusions: Most institutions in this sample are not collecting data that would allow for assessment of disparities in the rates of HAIs; however, there is interest in doing so. A minority of early adopter facilities are assessing whether disparities exist and are designing interventions. National guidance can play a key role in standardizing the collection of this information and translating early findings to identify and subsequently improve disparities within HAIs.

Funding: None

Disclosures: None

Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in neonates is associated with significant morbidity, mortality, and hospital cost. Multiple studies have shown that these infections are often preceded by colonization, but no consensus has been established for MRSA surveillance. The impact of changing the surveillance strategy on vancomycin utilization has not been evaluated previously. Methods: Retrospective chart review of infants who underwent MRSA screening in a level IV NICU with all outborn neonates. A weekly surveillance PCR was obtained from the nares between July 2016 and June 2017 (phase 1) and only on admission and discharge between July 2017 and June 2018 (phase 2). Patients with a positive PCR were placed on contact precautions without decolonization. The χ2 test was performed to compare the 2 phases of screening, and the Student t test and the Fisher exact test were used to compare the characteristics of MRSA colonized infants. Vancomycin utilization was measured in days of therapy (DOT) per 1,000 NICU patient days. Results: In total, 689 infants underwent MRSA screening during the study period; 324 infants had weekly MRSA surveillance and 365 infants had screening at admission and discharge. There was no statistically significant difference in MRSA colonization rates (4.3% vs 3.0%) or MRSA colonization acquisition (negative to positive, 1.8% vs 1.0%) between the phases. Among MRSA-colonized patients, nearly 60% were colonized on admission. Nearly 40% of the infants became colonized with MRSA during their hospitalization, none of whom developed MRSA infections prior to discharge. Mean vancomycin utilization decreased from 38.55 to 30.16 DOT per 1,000 NICU patient days between the 2 study periods. Conclusions: In a level IV NICU with relatively low MRSA prevalence, the change in MRSA screening practice from weekly surveillance to surveillance upon admission and discharge demonstrated no difference in MRSA acquisition or infection. Overall vancomycin utilization also decreased during this period, suggesting a culture shift around antibiotic utilization. Further study is needed to evaluate the utility of MRSA screening, decolonization, and isolation practices in low-prevalence NICUs and to identify additional drivers of vancomycin utilization.

Funding: None

Disclosures: None

The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) guideline “Infection Prevention and Control in Residential Facilities for Pediatric Patients and Their Families” is the first infection prevention and control (IPC) guideline to address preventing transmission of infectious agents in “home away from home” residential settings, of which the Ronald McDonald Houses (RMHs) serve as a prototype. These types of facilities provide support services, including overnight lodging, for ill and injured children and their families. Food preparation occurs in common areas, and cleaning of rooms or apartments is performed by the occupants during their stay and before departure. Pediatric patients are frequent guests of the family-centered facilities while receiving or recovering from specialized medical therapy. Examples of high-risk populations served in these facilities include families of patients with cancer, recipients of stem cell or solid organ transplants, surgical and/or very-low-birthweight infants who receive care in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), those with cystic fibrosis, and women with high-risk pregnancies awaiting delivery in a nearby medical center. Such facilities are located worldwide and vary in their physical structure and the predominant population served.