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Purpose of ReviewNursing home residents are at high risk for colonization and infection with bacterial pathogens that are multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs). We discuss challenges and potential solutions to support implementing effective infection prevention and control practices in nursing homes.Recent FindingsChallenges include a paucity of evidence that addresses MDRO transmission during the care of nursing home residents, limited staff resources in nursing homes, insufficient infection prevention education in nursing homes, and perceptions by nursing home staff that isolation and contact precautions negatively influence the well being of their residents.SummaryA small number of studies provide evidence that specifically address these challenges. Their outcomes support a paradigm shift that moves infection prevention and control practices away from a pathogen-specific approach and toward one that focuses on resident risk factors.

IMPORTANCE Urinary tract infections are the most common infections in nursing home residents. However, most antibiotic use is for unlikely cystitis (ie, nonspecific symptoms and positive culture results secondary to asymptomatic bacteriuria or a urine sample improperly collected for culture) that is unnecessary and inappropriate. This antibiotic use is associated with an increased risk of antimicrobial resistance, adverse drug events, and Clostridioides difficile (formerly Clostridium difficile) infections.OBJECTIVE To determine the association of a multifaceted antimicrobial stewardship and quality improvement intervention with the reduction in unnecessary antimicrobial use for unlikely cystitis among noncatheterized nursing home residents. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTSA quality improvement intervention evaluation was conducted to target antimicrobial use among residents with unlikely cystitis in 25 nursing homes across the United States. Baseline data were collected between

Professionals in nursing homes generally agree about safety characteristics of their facilities, and the PSC in nursing homes is significantly lower than that in hospitals. PSC assessment may be helpful in fostering comparisons across nursing home settings and professions, and identifying targets for interventions to improve patient safety.

Objectives-To have healthcare professionals in nursing homes identify organizational-level and individual-level modifiable barriers to medication error reporting.Design-Nominal group technique sessions to identify potential barriers, followed by development and administration of a 20-item cross-sectional mailed survey.Participants and Setting-Representatives of 4 professions (physicians, pharmacists, advanced practitioners, and nurses) from 4 independently owned, nonprofit nursing homes that had an average bed size of 150, were affiliated with an academic medical center, and were located in urban and suburban areas.Measurements-Barriers identified in the nominal group technique sessions were used to design a 20-item survey. Survey respondents used 5-point Likert scales to score factors in terms of their likelihood of posing a barrier ("very unlikely" to "very likely") and their modifiability ("not modifiable" to "very modifiable"). Immediate action factors were identified as factors with mean scores of <3.0 on the likelihood and modifiability scales, and represent barriers that should be addressed to increase medication error reporting frequency.Results-In 4 nominal group technique sessions, 28 professionals identified factors to include in the survey. The survey was mailed to all 154 professionals in the 4 nursing homes, and 104 (67.5%) responded. Response rates by facility ranged from 55.8% to 92.9%, and rates by profession ranged from 52.0% for physicians to 100% for pharmacists. Most respondents (75.0%) were women.Corresponding Author: S. M. Handler, MD, MS, Division of Geriatric Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 3471 Fifth Ave, Suite 500, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA, 412-692-2360 (office phone), 412-291-2141 (fax), handlersm@upmc.edu. Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. Respondents had worked for a mean of 9.8 years in nursing homes and 5.4 years in their current facility. Of 20 survey items, 14 (70%) had scores that categorized them as immediate action factors, 9 (64%) of which were organizational barriers. Of these factors, the 3 considered most modifiable were (1) lack of a readily available medication error reporting system or forms, (2) lack of information on how to report a medication error, and (3) lack of feedback to the reporter or rest of the facility on medication errors that have been reported. NIH Public AccessAuthor Manuscript J Am Med Dir Assoc. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2008 November 1. Conclusions-The study results provide a broad-based perspective of the barriers to medication error reporting in the nursing home setting...

A decision tool for suspected UTI in frail older adults was developed based on consensus among an international expert panel. Studies are needed to evaluate whether this decision tool is effective in reaching its aim: the improvement of diagnostic evaluation and treatment for suspected UTI in frail older adults.

Background Monoclonal antibody treatment may prevent complications of COVID-19. We sought to quantify the impact of bamlanivimab monoclonal antibody monotherapy on hospitalization and mortality among outpatients at high risk of COVID-19 complications. Methods In this observational study we compared outpatients who received bamlanivimab monoclonal antibody from December 9, 2020 to March 3, 2021 to non-treated patients with a positive polymerase chain reaction or antigen test for SARS-CoV-2 during the same period who were eligible for monoclonal antibody treatment. The primary outcome was 28-day hospitalization or all-cause mortality, and the secondary outcome was hospitalization or emergency department visit without hospitalization. The risk-adjusted odds of study outcomes comparing bamlanivimab treated and untreated patients was determined using 1:5 propensity matching and multivariable logistic regression. Results Among 232 patients receiving bamlanivimab matched with 1,160 comparator patients, the mean age was 67 years, 56% were female, and 196 (14%) of patients experienced hospitalization or mortality. After adjustment for propensity to receive treatment, bamlanivimab treatment was associated with a significantly reduced risk-adjusted odds of hospitalization or mortality within 28 days (OR 0.40, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.24 to 0.69; p&lt;.001). Bamlanivimab treatment was also associated with a significantly lower risk adjusted odds of hospitalization or emergency department visit without hospitalization (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.82; p=.004). The results were most strongly associated with patients age 65 years and older. Conclusions Bamlanivimab monoclonal antibody monotherapy was associated with reduced hospitalizations and mortality within 28 days among outpatients with mild-moderate COVID-19.