DICON provides sophisticated data analysis and metrics, access to experts in infection control, opportunities to share successful programs, and extensive educational initiatives related to infection prevention.
November has been a busy month for DICON! There are now three new FAQs posted to the FAQ section of My DICON.
FAQ #41 addresses interpreting testing results of multi-step C. difficile testing, FAQ #42 covers the best isolation practices for patients colonized with C. difficile, and FAQ #43 is a Candida auris update from the DICON faculty.
Our newest faculty member, Dr. Sonali Advani, has been working to shift the focus toward healthcare-associated bloodstreem infections and the need for neonatal intensive care unit-specific NHSN definitions. Her work was published in ICHE this week and the article can be downloaded here.
DICON physicians Drs. Jessica Seidelman, Becky Smith, Christopher Shoff, Art Baker, Sarah Lewis, Deverick Anderson, and Dan Sexton performed a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data on 7 categories of surgical procedures performed over a 4-year period (July 2013–December 2017) at 3 Duke University Health System (DUHS)–affiliated hospitals. This cohort included adult patients who underwent craniotomy, spinal fusion, laminectomy, hip arthroplasty, knee arthroplasty, and cardiac bypass surgeries. Trained infection preventionists reviewed the cases for SSI using current NHSN definitions. Surveillance for SSIs was primarily culture-based in all 3 hospitals.
Several members of the DICON team worked together under the leadership of Dr. Jessica Seidelman, MD, MPH to explore the potential impact of inconsistent methods for calculating SSI denominators when reporting SSI events to the National Health Safety Network. The full report can be viewed here.
During the past 18 years DICON has provided epidemiological data and support to more than 40 hospitals in 6 states while simultaneously learning a great deal about the challenges and opportunities for infection prevention in community hospitals.
DICON has been a long-term and valuable partner with my hospitals and me in our joint efforts to prevent hospital-acquired infections and improve patient safety.
