A study led by researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) found that infection prevention measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic decreased the rate of viral infections spread in the hospital. The findings were recently published in JAMA Network Open.
Infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are at risk for severe complications due to health care-associated infections (HAI). Several infection prevention control measures are utilized to reduce the risk poses by these infections; however, data supporting specific infection control strategies for the NICU is limited.
During the pandemic, enhanced infection prevention measures were implemented across NICUs in United States including universal masking, changes to staff and visitor health screening, reinforced hand hygiene practices, and restricted visitation policies, which provided an opportunity to objectively measure the effectiveness of these methods for reducing viral transmission in the NICU.
In a study led by Sagori Mukhopadhyay, MD, MMSc, an attending neonatologist at CHOP and a Core Faculty member at Clinical Futures, a CHOP Research Institute Center of Emphasis, researchers compared viral and bacterial/fungal health care–associated infection (HAI) rates in 12 US and Canadian NICUs before (Mar 1, 2018–Mar 31, 2020) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (Apr 1, 2020–Jul 31, 2022). Researchers found that viral HAIs, particularly rhinovirus and enterovirus, declined during the pandemic.
“This data supports the role of pandemic-related infection prevention measures, such as masking and visitor screening, in reducing rates of viral health care-associated acquired infection among neonatal patients,” Mukhopadhyay said.
The study also bacterial and anti-fungal HAI rates remained unchanged, suggesting additional infection prevention strategies are required to reduce infection rates.
Learn more about this study from the Research in Practice blog from Clinical Futures.
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A study led by researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) found that infection prevention measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic decreased the rate of viral infections spread in the hospital. The findings were recently published in JAMA Network Open.
Infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are at risk for severe complications due to health care-associated infections (HAI). Several infection prevention control measures are utilized to reduce the risk poses by these infections; however, data supporting specific infection control strategies for the NICU is limited.
During the pandemic, enhanced infection prevention measures were implemented across NICUs in United States including universal masking, changes to staff and visitor health screening, reinforced hand hygiene practices, and restricted visitation policies, which provided an opportunity to objectively measure the effectiveness of these methods for reducing viral transmission in the NICU.
In a study led by Sagori Mukhopadhyay, MD, MMSc, an attending neonatologist at CHOP and a Core Faculty member at Clinical Futures, a CHOP Research Institute Center of Emphasis, researchers compared viral and bacterial/fungal health care–associated infection (HAI) rates in 12 US and Canadian NICUs before (Mar 1, 2018–Mar 31, 2020) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (Apr 1, 2020–Jul 31, 2022). Researchers found that viral HAIs, particularly rhinovirus and enterovirus, declined during the pandemic.
“This data supports the role of pandemic-related infection prevention measures, such as masking and visitor screening, in reducing rates of viral health care-associated acquired infection among neonatal patients,” Mukhopadhyay said.
The study also bacterial and anti-fungal HAI rates remained unchanged, suggesting additional infection prevention strategies are required to reduce infection rates.
Learn more about this study from the Research in Practice blog from Clinical Futures.
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Division of Neonatology