Ever read a study that made you stop and think twice? The Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) conducted a study on “superbugs”, also referred to as multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs). What the study found was that of VA residents admitted to a Veteran’s home who did not have an MDRO infection when they arrived, about 41% acquired an MDRO while in the community. On average, the affected residents acquired one of these organisms in under 15 days from admission! Additionally, the study found that about 36.5% of senior living community residents were already colonized with an MDRO at the time of admission.

Interesting! The reason the study was conducted initially was because residents living in communities such as nursing homes and veteran homes tend to attend interactive services such as therapy or dialysis, creating opportunities for the transmission of disease! Post-acute and long-term care settings present a distinct challenge to providing an environment that is conducive to effective infection prevention while maintaining a “home-like atmosphere.”

Bottom line, MDRO prevalence on admission to post-acute care is high, new acquisition is common, and residents are frequently discharged to the community with MDROs. However, there is some good news—residents who had an MDRO at admission were no longer colonized at discharge, while 20% of residents without an MDRO at admission left with one.

If you do nothing else at your next QAPI committee meeting, prioritize infection control as the number one topic on the agenda. Be sure you have the appropriate individuals available to provide input and share their knowledge (i.e., infection preventionist, medical director, pharmacy and laboratory representatives).

Stay well and stay informed!