Healthcare Associated Infections, MRSA Surveillance
& Research Integrity
Click on the upper left hand
corner of the video to see and select from the play list.
Comment CDC HICPAC Meeting. Kevin Kavanagh, MD, MS from Health Watch USA expresses
concern regarding the efficacy of enhanced barrier precautions in preventing the
spread of dangerous pathogens in nursing homes. Public , Nov. 14, 2019. View YouTube Video:https://youtu.be/Gijk606uY9EDownloadWritten Comment
Comment on Draft Guideline for Prevention and Control of
Infections in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Patients: Draft
Recommendations for the Prevention and Control of Staphylococcus
aureus in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Patients HW USA's comment stresses the
importance of defining an outbreak and not to have optional
recommendations with the use of "may." Recommendations should be
either made or not made. In addition, if an outbreak is defined as
greater than a single case, then a baseline infection rate is deemed
acceptable and MRSA should be considered endemic. In this case,
facility wide screeing of patients and staff should be enacted.
Sept. 19, 2019.
View Comment
Health Watch USA Submitts Comments on PACCARB Goals of
Combating Antibiotic Resistant Organisms. "The committee should expand its
focus on prevention to include patients and healthcare workers to
undergo routine active surveillance for carriage of endemic MDROs. A
reporting system of healthcare workers carriage and infections along
with an economic safety net for those affected also needs to be
implemented."
View Full Comment
Advocating for National Healthcare Reporting System for
Healthcare Worker Acquisition of Dangerous Pathogens, Periodic Testing of Healthcare
Workers for Dangerous Pathogens and Job Protection of Healthcare
Workers Including an Economic Safety Net..
2019, June 19, CDDEP Blog
Posting: "But of utmost importance, we need to
protect our healthcare workers who may well be acting as
reservoirs to spread these pathogens to patients and their
families. An economic safety net needs to be established and
medical screening needs to take place. Until these reforms are
universally enacted in the United States Healthcare facilities,
I have grave reservations that the epidemic of drug resistant
bacteria will be brought under control."
http://blogs.biomedcentral.com/on-health/2019/06/19/the-changing-narrative-of-mrsa-infection-control-in-the-united-states/
2019,
May 16, CDC HICPAC Comment:Call
for for a national public reporting system for healthcare
acquisitions of dangerous reporting systems and facilities
required to keep a log of healthcare worker infections and
acquisitions of dangerous pathogens (timeline 2:12 to 2:36).
YouTube Video:
https://youtu.be/zFGjj4D42x4
2018,
Nov 16, CDC HICPAC Comment: Call for a National
Reporting System of Healthcare Worker Acquisitions and
healthcare worker economic safty net (timeline 3:14 to 5:15). YouTube Video:
https://youtu.be/HOFCJxV2Rek
2018,
Oct 31. View
Comment Letter Submitted to Regulations.Gov Regarding the
Proposed CDC Recommendations “Infection Control in
Healthcare Personnel: Infrastructure and Routine Practices for
Occupational Infection Prevention and Control Services.”
View Letter
2018, Sept. 18. ARIC
Article: "In addition, the United States does not
have a national surveillance system for the tracking of
healthcare worker acquisition and infections with dangerous
pathogens. This results in cases not being recorded and
classified as work related. Healthcare staff will often use sick
leave or work while ill. Additionally, there is a concern
regarding healthcare workers bringing antibiotic resistant
pathogens home to their families. "
https://aricjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13756-018-0407-0
2018, Jan 1 CDC Drafts New
Guidelines for Occupational Health Conduct assessments of
infectious risks to HCWs
"Kuhar says. There are likely to be continuing points of
contention and clarification on achieving this balance. For
example, a comment on the CDC
draft guidelines submitted to the docket by Kevin T. Kavanagh,
MD, MS, of Health Watch USA, said the document does not
sufficiently address the risk of healthcare workers becoming
carriers of MRSA and other drug-resistant pathogens. “Some of
the resistant organisms such as MRSA have become endemic, and
different methodologies for prevention of spread need to be
instituted, such as routine periodic screening for carriers,”
Kavanagh noted in the comments. "
https://www.reliasmedia.com/articles/143702-cdc-drafts-new-guidelines-for-occupational-health
2017,
July 13. - View Comment Letter to CDC HICPAC
Regarding Testing of Healthcare Workers for MRSA.
View Letter.
Comments and analysis of two
underpowered studies where intervention groups have effective
intervention less than 50% of the time. These studies appear to have
prevented standards being set regarding MRSA Surveillance.
2015, Feb. -
Peer Reviewed Publication: Viewpoint: A response to “Screening and
isolation to control methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus:
sense, nonsense, and evidence”, Antimicrobial Resistance
and Infection Control 2015, 4:4 (5 February 2015)
http://www.aricjournal.com/content/pdf/s13756-015-0044-9.pdf
2014, Nov. - HW
USA Conference Presentation: The Status of
MRSA Surveillance and Isolation Kevin T. Kavanagh,
MD - Board Chairman of Health Watch USA discusses the current
status of MRSA Epidemiology, Surveillance and Chlorhexidine.
You Tube Video:
http://youtu.be/dgsQatT4f8I
Presentation Sldes
2013,
Oct. - Peer Reviewed Publication:
A Perspective
on How the United States Fell Behind Northern Europe in the
Battle Against Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus.
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. Published Ahead of Print.
Oct. 7, 2013.
http://aac.asm.org/content/early/2013/09/24/AAC.01839-13.full.pdf+html
.
2014, Apr. - Peer Reviewed Publication:Reply to
''Planned Analyses of the REDUCE MRSA Trial'' Kevin T.
Kavanagh, Daniel M. Saman and Yanling Yu Antimicrob. Agents
Chemother. 2014, 58(4):2486. DOI: 10.1128/AAC.02821-13.
Download Full Article PDF
2011,
Aug. - Peer Reviewed Publication:
Commentary on
Swiss/Geneva MRSA Study Published in JAMA (Harbarth,
Fankhauser, Schrenzel, et.al, 2008).
Kavanagh K, Abusalem S. Mounting evidence supports universal
surveillance for MRSA in preoperative patients. J Am Coll Surg.
2011 Aug;213(2):335-6. PMID: 21787990.
PMID: 21787990
Transparency of Healthcare Associated
Infections
Public reporting of HAI is a major initiative of
Health Watch USAsm.
Information regarding Hospital Acquired Infections and
Healthcare Acquired Conditions can be found at:
View Document
July 11, 2013. Better
monitoring needed in a post-antibiotic era. Lexington Herald
Leader. The case is made for public reporting of Healthcare
Associated Infections and for Engagement of the Health Department.
https://www.kentucky.com/opinion/op-ed/article44433474.html
Mar. 13, 2012. 'A tale of
two cows: Why we have a cow map and not a healthcare acquired
infection map. Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics and Policy,
A parody comparing the availability of data between agriculture and
healthcare.
View
Op-Ed ReferencesLink to Article Text
Jan. 31, 2012. 'Hospital
Infections are Underreported. Courier Journal, Louisville, KY, The
case is made for Public Reporting and Full Disclosure of Adverse
Events and Not to Charge Patients for These Events. View Op-Ed ReferencesLinked to Archived AbstractLink to Article Text
Jan. 21, 2011. State Reporting
on Hospital Infections - Lax, Dangerous Lexington Herald Leader,
Lexington, KY, As other states are issuing infection reports to the
public. Kentuckians are endangered buy the lack of reporting and
inhibited health department oversight.
View Op-Ed
ReferencesLink to Article Text
July. 25, 2010. Hospital
Acquired Infections Reporting and Kentucky's HAI Health Plan
Lexington Herald Leader, Lexington, KY, The State of Kentucky Needs
to require hospitals to report all Hospital Acquired Infections.
Link to Article Text
Oct. 4, 2009. Keep Public
Reporting in Reform Plan - Lexington Herald Leader, Lexington, KY,
Public reporting of healthcare acquired infections is now supported
by major national medical organizations.
Link to Article Text
July 9, 2009. Stop Hospital
Borne Infections Courier Journal, Louisville, KY, Public reporting
of healthcare acquired infections is now in the process of
implementation in 27 states. View CJ Editor's Comment on HAI
View CJ Editor's Comment on HAILink to Article Text
Comments on Research Integrity and Use
of Chlorhexidine to Prevent MRSA
2016, Dec. - Patient Advocate Letter
Sent to NEJM Regarding Evaluation for Retraction of the REDUCE
MRSA Study.
View Letter NEJM's Response:
View Response
2016, Nov. - Health Watch USA
Presentation on Research Integrity: Kevin
Kavanagh, MD, MS, discusses the impact that problems in research
integrity has had in formulating healthcare policy in
controlling infectious disease. The example of daily bathing
with the antiseptic chlorhexidine verses surveillance and
contact precautions for the control of MRSA is presented.
https://youtu.be/m9UxOOzSA_8
2015, Jun. - FDA Comment on Rule for
Additional Data on Antiseptics: HW USA,
Consumers Union and patient advocates have sent a comment to the
FDA requesting that they include the antiseptic chlorhexidine in
their regulations calling for additional data on antiseptics.
Chlorhexidine is an antiseptic which some institutions are using
for the prevention of MRSA (the deadly staph infections).
However, there have been questions regarding the integrity of
some the research advocating for its use. Read Comment and
References:
http://www.healthwatchusa.org/downloads/20150610-CommentToFDA.pdf
Congressional Enquiries on Control and Prevention of Methicillin
resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
2008, Feb. - Senator McConnell's Letter in Response to
Lexington Herald Leader Op Ed:
View Letter View
Op-Ed
2010, Jun. - Congressional Inquiry by Senator McConnell to
obtain the results of the Veterans Administration Protocol to
control MRSA.
View Letter
2010, May - Results of Congressional Inquiry which obtained
the National Veterans Administration protocol results for control of
MRSA.
View Document
2012, Aug. - Funding of the Star*ICU Study -
Senator McConnell's Office.
View Document
HW USA - Presentations on MRSA
Surveillance
2014, Dec. -
Reduction of Surgical Infections with MRSA Screening
and Decolonization
James Davis IV, MSN, RN from the Pennsylvania Patient Safety
Authority presents the results of a study demonstrating a
reduction in surgical site infections with MRSA screening and
decolonization using chlorhexidine and mupirocin. You Tube
Video:
http://youtu.be/Fj1lBe87hcs
Download Slides
HW USA - In House Publications on MRSA
Surveillance and Policy Reports
Comment on:
Docket No. CDC-2018-0099. “Infection Control in Healthcare
Personnel: Infrastructure and Routine Practices for Occupational
Infection Prevention and Control Services.” Oct. 31, 2018.
Download Comment
Health Watch
USA and Patient Advocates Public Comment to CDC HICPAC Calling
For Periodic Screening of Healthcare Workers for MRSA,
Nov. 8, 2017.
Download Comment
The Role of
Surveillance Cultures in the Prevention of Methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus in Acute Care Facilities, Nov. 22, 2010.
Download PDF 557 K
Hospital
Acquired Infections: The Necessity of Prevention and Mandatory
Surveillance. Word Count 1464, Feb. 4, 2008 Download PDF 504 K
