Antibiotic and infection tracking in Minnesota long-term care facilities.
OBJECTIVE
To describe current systems used to track infections, antibiotic use, and antibiotic-resistant infections in Minnesota long-term care facilities (LTCFs).


METHODS
Self-administered multiple-choice survey assessing the methods, frequency, content, and dissemination of information used to track infections and antibiotic use.


METHODS
Licensed Minnesota LTCFs providing skilled nursing care to geriatric residents as of June 2005.


METHODS
Surveys addressed to the director of nursing at 393 eligible LTCFs.


METHODS
Responses to survey questions, assessed by percentage of all responders. Of the 345 surveys returned, the majority had a system to track infections (94.1%), antibiotics prescribed (80.6%), and antibiotic-resistant infections (86.2%). Most facilities used only a nonelectronic format to track antibiotic use (73.4%) and antibiotic-resistant infections (72.4%). Respondents collected information on antibiotic susceptibility results from cultures of blood (49.0%), urine (53.0%), sputum (50.0%), or wounds (50.0%). One third of attending clinicians were routinely informed of trends in facility antibiotic use. In 42% of facilities, less than 5 hours per month of paid time for an infection control practitioner was provided. Two-thirds of responders (64.2%) described their systems as not or somewhat effective at optimizing appropriate antibiotic use in their facilities.


CONCLUSIONS
Most facilities in Minnesota have a system in place to track infections, antibiotic use, and antibiotic resistance. These systems may not collect or disseminate information effectively enough to identify or address the development of antibiotic resistance. Paid infection control practitioner time is limited.
Minnesota Department of Health, Acute Disease Investigation and Control Section, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA. erinofallon@hrca.harvard.edu
Erin
E
O'Fallon
Jane
J
Harper
Shelly
S
Shaw
Ruth
R
Lynfield
D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D006268:Health Facilities; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008910:Minnesota; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011996:Records; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents