Report on healthcare associated Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia
workshop
Thursday 14 August 2014
Background
Staphylococcus aureus is harmlessly carried by most people. It often causes minor skin
infections, which sometimes enter the bloodstream causing serious infection (also known as
bacteraemia) with mortality rates of 15 to 35%. Most healthcare associated Staphylococcus
aureus bacteraemia (SAB) is caused by a medical procedure (such as insertion of an
intravenous line) or surgery and is potentially preventable. While SAB can be treated with
antibiotics, treatment almost always starts in hospital. Sometimes last-line antibiotics are
needed which is associated with increased mortality. And patients infected with resistant strains
are more likely to have complications causing a longer and more costly hospital stay. An
overseas study estimated the extra cost to be $25,000 to $50,000 per patient.
In 2009 the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (the Commission)
developed a case definition of healthcare associated SAB that was and endorsed by all
Australian states and territories. This allows national reporting and bench marking. In 2000, the
Australian Group on Antimicrobial Resistance started a SAB surveillance program and the 2012
survey showed that MRSA SAB had reduced from 5.9% in 2010 to 5.1% in 2012. Similarly,
between 2010/11 and 2012/13, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reported the
national rates of SAB reduced from 1.1 cases per 10,000 patient days to 0.9 cases per 10,000
patient days, (p<0.001).
To support a coordinated and efficient national approach to SAB reporting and surveillance, the
Healthcare Associated Infection Special Interest Group of the Australian Society for Infectious
Diseases invited the Commission to co-host a workshop with the Australasian College of
Infection Prevention and Control. The workshop was for infectious diseases physicians, clinical
microbiologists, infection prevention and control professionals, jurisdictional representatives and
other interested clinicians. The areas covered in the workshop included surveillance, successful
initiatives, SAB event evaluation and experiences and a report is being prepared
Report on healthcare associated Staphylococcus aureaus bacteraemia workshop
Healthcare associated Staphlycoccus aureus bloodstream infection workshop agenda
14 August 2014
Co-hosted HICSIG of ASID / ACIPC
Chairs
Associate Professor Eugene Athan Convenor HICSIG of ASID
Dr Marilyn Cruickshank ACSQHC
9:30am
Registration tea, coffee and muffins
10:00am
Introduction and Purpose
10:20am
Surveillance
History of SAB surveillance in Australia
Dr Marilyn Cruickshank, ACSQHC
10:40am
Strengths and weaknesses
Professor Mary-Louise McLaws, UNSW
Associate Professor Eugene Athan
Associate Professor Leon Worth, Peter MacCallum
Cancer centre/VICNISS
11:40am
Successful Initiatives
Zero CLABSIs in Adult ICU
Barwon Health Geelong, Associate Professor Neil Orford
12:00pm
Peripheral IV cannulation
Austin Health, Professor Lindsay Grayson
12:20pm
Preventing CLABSIs in NICU
Adelaide Women & Children’s Hospital, Ms Jan Whitelaw
Questions
12:30pm
Lunch Break
1:30pm
SAB event validation and experiences
Canberra
Professor Peter Collignon
1:50pm
Newcastle
Associate Professor John Ferguson
2:10pm
Brisbane
Dr Naomi Runnegar
2:10pm
Panel discussion/debate and the way forward
3:10pm
Summation
3:30 pm
Close
60 min
Report on healthcare associated Staphylococcus aureaus bacteraemia workshop
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