November 17, 2015
More than 120 partners Join CDC to fight antibiotic resistance
The President has proclaimed Nov. 16-22 “Get Smart About Antibiotics Week.” Get Smart Week builds on the momentum generated at the White
House Forum on Antibiotic Stewardship, where more than 150 organizations pledged to improve antibiotic use and slow the spread of antibiotic
resistance.
Antibiotic resistance – the rise of deadly germs no longer stopped by the drugs that once controlled them – threatens to take us back to the days
when minor infections commonly killed.
“Antibiotic resistance is one of the deadliest health threats facing the world,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “These pledges will help
protect the antibiotics we have so we can use these miracle drugs to save lives for years to come.”
Get Smart Week resources, commitments

Ascension Health launches stewardship initiative: Ascension is creating stewardship programs throughout its care sites. A new Center of
Excellence will focus on antimicrobial stewardship efforts system-wide.

Hospital Corporation of America (HCA): HCA joined with CDC to track antibiotic prescriptions in HCA facilities by automatically collecting
and reporting monthly antibiotic-use data using CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network. Data can be analyzed and fed back to
caregivers to guide patient-care decisions.

Premier Safety Institute commits to reducing antibiotic resistance: First launch of a collaborative of more than 50 hospitals working to
implement CDC Core Elements of an Antibiotic Stewardship Programs as well as reducing the overuse of specific antimicrobials that were
identified in research conducted by Premier and in collaboration with the CDC.

Walmart public service announcement (PSA) on appropriate antibiotic use: Walmart created educational videos for checkout lines across
the country so that customers get clear information on antibiotic resistance and what they can do to improve antibiotic use.

Major airlines run in-flight PSA: State health departments such as the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services have led the
way in partnering to improve educational awareness about antibiotic stewardship. An in-flight PSA about antibiotic stewardship, produced
by the Michigan Antibiotic Resistance Reduction (MARR) Coalition, is now featured on Jet Blue and other airlines.

The Pew Charitable Trust briefing on Capitol Hill featuring supermoms: A Pew coalition of “Supermoms against Superbugs” will join the
Pew Charitable Trust and CDC Director Dr. Frieden at a Capitol Hill Briefing on November 18, 2015. Pew is also partnering with CDC to
establish national targets to improve the use of antibiotics in support of the goals outlined in the National Action Plan on Combating
Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria.

Consumer Reports: CDC is partnering with Consumer Reports and the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation in support
of the Choosing Wisely campaign.

U.S. State Department toolkit: The State Department is piloting a toolkit for use by 10 U.S. embassies with a focus on improving antibiotic
use.

Society for Hospital Medicine’s Educational Campaign for Hospitalists (SHM): SHM’s antibiotic stewardship campaign targets hospitalists –
a pivotal group of doctors who care for hospitalized patients – an important group for improving antibiotic use.

Global Twitter Chat: Hosted by the European Union’s Antibiotic Awareness Day (November 18, 2015), the 24-hour chat will use the
hashtag #AntibioticResistance and unite CDC experts and partners in a global conversation about antibiotic resistance. CDC experts will
lead the conversation from 2-4 p.m. E.T.
CDC is working to track antibiotic use and the spread of antibiotic-resistant infections in the U.S. They are also exploring new ways to stop the rise of
antibiotic resistance. The agency encourages clinicians to improve prescribing habits and patients to ask their providers if antibiotics are truly needed
for their care. CDC data are used to identify hotspots in need of attention, and the CDC-run isolate bank assists industry partners working to develop
new antibiotics and rapid diagnostic tests, contributing to the global effort to combat antibiotic resistance.
Visit CDC for the report.
Using copper to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses
New research from the University of Southampton has found that copper can effectively help to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, which are
linked to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).
Animal coronaviruses that 'host jump' to humans, such as SARS and MERS, result in severe infections with high mortality. The Southampton
researchers found that a closely-related human coronavirus, -229E -can remain infectious on common surface materials for several days, but is
rapidly destroyed on copper.
A newly-published paper in mBio -a journal of the American Society for Microbiology - reports that human coronavirus 229E, which produces a range
of respiratory symptoms from the common cold to more lethal outcomes such as pneumonia, can survive on surface materials including ceramic
tiles, glass, rubber and stainless steel for at least five days. While human-to-human transmission is important, infections can be contracted by
touching surfaces contaminated by respiratory droplets from infected individuals, or hand touching, leading to a wider and more rapid spread.
On copper, and a range of copper alloys - collectively termed 'antimicrobial copper' -the coronavirus was rapidly inactivated (within a few minutes, for
simulated fingertip contamination). Exposure to copper destroyed the virus completely and irreversibly, leading the researchers to conclude that
antimicrobial copper surfaces could be employed in communal areas and at any mass gatherings to help reduce the spread of respiratory viruses
and protect public health.
Lead researcher Dr. Sarah Warnes said: "Transmission of infectious diseases via contaminated surfaces is far more important than was originally
thought, and this includes viruses that cause respiratory infections. This is especially important when the infectious dose is low and just a few virus
particles can initiate an infection.
"Human coronavirus, which also has ancestral links with bat-like viruses responsible for SARS and MERS, was found to be permanently and rapidly
deactivated upon contact with copper. What's more, the viral genome and structure of the viral particles were destroyed, so nothing remained that
could pass on an infection. With the lack of antiviral treatments, copper offers a measure that can help reduce the risk of these infections spreading."
Visit Science Daily for the report.
Global maternal mortality fell 44 percent since 1990: UN group, UMass statistician
A new analysis of maternal mortality worldwide conducted by the United Nations inter-agency group on maternal mortality estimation, with lead
statistician Leontine Alkema of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, found that the maternal mortality ratio saw a relative decline of 43.9 percent
during the 25-year period of 1990-2015. Details appear in an early online issue of The Lancet.
In the study, lead authors Alkema and World Health Organization (WHO) medical officer Dr. Doris Chou, with colleagues in the UN interagency
group made up of WHO, UNICEF, UN Population Fund, World Bank Group and the UN Population Division, analyzed levels and trends in maternal
mortality in 183 countries and found that the maternal mortality ratio declined from 385 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 216 in 2015. They
also saw great variability in progress toward reducing mortality.
Alkema believes the main contribution of this work is that "estimates from this study reflect the latest information available on past trends and current
levels in maternal mortality in each country. This is of great importance for evaluating past progress and planning future interventions, because, as
we state in the paper, 'the time for action is now.' We need to do what we can, including learning from the past and taking stock of the present, to
avoid preventable maternal deaths in years to come."
A new member of the biostatistics group at the School of Public Health and Health Sciences at UMass Amherst, Alkema explains the main challenge
in the study, "Estimation of maternal mortality and associated uncertainty is challenging for many countries due to data issues: data availability is
limited for many countries and the uncertainty associated with available data tends to be substantial due to measurement issues."
Alkema explains, "With increasing data availability in many countries, it was the right time to extend upon the previous modeling approach to make
sure that the maternal mortality estimates reflected the levels and trends as indicated by the country-specific data which we do have."
The statistician, with Sanqian Zhang and other collaborators, spent over a year developing the Bayesian estimation model used in the study. This
model built onto the covariate-based approach used in earlier years, but extended it to better capture trends and recent levels of maternal mortality
at the country-level, and to take into account the variable quality of observations, she says.
The authors report observing the greatest relative reduction in Eastern Asia, where the maternal mortality ratio fell from approximately 95 to 27 per
100,000 live births, a reduction of 72 percent, but it was lower in all other regions. Globally, the rate of change fell short of the progress envisioned
under the UN's 5th Millennium Development Goal, which called for a reduction in 75 percent between 1990 and 2015, the authors report.
At the country level, nine countries did achieve a 75 percent reduction in 25 years, the researchers say, noting that successful interventions in these
countries can help to guide action and global progress in future years.
Visit Eurekalert for the study.
European Antibiotic Awareness Day: ESCMID is setting up infection control committee and conducts prescription survey
The European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Disease (ESCMID) – an organization that explores the risks and best practices in
infectious disease – takes the opportunity ahead of the European Antibiotic Awareness Day (EAAD) on 18 November to highlight two of the society’s
more recent projects in the fight against antimicrobial resistance.
ESCMID has over the past years been very active in the area of antimicrobial resistance. Not only is antibiotic resistance a central topic at its annual
congress ECCMID, several of its study groups focus on developing strategies and policies to tackle the problem and the society supports many
European and international initiatives. Most noteworthy, is its role in setting up the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing
(EUCAST), which determines breakpoints for bacteria and fungi for existing and new antimicrobial agents.
Earlier this year, ESCMID introduced the European Committee on Infection Control (EUCIC), which aims to increase harmonization of infection
control and prevention measures across Europe using education, training goals, guidelines and political awareness. Already, it has over 50% of
European countries accounted for (including Sweden, Spain, Germany, United Kingdom and Italy)and is now calling for national representation to
come forward from each of the remaining countries.
EUCIC is further calling on professionals from European countries to help set-up national committees, the major goal of which is to provide the
Advisory Board with relevant networks within each country. EUCIC’s objective is to create a new infection, control and prevention (IPC) network
based on extensive partnerships among European national representatives and the most relevant societies in the field of infection control, infectious
diseases and clinical microbiology.
The ESCMID Study Group for Antibiotic Policies (ESGAP) is currently finishing a European-wide survey on the “teaching on prudent antibiotic
prescribing” among final-year medical students. More than 10,000 have participated, and the results will be announced at ECCMID 2016. The study
group is now calling on junior doctors throughout Europe to take part in a study on “antibiotic prescribing and resistance”.
Visit ESCMID to read more about its initiatives in the fight against antimicrobial resistance.
Number of U.S. Retail health clinics will surpass 2,800 by 2017, Accenture forecasts
New research by Accenture forecasts that the number of retail health clinics will exceed 2,800 by 2017, rising 47 percent since 2014. Walk-in retail
clinics, located in pharmacies, retail chains and supermarkets, will add capacity for 25 million patient visits in 2017, up from 16 million in 2014,
according to Accenture’s analysis.
“Retail clinics are shifting to a clinical focus with more sophisticated services for consumers who want walk-in convenience for their basic health
needs,” said Kristin Ficery, managing director of health consulting, Accenture. “This shift provides a release valve for strained health systems, as
they prioritize more critical patient cases, and will give consumers another option for addressing their healthcare needs on their own terms.”
Accenture estimates that the number of retail clinics will reach 2,150 by the end of this year and roughly 2,400 in 2016, amid signs of increasing
profitability and industry resurgence. Accenture predicts 14 percent growth annually through 2017 – a total increase of 47 percent over 2014 levels
when 1,914 retail clinics existed.
Despite the surge in projected growth of retail health clinics, an Accenture survey of 1,000 U.S. doctors found that the clinics could meet some
resistance. More than two in five respondents (41 percent) said they are comfortable with patients using a retail clinic for preventative care, such as
vaccinations, but not services of a more clinical focus, including primary care (17 percent) or the management of chronic conditions (16 percent),
such as diabetes.
“As more retail clinics shift from cost centers to profit centers, they will be better able to deliver stand-alone profits with greater certainty, so the
implications for retailers and healthcare value chain players will be significant,” Ficery said.
Visit Accenture for the report.
Adult obesity still growing in U.S., youth rates hold steady: CDC
Although obesity rates continued to climb among U.S. adults over the past decade, they stabilized for children and teens, federal health officials
reported
More than 36 percent of adults and 17 percent of America's kids were obese between 2011 and 2014, said researchers from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. These are the latest years for which national statistics are available.
Analyzing weight trends since 1999, researchers found the ranks of obese adults have swelled significantly in the last 10 years. Adult obesity rates
climbed from slightly over 32 percent in 2003-04 to almost 38 percent by 2013-14, said lead researcher Cynthia Ogden, an epidemiologist in the
CDC's National Center for Health Statistics.
For the report, researchers used data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. Other key findings for 2011-2014:

More women (about 38 percent) were obese than men (about 34 percent). No gender difference was observed among children and teens.

Obesity was higher among middle-aged (about 40 percent) and older (37 percent) adults than younger adults (about 32 percent).

More whites, blacks and Hispanics were obese than Asians.

Nearly 9 percent of preschoolers were obese, versus more than 17 percent of kids aged 6 to 11. Among teens, more than 20 percent were
obese.
Adult obesity was defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more. BMI is a calculation of body fat based on height and weight. For
example, someone 5 feet 9 inches who weighs 203 pounds or more has a BMI of 30. Among youth, a BMI in the 95th percentile or higher for their
age and sex was deemed obese, the CDC said.
Visit NIH for the report.
'New' sexually transmitted infection 'MG' may be widespread
"A sexually transmitted infection could have infected hundreds of thousands of people in the UK," The Guardian reports. The infection – mycoplasma
genitalium (MG) – causes few, and often no, symptoms. It is unclear whether it could trigger complications such as infertility.
Many media sources describe MG as a new infection, but it was actually discovered in 1981, although at the time it was unclear if it was a sexually
transmitted infection (STI). New research suggests it could be. A large study of UK adults found 1 in 100 adults aged 16 to 44 were infected with MG,
with the majority showing no symptoms.
This study provides a prevalence estimate and insight into risk factors, but leaves the question of potential long-term harm unanswered. This
question requires further investigation using different study types. However, you can protect yourself from MG and other STIs by practicing safe sex.
The study was published in the peer-reviewed International Journal of Epidemiology.
MG is a bacterium, which evidence identified by the research team says might be linked to genital urinary diseases in men and women. The
researchers say there are currently no large population-based epidemiological studies of MG that include prevalence, risk factors, symptoms and coinfection in men and women across a broad age range. Hence, there is doubt about whether it is an STI, how common it is, and uncertainty about
whether it causes sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
Cross-sectional studies are one of the best ways of assessing the prevalence of an infection like MG. However, they are not able to prove cause and
effect – that different sexual behaviors increase the risk of MG infection. That said, they can point to highly probable links that can be investigated
more robustly in the future using different study designs.
Data for this research came from 8,047 respondents to a National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles who lived in England, Wales or Scotland
from 2010 to 2012.
The researchers summed up their findings in three key messages:

This British population study found that around 1 in 100 men and women aged 16-44 living in England, Wales and Scotland are infected
with MG, and that it is likely to be transmitted by sexual contact.

The STI doesn't lead to symptoms in the vast majority of men and around half of women. The study wasn't able to tell if the infection was
causing disease, but there were tentative signs that it might. For example, more women with MG infection reported vaginal bleeding after
sex than those without MG – a possible, but by no means strong, sign the infection may be causing disease.

The overall prevalence masked interesting variation by age, ethnicity and gender. For example, male prevalence of MG was highest in
those aged 25 to 34, at 2.1%, whereas in women it peaked earlier in those aged 16 to 19 years, 2.4%.
Visit the Stornoway Gazzette for the study.
MEDICA 2015 Coverage
November 16-19, Dusseldorf Germany
Medical device manufacturer Shift Labs to demonstrate innovation at MEDICA
Shift Labs, Inc. is displaying DripAssist Infusion Rate Monitor, at MEDICA, the world’s largest medical trade show, in Düsseldorf, Germany.
DripAssist is a gravity infusion rate monitor that provides easy, reliable drip rate monitoring.
DripAssist brings much needed accuracy to the common practice of gravity infusion. DripAssist works by counting drops that the provider would
otherwise have to visually monitor, freeing the provider to focus on the patient and reducing errors.
“For all the clinical settings where infusion pumps aren’t an option, DripAssist brings a new standard of excellence for gravity infusion. It’s a great
alternative at a fraction of the cost. It’s time to provide top-notch healthcare at an affordable price,” Kolko added.
DripAssist is accurate to within 1% of drip rate setting, and providers can use any standard drip set with DripAssist, leading to extra cost savings.
The portable, durable device is suitable for hospital, home, disaster relief, and field medicine settings. Weighing just 108 grams and fitting in one
hand, DripAssist runs for two weeks on a single AA battery, bringing a new standard of versatility combined with reliability.
Shift Labs will also roll out its much-anticipated Amni-Nik Amniotome at MEDICA. Amni-Nik is the only protected sharp available for amniotomy, a
procedure to rupture the amniotic sac to help induce or facilitate labor. Amni-Nik prevents scratching of the fetus or the birth canal during amniotomy,
and its design makes it easier for the provider to rupture the amniotic sac without causing injury to the fetus or the mother.
Visit Shift Labs in Hall16 Booth 16D10-1.
Visit MEDICA for the release.
New way to make OR procedures more efficient and to save costs
Merivaara Corp., a health technology company from Finland, has come out with a new solution that will help healthcare providers to use new
technology in a more efficient way, to make processes smoother and to save costs. The new OpenOR Lite is a flexible, vendor-independent system
that enables handling and archiving of images and video from different types of camera sources through a single user interface.
Using one documentation system for different imaging devices gives more flexibility and enables smooth procedures, cost savings and, most
important of all, improved patient safety.
OpenOR Lite is particularly suitable for mobile use. It can act as a recording system for any vendor’s camera device, such as endoscopes,
microscopes, C-arms and ultrasounds. Therefore it is not only suitable for the operating theatre; it can also be used to archive images and video
taken during examinations. By integrating the system to the hospital’s PACS and HIS, these are able to save a lot of valuable time and to keep track
of patient data.
Moreover, the remote consultation option enables optimized use of resources - whether the team needs to consult an external surgeon or they wish
to run training classes with video streaming from the OR.
Visit Merivaara in Hall 14/A31.
Visit MEDICA for the release.
Zero pressure’ mattress solutions showcased at MEDICA 2015
‘Stop the Pressure’ is the message from pressure ulcer specialist Rober, who is showcasing their wide range of innovative mattresses at MEDICA in
support of Worldwide STOP Pressure Ulcer Day.
Rober is using the international congress to raise the awareness of bed sores and highlight the solutions available to prevent injury to patients while
they are immobile or bed bound.
Technology used in Rober’s mattresses creates a ‘wave-like ripple effect’, specifically designed to replicate the body’s natural movements helping to
eliminate pressure injuries and provide patient comfort and safety. The clinically proven three-cell cycle responds to a patient’s weight, spontaneous
movement pattern and body position, providing enhanced comfort and complete pressure elimination at regular intervals.
As well as offering prevention against pressure ulcers, they also have a therapeutic effect that promotes accelerated wound healing for those
patients who already have, or have had a pressure ulcer in the past.
Designed to maximize infection control, Rober mattresses offer a range of additional nursing support and include patient safety measures, such as
integrated sides and an in-built Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) valve to provide quick deflation in the case of an emergency.
Visit Rober in Hall 16 Stand G4-04.
Visit Medica for the release.