Surveillance of Infections and Antibiotic Use in 21 Nursing Home Wards during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Assessment

Ida Hellum Sandbekken, Åsmund Hermansen, Ellen Karine Grov, Inger Utne and Borghild Løyland ()
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Ida Hellum Sandbekken: Department of Nursing and Health Promotion, Faculty of Health Sciences, Oslo Metropolitan University, 0130 Oslo, Norway
Åsmund Hermansen: Department of Social Work, Child Welfare and Social Policy, Oslo Metropolitan University, 0130 Oslo, Norway
Ellen Karine Grov: Department of Nursing and Health Promotion, Faculty of Health Sciences, Oslo Metropolitan University, 0130 Oslo, Norway
Inger Utne: Department of Nursing and Health Promotion, Faculty of Health Sciences, Oslo Metropolitan University, 0130 Oslo, Norway
Borghild Løyland: Department of Nursing and Health Promotion, Faculty of Health Sciences, Oslo Metropolitan University, 0130 Oslo, Norway

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 3, 1-9

Abstract: Residents in nursing homes are fragile and at high risk of serious illness or death from healthcare-associated infections. The COVID-19 pandemic posed a significant risk of suffering and mortality for residents of nursing homes. Surveillance of infections is essential for infection prevention and is missing in many countries. The aim of this study is to explore infection rates and antibiotic use in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collection was conducted from February to September 2021. Each week, healthcare workers at 21 nursing home wards answered a questionnaire on infections, antibiotic use, deaths, and hospital admissions related to infections. A total of 495 infections were reported, and 97.6% were treated with antibiotics. The total infection rate was 5.37 per 1000 bed days, and there were reported 53 hospital admissions and 11 deaths related to or caused by infections. The infection rate and high use of antibiotics found in this study indicated that it is difficult to treat infections in residents in nursing homes and make it difficult to achieve the global goal of reducing infections and antibiotic resistance rates. This emphasizes the need for stricter infection control programs to reduce antibiotic use and patient suffering.

Keywords: infections; healthcare-associated infections; antibiotic use; nursing homes; COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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