Understanding Health Professionals' Infection Control Practices In The Acute Care Setting
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$151,196.00
Summary
Health-care acquired infections have a considerable personal, social and economic impact in Australia, and better understanding of the causes of these infections is necessary. Failure by health professionals to follow infection control recommendations has important consequences in terms of the personal risk of acquiring an infection as well as the risk of infection transmission to patients. In Australia surgical site infections alone are estimated to cost as much as 268 million dollars a year. H ....Health-care acquired infections have a considerable personal, social and economic impact in Australia, and better understanding of the causes of these infections is necessary. Failure by health professionals to follow infection control recommendations has important consequences in terms of the personal risk of acquiring an infection as well as the risk of infection transmission to patients. In Australia surgical site infections alone are estimated to cost as much as 268 million dollars a year. Health-care acquired infections are associated with poorer health outcomes, a greater probability of prolonged hospital stays, greater re-hospitalisation rates, and significant reductions in health related quality of life. In this qualitative study we will use grounded theory and a comparative analysis strategy. We will initially identify participants sampled from health professionals employed in the acute care setting at a major teaching hospital in Perth, Western Australia. We will seek representation of a range of health professionals recruited from multiple occupational groups, including doctors, nurses and paramedical staff who have direct patient contact in the study sample. Sampling will also aim to recruit participants from a number of different acute care areas within the hospital, and staff with a range of individual characteristics, experiences and beliefs. We will interview a range of health care workers in order to explore their experiences of engagement in infection control practices and the factors influencing these experiences. We aim to develop a substantive theory that explains health professionals' engagement in high-risk infection control practices in the acute care setting. This will have implications for current understandings of the factors influencing adherence to recommended infection control practices, current theoretical perspectives which guide infection control practice, and strategies used to promote compliance with recommended practices.Read moreRead less
The Economics Of Reducing The Risk Of Healthcare-acquired Intravascular Device Related Bloodstream Infections
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$119,500.00
Summary
Approximately one in ten patients will acquire an infection after admission to hospital. Patients will have their hospital stay prolonged during which time they will employ scarce health care resources that might otherwise have been made available to others in need, they will suffer additional pain and anxiety, they will take longer to recuperate after discharge using primary care and outpatient services more intensively and there is a sevenfold increase in the chance of dying in hospital as a r ....Approximately one in ten patients will acquire an infection after admission to hospital. Patients will have their hospital stay prolonged during which time they will employ scarce health care resources that might otherwise have been made available to others in need, they will suffer additional pain and anxiety, they will take longer to recuperate after discharge using primary care and outpatient services more intensively and there is a sevenfold increase in the chance of dying in hospital as a result of an infection. There will be other social costs as those affected take longer to return to their normal economic activities. The aggregate economic burdens imposed by healthcare-associated infection in the US are valued at $AU 11.3 Billion and $AU 3.1 in the UK. Research in currently underway to estimate the economic costs to Australia. One type of hospital infection are those that affect the blood and many are caused by invasive devices. At least 3,500 patients are affected each year in the Australia. The human and financial costs of these particular infections are significant. These infections can be prevented but the preventive activities are costly. The purpose of this research is to systematically evaluate the cost and effectiveness of all known infection control interventions to identify those which offer the best value for money. Furthermore we propose to identify the efficient investment in infection control activities, a point where the economic benefit is equalised with economic cost. This research will identify how much to invest in infection control and the specific interventions to which these investments should be directed. Efficient infection control will save lives, improve outcomes for patients, reduce the period of recuperation, and reduce the significant economic costs to both the patient and the health care system.Read moreRead less
Developing A Research Base For Intravenous Peripheral Catheter Resites. The DRIP Trial.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$440,772.00
Summary
Most Australians will have an IV catheter (IV drip) in their hand or arm during a hospital stay. Catheter insertion is painful and costly. It is repeated during hospitalisation because it was thought catheters could only be used for 3-4 days without vein irritation or infection. Newer catheters and preliminary research suggest catheters can actually be used until no longer needed. This research will confirm whether this approach reduces pain and costs without increasing side effects.
The Balance Of Signals Received By NK Cells Is Modulated By Viruses As A Mean Of Immune Escape.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$583,175.00
Summary
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) affects about 60% of the population in Australia. Infection is partially controlled by the immune system but CMV is never eliminated and people remain carriers for the rest of their life. Reactivation of CMV in healthy individuals is usually asymptomatic, but it causes severe diseases in people with immune deficiencies. We seek to discover the mechanisms used by CMV to escape immune surveillance, in order to gain insights into the development of improved antiviral therapies
Microevolution And Transmission Of MRSA In A Hospital Setting
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$623,300.00
Summary
Multi-drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) cause hospital-acquired infections and are responsible for unnecessary illness and excess health costs. It is hard to identify how different strains spread and which are most likely to cause disease, without a rapid, simple fingerprinting system. We have developed one, which we will use to identify the most _successful� MRSA strains. Then we will sequence their whole genomes, to determine why they are _successful� to devise ways to combat them.
Development Of Purine Nucleoside Phosphonates As Anti-malarial Drugs Targeting Nuceloside Synthesis In Plasmodium
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$428,917.00
Summary
Malaria is one of the most serious infectious diseases today. Because of its location in a malaria endemic region, the tropical regions (above 19 S in latitude) of Australia face an emerging threat. The causative agent of the disease is the parasite, Plasmodium. Because of increasing resistance to existing medicines, new drugs are now needed. The drugs we will develop target the parasites replication cycle and are related in structure to those in use to treat viral infections including AIDS.
Exploitation Of Bacterial Transcription Initiation As A Target For New Antimicrobials
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$540,356.00
Summary
Antibiotic resistant infections from 'superbugs' are a major health problem. We will exploit information we have gathered on the machinery that copies genetic information into a message to discover chemical compounds that can be used for the development of new antibiotics with a novel mechanism of action.
Modulation Of Virus-cellular Receptor Interactions In Picornaviral Pathogenesis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$422,036.00
Summary
Gastrointestinal viral infections of humans result in a wide variety of illnesses ranging from the common cold to infantile paralysis and viral myocarditis. Despite the wide range of tissues and organs targeted by these viruses, the manner in which infection is initiated is remarkably similar. The primary step in infection is the binding of a virus to a specific protein on the cell surface, similar to the lock and key analogy. This project seeks to investigate the nature of interactions between ....Gastrointestinal viral infections of humans result in a wide variety of illnesses ranging from the common cold to infantile paralysis and viral myocarditis. Despite the wide range of tissues and organs targeted by these viruses, the manner in which infection is initiated is remarkably similar. The primary step in infection is the binding of a virus to a specific protein on the cell surface, similar to the lock and key analogy. This project seeks to investigate the nature of interactions between representative picornaviruses and their cellular attachment proteins with a view to designing rational anti-viral strategies to block virus cell attachment and cell entry. Using the data raised when investigating why some viruses only infect certain cells, we plan to target human tumors cells based on their susceptibilty to different viruses.Read moreRead less
Virtual Screening In Structure-Based Drug Design For Malaria
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$285,000.00
Summary
Malaria continues to be one of the most serious health problems in the world today with approximately 300 million people affected and 1.5 million recorded deaths per year. The most deadly and widespread parasite responsible for this disease is Plasmodium falciparum. Because of the parasite's increasing resistance to traditional medication, there is an urgent need to develop more effective treatments. Two approaches are feasible: vaccines and new drugs. Both will probably be necessary to combat t ....Malaria continues to be one of the most serious health problems in the world today with approximately 300 million people affected and 1.5 million recorded deaths per year. The most deadly and widespread parasite responsible for this disease is Plasmodium falciparum. Because of the parasite's increasing resistance to traditional medication, there is an urgent need to develop more effective treatments. Two approaches are feasible: vaccines and new drugs. Both will probably be necessary to combat the spread and consequences of malaria. We are approaching this problem by targeting an enzyme which is essential for the survival of the parasite. All protozoan parasites make their purine nucleotides (the building blocks of DNA and RNA) by purine base salvage. Unlike humans, they cannot make purines from simple precursor molecules. The key enzyme in the salvage pathway is hypoxanthine-guanine-xanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGXPRT). Our plan is to capitalize on knowledge of the precise structure of HGXPRT and the increased power of computers to determine which chemicals are able to bind tightly and specifically to the active site of the enzyme. We will then test the ability of these compounds to inhibit purified human and Plasmodium enzymes and their ability to inhibit the growth of the malarial parasite in red cells. Chemical synthesis will be used to improve the effectiveness of these compounds.Read moreRead less
Characterisation Of Community Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus And Their Control In Remote Communities
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$300,777.00
Summary
Before the introduction of antibiotics Staphylococcus aureus, the golden staph , was the major cause of infections in hospitals. Although the introduction of antibiotics helped control the organism it has gradually acquired resistance until strains have emerged which can only be treated with vancomycin. Consequently staphs have again emerged as a major hospital pathogen. The emergence of these multiply resistant strains corresponded to them acquiring methicillin resistance and consequently they ....Before the introduction of antibiotics Staphylococcus aureus, the golden staph , was the major cause of infections in hospitals. Although the introduction of antibiotics helped control the organism it has gradually acquired resistance until strains have emerged which can only be treated with vancomycin. Consequently staphs have again emerged as a major hospital pathogen. The emergence of these multiply resistant strains corresponded to them acquiring methicillin resistance and consequently they have come to be known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA. Soon after the emergence of MRSA the hospitals of Western Australia (WA) developed a policy to prevent introduced MRSA from becoming established in its hospitals. Although this has been successful the policy is now under threat with the emergence of MRSA in remote WA Aboriginal communities. Aboriginals in these communities have a large number of infections which are usually treated empirically. This can result in the selection of antibiotic resistant bacteria if they are present. Consequently, it is planned to regularly screen Aboriginal communities which are known to have a high prevalence of MRSA and recommend antibiotic prescribing which will not select for any resistant staphylococci carried by a person. This is possible because the community MRSA are still susceptible to some anti-staphylococcal drugs. If this program is shown to reduce the prevalence of MRSA in the communities then the program will be extended to other communities. Community MRSA are now being reported from other Australian states and it is planned to study these to see if they are related to the WA strains. The community isolates will be studied to assess their potential to acquire additional antibiotic resistances. As some strains are known to be more of a threat to hospitals than others methods will be investigated to develop rapid methods for detecting them.Read moreRead less