Web address: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/ 110110164742.

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Private Room Intensive Care Units Associated With Lower Infection Rates
ScienceDaily (Jan. 13, 2011) Converting hospital intensive care units (ICUs) to private rooms is associated with a reduction in the rate at which patients acquire infections, according to a report in the January 10 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. "Health care associated infections occur in about 30 percent of patients in intensive care units (ICUs) and are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality," the authors write as background information in the article. "In ICU patients, these infections are associated with an increased length of stay of eight to nine days, and the resulting additional cost from excess stay alone is estimated to be $3.5 billion per year in the United States." Dana Y. Teltsch, M.Sc., Ph.D. candidate, and colleagues from McGill University, Montreal, compared the rates of patient-acquired infections before and after a change from multibed rooms to single, private rooms (intervention hospital). As a control, they also used data from patients who were admitted to a similar multibed facility at a second university hospital (comparison hospital). The authors compared infection rates for a total of 19,343 ICU admissions at both hospitals between 2000 and 2005. After converting the multibed ICU to all a series of private rooms, the acquisition rate of infectious organisms changed as follows: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) decreased by 47 percent, the rate of Clostridium difficile acquisition decreased 43 percent and yeast acquisition decreased 51 percent. Additionally, the adjusted rate of acquisition of C difficile, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus species (VRE), and MRSA combined decreased 54 percent following the transition from multibed rooms to private rooms. The average length of stay for patients in the ICU at the comparison hospital increased steadily during the study, while the average length of stay at the intervention hospital fluctuated, but did not increase overall. Additionally, the adjusted average length of stay in the ICU fell by an estimated 10 percent after changing to private rooms. "An ICU environment with private rooms may facilitate better infection control practices, therefore reducing the transmission of infectious organisms," the authors conclude. "Conversion to single rooms can substantially reduce the rate at which patients acquire infectious organisms while in the ICU."

SUMMARY:

According to the Archives of Internal Medicine, converting hospital intensive care units (ICUs) to private rooms is associated with a reduction in the rate at which patients acquire infections. "Health care associated infections occur in about 30 percent of patients in intensive care units (ICUs) and are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Dana Y. Teltsch and her colleagues, compared the rates of patient-acquired infections before and after a change from multibed rooms to single, private rooms (intervention hospital). As a control, they also used data from patients who were admitted to a similar multibed facility at a second university hospital (comparison hospital). The authors compared infection rates for a total of 19,343 ICU admissions at both hospitals between 2000 and 2005. After converting the multibed ICU to all a series of private rooms, the acquisition rate of infectious organisms changed The average length of stay for patients in the ICU at the comparison hospital increased steadily during the study, while the average length of stay at the intervention hospital fluctuated, but did not increase overall. Additionally, the adjusted average length of stay in the ICU fell by an estimated 10 percent after changing to private rooms.

REACTION:

Changing Intensive Care Unit Wards to private rooms is a big help in reducing infection caused by multi-bed rooms. The infection is caused by unfavorable environment in which the whole room is isolated with different patients with different diagnosis. Making the wards to private rooms can reduce infection by isolating different patients to different rooms to reduce transfer of microorganisms. If there is a good environment for the patient, the better the chances for recovery .Helping the patients be free from different causative agents that may lead them to different diseases. Its a good thing to promoted private rooms rather than wards for patients in the ICU.

RECOMMENDATION: I recommend this journal to hospitals with multi-bed ICU, families with a member in the ICU and nursing students. I recommend this to hospitals with multi-bed ICU for them to acquire knowledge in preventing the transfer of microorganisms to patients who are in a critical state for them to have preventive measures. I recommend this to families for them to help the patient to prevent the transfer of microorganisms just by health teachings because of the multi-bed ICU. I recommend this article to nursing students for them to help their patients to be free from community acquired disease that will be most usually come from the ICU ward.

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Private Room Intensive Care Units Associated With Lower Infection Rates

SUBMITTED BY: SALAC, TIMOTHY JOHN M. BSN 4-3 Group # 9