The long-term healthcare community continues to face scrutiny as the amount of urinary tract infections detected and antibiotics prescribed within their respective facilities are on the rise. The rehospitalization rate continues to steadily escalate, resulting in new mandates by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
In Fall of 2017, CMS authorized nursing homes to create and carry out an antimicrobial stewardship program.
The implementation of the program will monitor the infections within a facility, detect which drugs and the correct dosage is needed as well as minimize the administration of unnecessary drugs.
In efforts to alleviate many frustrations, the industry is looking at various ways to combat the rate of infections and ineffective prescriptions. One method includes a new and modern technology offered to the long-term healthcare community.
Utilization of PCR technology when testing a urine culture for infection is the new gold standard in testing. It is 25% more sensitive and 60% more accurate resulting in fewer false negatives. *
This new system allows clinicians to treat patients more rapidly and effectively because it:
no longer requires a clean catch as PCR technology tests the DNA (less rejections)
Finals are reported in 48 hours so patients can be treated earlier
Test can detect 61% more pathogens and fungi than standard testing, allowing the physician to know exactly what they are treating
Report tests 27 different UTI causing pathogens, fungi and resistance genes and reflects a sensitivity report of 18 different antibiotics
The more thorough report pinpoints all infections found and overlays with the antibiotic resistance testing; recommending the best treatment option. This precision helps reduce medication that may have recently been used to treat one infection and another on a different infection when only one antibiotic would effectively work on both.
Be on the lookout for this new testing availability for your communities as we all work to better the health of all patients.
*Price TK, Dune T, Hilt EE, et al. The Clinical Urine Culture: Enhanced Techniques Improve Detection of Clinically Relevant Microorganisms. Forbes BA, ed. J Clin Microbiol. 2016;54(5):1216-1222.