Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on infectious disease treatment and infection control in Japan: A retrospective multicenter study
Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic affected infection control practices such as hand hygiene and antimicrobial use in hospital settings; however, its specific effects on hospital infection control remain unclear. This study aimed to determine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on infection control p...
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Elsevier
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Heliyon |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844025018766 |
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| author | Shigeki Kakuno Waki Imoto Koichi Yamada Yasutaka Ihara Kayoko Yamada Makoto Tanaka Gaku Kuwabara Kana Sawa Tsuneko Terachi Tetsu Mizutani Miyoshi Kitazato Mayumi Yoshimura Naoko Yoshii Ayumi Shintani Hiroshi Kakeya |
| author_facet | Shigeki Kakuno Waki Imoto Koichi Yamada Yasutaka Ihara Kayoko Yamada Makoto Tanaka Gaku Kuwabara Kana Sawa Tsuneko Terachi Tetsu Mizutani Miyoshi Kitazato Mayumi Yoshimura Naoko Yoshii Ayumi Shintani Hiroshi Kakeya |
| author_sort | Shigeki Kakuno |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic affected infection control practices such as hand hygiene and antimicrobial use in hospital settings; however, its specific effects on hospital infection control remain unclear. This study aimed to determine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on infection control practices. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at four Japanese hospitals. Data on hand sanitizer use, antimicrobial use, positive blood cultures, and detection of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) were collected monthly from April 2015 to March 2023. The pre-COVID-19 period (April 2015 to March 2020) was compared with the COVID-19 period (April 2020 to March 2023). Results: Hand sanitizer use per inpatient and antimicrobial use, particularly broad-spectrum antimicrobial use, increased significantly during the COVID-19 period. The number of positive blood cultures increased, whereas the number of MDRO infections remained unchanged, suggesting increased contamination. Conclusions: Increased hand hygiene during COVID-19 did not reduce MDRO infections, possibly due to improper technique or timing. Increases in broad-spectrum antimicrobial prescriptions may have contributed to the lack of reduction in MDRO infections. Ongoing antimicrobial use monitoring, hand hygiene education, and promotion of effective infection control and antimicrobial stewardship by infection control teams are crucial for maintaining infection control during epidemics. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5f313cf5d1584c269fce083c77fd0b3c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2405-8440 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Heliyon |
| spelling | doaj-art-5f313cf5d1584c269fce083c77fd0b3c2025-08-20T03:50:22ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402025-07-011112e4349010.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e43490Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on infectious disease treatment and infection control in Japan: A retrospective multicenter studyShigeki Kakuno0Waki Imoto1Koichi Yamada2Yasutaka Ihara3Kayoko Yamada4Makoto Tanaka5Gaku Kuwabara6Kana Sawa7Tsuneko Terachi8Tetsu Mizutani9Miyoshi Kitazato10Mayumi Yoshimura11Naoko Yoshii12Ayumi Shintani13Hiroshi Kakeya14Department of Infection Control Science, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan; Department of Infectious Disease Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University Hospital, 1-5-7 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8586, Japan; Osaka International Research for Infectious Diseases (OIRCID), Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-2-7-601 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-0051, JapanDepartment of Infection Control Science, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan; Department of Infectious Disease Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University Hospital, 1-5-7 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8586, Japan; Osaka International Research for Infectious Diseases (OIRCID), Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-2-7-601 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-0051, Japan; Corresponding author. Department of Infection Control Science, Osaka City University, Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan.Department of Infection Control Science, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan; Department of Infectious Disease Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University Hospital, 1-5-7 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8586, Japan; Osaka International Research for Infectious Diseases (OIRCID), Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-2-7-601 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-0051, JapanDepartment of Medical Statistics, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan; Clinical Research Promotion Unit, Clinical Therapeutic Trial Center, Ehime University Hospital, Ehime, Japan; Data Intelligence Department, Digital Transformation Management Division, Global DX, Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Tokyo, JapanDepartment of Infection Control Center, Bell Land General Hospital, Osaka, JapanDepartment of Infection Control Center, Bell Land General Hospital, Osaka, JapanDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Bell Land General Hospital, Osaka, JapanDepartment of Microbiology Laboratory, Daini Osaka Police Hospital, Osaka, JapanInfection Control Center, Osaka Police Hospital, Osaka, JapanInfection Control Center, Osaka Police Hospital, Osaka, JapanDepartment of Clinical Laboratory, Yodogawa Christian Hospital, Osaka, JapanDepartment of Quality Management, Yodogawa Christian Hospital, Osaka, JapanDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Yodogawa Christian Hospital, Osaka, JapanDepartment of Medical Statistics, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, JapanDepartment of Infection Control Science, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan; Department of Infectious Disease Medicine, Osaka Metropolitan University Hospital, 1-5-7 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8586, Japan; Osaka International Research for Infectious Diseases (OIRCID), Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-2-7-601 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-0051, JapanObjectives: The COVID-19 pandemic affected infection control practices such as hand hygiene and antimicrobial use in hospital settings; however, its specific effects on hospital infection control remain unclear. This study aimed to determine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on infection control practices. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at four Japanese hospitals. Data on hand sanitizer use, antimicrobial use, positive blood cultures, and detection of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) were collected monthly from April 2015 to March 2023. The pre-COVID-19 period (April 2015 to March 2020) was compared with the COVID-19 period (April 2020 to March 2023). Results: Hand sanitizer use per inpatient and antimicrobial use, particularly broad-spectrum antimicrobial use, increased significantly during the COVID-19 period. The number of positive blood cultures increased, whereas the number of MDRO infections remained unchanged, suggesting increased contamination. Conclusions: Increased hand hygiene during COVID-19 did not reduce MDRO infections, possibly due to improper technique or timing. Increases in broad-spectrum antimicrobial prescriptions may have contributed to the lack of reduction in MDRO infections. Ongoing antimicrobial use monitoring, hand hygiene education, and promotion of effective infection control and antimicrobial stewardship by infection control teams are crucial for maintaining infection control during epidemics.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844025018766COVID-19Multidrug-resistant organismsHand sanitizerAntimicrobial stewardshipInfection control |
| spellingShingle | Shigeki Kakuno Waki Imoto Koichi Yamada Yasutaka Ihara Kayoko Yamada Makoto Tanaka Gaku Kuwabara Kana Sawa Tsuneko Terachi Tetsu Mizutani Miyoshi Kitazato Mayumi Yoshimura Naoko Yoshii Ayumi Shintani Hiroshi Kakeya Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on infectious disease treatment and infection control in Japan: A retrospective multicenter study Heliyon COVID-19 Multidrug-resistant organisms Hand sanitizer Antimicrobial stewardship Infection control |
| title | Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on infectious disease treatment and infection control in Japan: A retrospective multicenter study |
| title_full | Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on infectious disease treatment and infection control in Japan: A retrospective multicenter study |
| title_fullStr | Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on infectious disease treatment and infection control in Japan: A retrospective multicenter study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on infectious disease treatment and infection control in Japan: A retrospective multicenter study |
| title_short | Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on infectious disease treatment and infection control in Japan: A retrospective multicenter study |
| title_sort | impact of the covid 19 pandemic on infectious disease treatment and infection control in japan a retrospective multicenter study |
| topic | COVID-19 Multidrug-resistant organisms Hand sanitizer Antimicrobial stewardship Infection control |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844025018766 |
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