Private rooms at MUHC help reduce antibiotic-resistant infections, study finds

Single-patient rooms at the new McGill superhospitalhelped reduce antibiotic-resistant infections by as much as 75 per centafter the move from the Royal Victoria, according a study published this week.

The study, conducted by Montreal researchers,was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which says its findings "may have important implications for the role of hospital construction in facilitating infection control."

It examined the incidence of bacteria, includingenterococcus, staphylococcus (associated with staph infections), as well asClostridioides difficile(known as C. difficile).

In some cases, these bacteria can cause life-threatening infections.

The researchers observed an "immediate and sustained reduction" in the infections and colonization (whenbacteria is the present but doesn't cause illness) ofenterococcus and staphylococcus after 350 patients were moved from the Royal Victoria hospital to the Glencampus of the McGill University Health Centre in 2015.

For example, between 2013 and 2015, there were 55 antibiotic-resistant enterococcus infections at Royal Victoria. From 2015 to 2018, that number went down to 14.

There was no change in theC. difficile numbers.

Private rooms costly, but effective

At its old site on Pine Avenue, the Royal Victoria had rooms with as many as four beds in them. Its pavilion at the Glen sitehas only single-patient rooms.

"We think that the private rooms played a big role," said the lead author of the study, Dr. Emily McDonald.

She added that while researchers expected some kind of reduction, theywere surprised at how significantly the numbers dropped.

"The other thing that was interesting to us was that over the three years since we moved, the numbers stayed quite low," McDonald toldCBC Montreal'sDaybreak onTuesday.

She said the reason the rate of C. difficile infections didn't change is because it's a bacteria that's already found inside a hospital.

Bacteria that's brought from outside, such asenterococcus, is more easily managed by the use of private rooms.

The study noted there are also other factorsat the new hospital that likely contributed to the reduction in infections, including more sinksfor patients and visitors to wash their hands.

Moreover,MUHC staff have been diligent about hygiene, creating an "infection control team," McDonald said.

When it comes to addressing C. difficile infections,McDonald suggested that reducing the unnecessary use of antibiotics could help.

She acknowledged thatbuilding a hospital with only private rooms can be costly, but says the benefits are hard to ignore.

"This really adds to the body of literature that when ...balancing the costs andbenefits of single-patient rooms if they can be afforded should really be considered," she said.

The study notes these kinds of infections "substantially factor into hospital costs," not to mention the harm they causeto patients.