{"id":458,"date":"2017-10-26T14:01:47","date_gmt":"2017-10-26T19:01:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.unmc.edu\/infectious-disease\/?p=458"},"modified":"2017-10-26T14:01:47","modified_gmt":"2017-10-26T19:01:47","slug":"fantastic-presentation-by-guest-speaker-dr-bearman-on-hospital-infection-prevention-processes-pragmatisim-and-controversies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.unmc.edu\/infectious-disease\/2017\/10\/26\/fantastic-presentation-by-guest-speaker-dr-bearman-on-hospital-infection-prevention-processes-pragmatisim-and-controversies\/","title":{"rendered":"Fantastic Presentation by Guest Speaker Dr. Bearman on \u201cHospital Infection Prevention: Processes, Pragmatisim, and Controversies\u201d."},"content":{"rendered":"

The UNMC ID Division was pleased to host Dr Gonzalo Bearman, MD, MPH as a visiting professor 10\/19\/17-10\/20\/17.\u00a0 Dr Bearman, who is a Professor of Medicine, ID Division Chief\u00a0 and Medical Director of Hospital Epidemiology at Virginia Commonwealth University, gave an insightful and thought provoking grand rounds presentation on 10\/20\/17 entitled:\u00a0\u201cHospital Infection Prevention: Processes, Pragmatisim, and Controversies\u201d.<\/p>\n

Dr. Bearman’s research focus is on the epidemiology of hospital-acquired infections with multiple articles in peer-reviewed publications. He is also passionate about education and dissemination of medical information and in addition to lectures in the College of Medicine and School of Public Health, launched an online magazine called the Medical Literacy Messenger<\/a> and a blog<\/a> discussing issues in Infection Prevention and Control and Hospital Epidemiology.<\/p>\n

In his presentation, Dr Bearman expanded the concept of \u201cSatisfice\u201d a combination of satisfy and suffice, initially coined by Nobel prize winner Herbert Simon, to the field of Infection Prevention.\u00a0 To satisfice we need to find satisfactory solutions in a pragmatic manner for complex problems \u00a0\u2013 not perfect solutions that are not practical.\u00a0 Dr Bearman is a proponent for Horizontal Infection Prevention solutions \u2013 interventions that cut across the board and impact all of our patients \u2013 examples include hand hygiene, standard infection control measures, antiseptic bathing, standardized methods to insert and care for indwelling lines and catheters.<\/p>\n

During the session he described various approaches that his institution has implemented to decrease the rates of hospital-acquired infections.\u00a0 The most intriguing was the concept of healthcare provider attire and their bare below the elbows (BBE) approach. This non-mandated approach suggests that healthcare providers put away the white coat, wear short sleeved clothing such as team scrubs, team vests, and avoid wearing watches, bracelets or rings. \u00a0In a survey<\/a> to assess healthcare worker perception of this practice, Dr. Bearman\u2019s team found that many providers laundered their white coats infrequently and most viewed the white coat as a potential source of bacterial transmission.\u00a0 Despite the BBE approach being non-mandatory, 2\/3 of healthcare workers were compliant to this attire suggestion, and as part of a multi-faceted approach that included the BBE attire recommendations, Dr. Bearman\u2019s team noted a significant decrease in hospital-acquired infections. This approach is very promising (and cheap), but requires a substantial paradigm shift and culture change as of course, the white coat has been a long-standing symbol of tradition in medical education.<\/p>\n

After Grand Rounds, Dr. Bearman had some time to sit with members of our Infection Prevention and Control and Antimicrobial Stewardship teams for some small group discussion.\u00a0 He gave some advice to one of our PhD students working in Infection Prevention and Control, and discussed strategies for reducing hospital-acquired infections with our Infection Prevention nurses.<\/p>\n

Dr. Bearman\u2019s top 3 infection prevention pearls from our small group discussion:<\/p>\n