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Overview

Nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections continue to complicate the clinical course of critically ill patients and, consequently, to create substantial economic and human costs. These infections may lead to complications in approximately 30% of those patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) and cost an estimated $25,000 per infection. Previous studies have shown that the administration of inadequate antimicrobial treatment of nosocomial infections is associated with a significantly higher mortality rate; therefore, new guidelines and evidence-based practices to prevent healthcare-associated infections have been developed to improve patient outcomes. Although healthcare providers are cognizant of measures to control infection, inconsistent application of these measures remains a concern in the ICU and surgical settings.
In this regional dinner meeting series, we will present up-to-date information on the risk of acquiring nosocomial infections, highlight the most common sites of these infections, and discuss new guidelines for preventing and controlling infections in the hospital population. The goals are to enhance the awareness and understanding of the risks for infections and encourage guideline-based application of infection control measures to promote more favorable outcomes for patients.

Learning Objectives

Upon the completion of this activity, the participant should be better able to:

IDENTIFY patients at risk for infections due to yeast and multiply resistant gram-negative and gram-positive pathogens.
EXPLAIN the rationale for early anti-Candida strategies in the ICU.
DISCUSS issues that influence antibiotic stewardship.
USE guidelines to optimize outcomes associated with invasive bacterial and fungal infections.

Faculty

Marin H. Kollef, MD
Golman Professor of Medicine
Director, Medical Intensive Care Unit
Director, Respiratory Care Services
Washington University School of Medicine
St. Louis, Missouri

Yoav Golan, MD, MS
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Tufts University School of Medicine
Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases
Tufts Medical Center
Boston, Massachusetts

Moderator
Peter K. Linden, MD

CE Information

INTENDED AUDIENCE - This activity has been designed to meet the educational needs of infectious disease physicians hospitalists, internal medicine physicians, critical care and intensive care physicians; infectious disease, critical care, and ICU nurses; fellows (surgical and medical); and hospital pharmacists, ICU pharmacists, and hospital formulary committee directors involved in the management of patients with bacterial and fungal infections.

Physician Continuing Medical Education
ACCREDITATION STATEMENT- This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint sponsorship of Postgraduate Institute for Medicine (PIM) and Advanced Studies in Medicine. PIM is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

CREDIT DESIGNATION - The Postgraduate Institute for Medicine designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Pharmacist Continuing Education
ACCREDITATION STATEMENT-
Postgraduate Institute for Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.

CREDIT DESIGNATION - Postgraduate Institute for Medicine designates this continuing education activity for 1.3 contact hour(s) (0.13 CEUs) of the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. (Universal Activity Number - 0809-9999-10-177-H01-P)
Pharmacists, please note: If you claimed credit for UAN 0809-9999-10-049-L01-P, you are not eligible to claim credit for this activity.

Type of Activity: Knowledge-Based

All other healthcare professionals completing this course will be issued a statement of participation.

RELEASE DATE: November 18, 2010. EXPIRATION DATE: November 30, 2011.

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest – Postgraduate Institute for Medicine (PIM) requires instructors, planners, managers and other individuals who are in a position to control the content of this activity to disclose any real or apparent conflict of interest they may have as related to the content of this activity. All identified conflicts of interest are thoroughly vetted by PIM for fair balance, scientific objectivity of studies mentioned in the materials or used as the basis for content, and appropriateness of patient care recommendations.

Hardware and Software Requirements
A modern web browser (Internet Explorer 7+, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Google Chrome). Certain educational activities may require additional software to view multimedia, presentation, or printable versions of their content. These activities will be marked as such and will provide links to the required software. That software may be: Adobe Flash, Apple Quicktime, Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Powerpoint, Windows Media Player, and Real Networks Real One Player.

FEE INFORMATION – There is no fee for this educational activity.

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