1454. Describing the Epidemiology of Nosocomial Respiratory Viral Infections (RVIs) at an Academic Medical Center


 
 
 Nosocomial respiratory viral infections (NRVI), transmitted from infected visitors or healthcare providers to patients, lead to significant morbidity and mortality. This study describes the epidemiology of nosocomial Influenza (flu) and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) at an academic medical center from 2009 to 2018.
 
 
 
 After institutional review board (IRB) approval, data on NRVI was collected from our Enterprise Data Warehouse and primary chart review. A nosocomial infection was defined as a positive result of flu or RSV collected ≥ 72 hours after admission between April 2009 and March 2018.
 
 
 
 There were 93/1,317 (7.1%) nosocomial flu cases and 76/617 (12.3%) nosocomial RSV cases detected during the study period (see Table 1). Flu and RSV were first detected at a median of 6.8 and 8.4 days, respectively, after admission. Patients with nosocomial flu and RSV were more likely to have a cancer diagnosis, be a stem cell transplant recipient within one year, and have undergone chemotherapy in the past 30 days (see Table 2).
 Few nosocomial transmissions (15%) occurred outside the usual winter respiratory viral season (December through March, see Figure 1). Table 1Distribution of Nosocomial RVIsTable 2Underlying Medical Conditions Among Patients with Nosocomial and Community-Acquired RVIFigure 1Distribution of nosocomial RVIs over time assessing for transmission seasonality
 
 
 
 Nosocomial infections account for 7% of hospitalized flu cases and 12% of hospitalized RSV cases. Infection is more common among patients at high risk of complications. Effort needs to be directed at approaches to reduce the risk of nosocomial transmission of RVI. Future studies are needed to assess the impact of interventions, such as universal masking, on the rate of nosocomial infections.
 
 
 
 Michael G. Ison, MD MS, GlaxoSmithKlein: Grant/Research Support|Pulmocide: Grant/Research Support|Viracor Eurfins: Advisor/Consultant.
