Developing a model of information transfer practice between institutions targeted at primary health care patients who are asymptomatic carriers of carbapenemase producing Enterobacteriacae

Background Drug-resistant bacteria are one of the main reasons of deaths worldwide. A significant group of these bacteria are carbapenemase producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE). The goal of this study was to develop a diagnostic and therapeutic model targeted at asymptomatic carriers of CPE. Material and Methods A team of experts from different branches connected to health care, discussing the topic based on the data collected from previous research. Working sessions were dispersed between June and December 2022. The consensus has been reached via repeated discussion and literature search. Results The facility where CPE are detected is required to create an alert pathogen note and to notify sanitary-epidemiological station and National Reference Centre for Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Microorganisms – neither these institutions, nor the patient are required to notify the primary care physician. In primary care clinics, it is possible to work towards breaking the transmission of CPE by educating patients with CPE and persons who were in contact with them, and to undertake actions in order to look for patients with risk factors for CPE colonisation. In order to improve communication between individual levels of the health care system, standardised information could be introduced to the discharge note about a case of CPE, which will be electronically transmitted to the primary care facility. It might contribute to effective combating of the spread of CPE, by serving as a source of knowledge and education for patients and by checking the patient’s risk factors, which will improve the performance of tests for CPE colonisation. Conclusions The established model of good practice requires a change of legal regulations and its implementation, which will reduce the spread of CPE in health care facilities and will enable its future improvement.