The Role of Nursing Homes in the Spread of Antimicrobial Resistance Over the Healthcare Network.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE Recerntly, the role of the healthcare network, defined as a set of hospitals linked by patient transfers, has been increasingly considered in the control of antimicrobial resistance. Here, we investigate the potential impact of nursing homes on the spread of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens across the healthcare network and its importance for control strategies. METHODS Based on patient transfer data, we designed a network model representing the Dutch healthcare system of hospitals and nursing homes. We simulated the spread of an antimicrobial-resistant pathogen across the healthcare network, and we modeled transmission within institutions using a stochastic susceptible-infected-susceptible (SIS) epidemic model. Transmission between institutions followed transfers. We identified

SUBMITTER: van den Dool C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4926272 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature