Developing rapid screening for CPOs at Barts Trust
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Development of rapid screening of critical patients at Barts Health NHS Trust for carbapenemase-producing organisms (CPO).
IRAS ID
219422
Contact name
Jennifer Henderson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Barts Health Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 25 days
Research summary
PHE guidelines recommend that all patients admitted to hospital undergo screening for carbapenemase producing organisms (CPO). However, at Barts Health NHS Trust patients are only screened when there is a suspected positive patient or outbreak. In these situations a rapid test is required to determine the CPO status of these patients and possible contacts to prevent transmission of these multi-drug resistant organisms to other patients.
The patient population served by Barts Health comprises a significant proportion of Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani persons, which, according to PHE guidelines, should be considered suspected carriers of CPOs.
Therefore, we aim to evaluate real-time PCR assays for the rapid detection of CPOs and establish whether perineal/groin swabs are non-inferior to rectal swabs for detection of CPOs. Once established this assay will then be used to calculate the prevalence of CPOs in our local community, to determine whether we should consider our community suspected CPO carriers, but also to establish whether our community prevalence differs to the rest of the UK. By calculating the CPO prevalence in our in-patients we also hope to identify the patients at risk of CPO carriage and/or infection that would require routine CPO screening, as opposed to the broad screening of all admissions.
By reviewing these results in conjunction with our infection control practices we can implement the optimal protocol for detection and management of CPOs in our Trust.REC name
East Midlands - Derby Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/EM/0095
Date of REC Opinion
2 Mar 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion