Global Action in Healthcare Network – Antimicrobial Resistance Module (GAIHN – AR module)

The Antimicrobial Resistance (AR) module of the Global Action in Healthcare Network (GAIHN) seeks to prevent the spread of highly resistant organisms in healthcare settings, to improve patient safety, reduce the burden of AR, and to contain rare and novel AR before it spreads to endemic levels. The GAIHN AR module identifies AR-related threats in healthcare settings as a part of CDC’s Global AR Lab & Response Network.

The GAIHN AR module uses a two-pronged approach, targeting AR pathogens for prevention or containment based on the local epidemiology. Rapid detection, real-time communication, and coordination of laboratory and infection prevention and control (IPC) activities are key to the success of both prevention and containment strategies. In the AR module of GAIHN, healthcare facilities collaborate with laboratories and IPC experts from the local to the global level to rapidly detect, communicate, and respond to prevent and contain transmission of AR threats across the network.

Countries Where Global Action in Healthcare Network Partners are Working

Containment

Organisms with rare or novel resistance mechanisms are targeted for containment, an aggressive and systematic approach to actively identify and interrupt transmission of resistance.

The GAIHN AR module uses lessons learned from the U.S. Antibiotic Resistance Laboratory Network and other international networks to support effective detection and containment of emerging AR threats. Evidence-based strategies to contain AR threats will be implemented by partners working in the GAIHN AR module with support from CDC technical experts.

Detection and containment are accomplished through:

• timely laboratory testing of clinical and surveillance cultures to detect and respond to emerging AR threats
• rapid communication with IPC teams to initiate containment response
• identification of asymptomatic carriers who are a key reservoir for transmission through colonization screening investigation once an emerging AR threat is identified and sustaining response until laboratory results indicate transmission is halted

Prevention

Organisms with resistance mechanisms that are regularly found or considered endemic are targeted for prevention actions only. Intensive prevention efforts include infection control practice assessments and active surveillance to identify individuals colonized with these organisms that carry resistance genes such as carbapenemase-producing carbapenem-resistant organisms (CP-CRO). In addition, prevention efforts will include implementation of a multimodal strategy that should focus at least on hand hygiene, surveillance, contact precautions, isolation/cohorting, and environmental cleaning.

Resources

Combating AR Globally

• Global Action to Fight Antibiotic Resistance

Carbapenem-Resistant Organism (CRO) Prevention and Control

• Guidelines for the prevention and control of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, Acinetobacter baumannii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in health care facilities (who.int)external icon
• Implementation manual to prevent and control the spread of carbapenem-resistant organisms at the national and health care facility level pdf icon[PDF – 98 Pages]external icon
• Multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) Management
• Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE)
• Prevention Toolkits
• Infection Prevention and Control Assessment Tool for Acute Care Hospitals pdf icon[PDF – 30 Pages]

CDC & FDA Isolate Bank

• CDC & FDA Antimicrobial Resistance Isolate Bank – Order isolates that can be used to validate testing, diagnostics, or drugs.