Session View

Tuesday 14 November, Morning

BPAIIG: Paediatric interactive cases

Tinto (level 0)

Back by popular demand, we are delighted to announce the return of the Pediatric Interactive Case Session. This session will feature four cases demonstrating the subtle differences between infection presentations in children compared to adults. The presenters will not only seek the input of the audience through online voting, but you will also have the opportunity to match wits against a panel of paediatric infection 'experts'!

Facilitator: Stéphane Paulus (Oxford University Hospitals, UK)

Panel: Sanjay Patel (Southampton Children’s Hospital, UK), Jim Hatcher (Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, UK), Stephen Hughes (Chelsea & Westminster NHS Trust, UK) and Laura Ferreras-Antolin (St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK)

Organisers

Sanjay Patel (Southampton Children’s Hospital, UK) & Stéphane Paulus (Oxford University Hospitals, UK)

CSC: Decontamination of Medical Devices in Healthcare

Pentland (Level 3)

James Tinsdeall: Phacoemulsification is a surgery used to restore vision in people with cataracts or clouding of the eye's lens. This type of cataract surgery uses ultrasonic waves to break the lens into tiny pieces, which are then suctioned out of the eye with a vacuum and over 10,000 phacoemulsification extractions of lenses were undertaken from 2017 to 2020. However, In the period from 2017 to 2020 the MHRA received 38 reports of particles found in the eye either during or after surgery. Investigation found that these particles were of various substances such as organic matter, crystalline material, fibres, or pieces of plastic. Guidance was produced to decrease risks associated with inadequate or improper cleaning and decontamination of phacoemulsification (phaco) handpieces. This presentation will provide an update on the work of a number of groups working together to high light the risks of inadequate cleaning, decontamination and sterilization of phaco handpieces.

Gerry McDonnell: Gerry is the vice president at Johnson and Johnson and has had a distinguished career specialising in decontamination and sterilisation of surgical instruments and devices. Decontamination of surgical instruments and equipment is reliant on manufacturer’s instructions and sterile services departments having the facilities and equipment in order to process surgical instruments accordingly. This can involve training and education of staff to undertake protocols to ensure that cleaning decontamination and sterilization are carried out to quality standards.

Dr McDonnell will discuss the different decontamination and sterilisation requirements in different countries and the standards that need to be applied. He will also discuss the challenges to companies to ensure that their instruments are decontaminated and sterilised to minimise risks associated with surgery to ensure that all patients are safe, regardless of the country and standards required.

Organisers

Central Sterilising Club

NITCAR: Collaborative Research Projects

Kilsyth (Level 0)

Session description: JOINTCASE: A national audit investigating the microbiological quality of air in operating theatres during joint replacement procedures.

SALVAGE: Systematic Assessment of Line infections Via Audit throughout Great Britain to Evaluate management (http://nitcollaborative.org.uk/wp/salvage/).

SinkBug: Antimicrobial resistance gene and pathogen burden in sinks in UK hospitals and associations with healthcare-associated infections, sink design and sink usage: a multi-centre prospective sampling study (http://nitcollaborative.org.uk/wp/sinkbug/).

Organisers

The National Infection Teams Collaborative for Audit and Research

Joint Publishing Workshop

Lammermuir (Level -2)

The organising Societies will provide an overview of their publications. This will be followed by a Q&A Panel where members of the editorial teams will provide valuable insight and advice on academic publishing.

Organisers

Healthcare Infection Society, Microbiology Society and British Infection Association

Tuesday 14 November, Afternoon

BIA: Clinical Grand Round

Tinto (level 0)

In this session four real-life cases will be presented by infection trainees and discussed by our multidisciplinary expert panel. This session will provide insight into clinical reasoning and managing diagnostic uncertainty through a clinical, laboratory and infection control lens.

Panel: Harriet Hughes (Public Health Wales, UK), Rebecca Sutherland (Western General Hospital Edinburgh, UK), Kate Templeton (NHS Lothian, UK) and Lee Stewart (NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, UK)

Organisers

British Infection Association

UKCPA: The role of personalised antimicrobial dosing (PK/PD and dose-based on MIC) - a pro and con debate

Fintry (Level 3)

Session description: This session will aim to explore the evidence supporting evidence base supporting the introduction of personalised antimicrobial dosing into clinical practice. The session will cover the following aims: - an understanding on the principles of pharmacokinetic / pharmacodynamic properties of common antimicrobials and how treatment can be optimised through posology and administration - critically evaluation the in vitro methods for antimicrobial susceptibility determination used in practice and how these impact on antimicrobial dosing - appraise the current evidence base supporting antimicrobial personalisation and the impact on treatment outcomes - build the case for and against routine antimicrobial dose adjustments in clinical practice as a response to the antimicrobial resistance pressures

Organisers

UK Clinical Pharmacy Association

BSAC: Update on Paediatric Infection Management in the UK

Tinto (level 0)

While there has been a significant trend in managing infections in adults by shifting towards earlier IV-to-oral switches and shorter total antibiotic courses, this shift has not necessarily translated into paediatric practice. This discrepancy partly stems from the lack of high-quality research studies for many paediatric pathologies but also reflects clinicians' risk-averse behaviour. During this session, we will delve into the evidence supporting the adoption of early IV-to-oral switches and shorter antibiotic courses in children. Furthermore, we will guide delegates to the recently developed BSAC pediatric pathways (https://bsac.org.uk/paediatricpathways/), which offer clinicians clear, evidence-based guidance for managing common infections in children.

Organisers

British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy

Wednesday 15 November, Morning

BIA: An MDT approach to the management of Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH)

Lammermuir (Level -2)

Haemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a syndrome of profound and damaging immune dysregulation (hyperinflammation) with high mortality. HLH may be rarely a genetic,primary disease but more commonly is a secondary phenomenon and can affect people of all ages. Secondary HLH is triggered by infection (especially viral infection), malignancy (particularly lymphoma), rheumatic disease and treatments including immunotherapy and CART therapy. The pathology of HLH relates to persistent, self-perpetuating activation of macrophages and T-lymphocytes and the resulting cytokine storm damages tissue and causes multi-organ failure. Treatment of HLH is with immune suppression, initially steroids and IL-1 blockade for which there is now an NHSE commissioning policy. The hallmarks of HLH are the 3 Fs – persistent, high grade fever, falling blood counts (often heralded by thrombocytopaenia) and highly elevated ferritin. People with HLH can present to any medical speciality but especially to infectious diseases teams as the features of HLH are non-specific and often mirror those of sepsis. Early recognition of HLH and prompt treatment improves outcomes and this requires close multidisciplinary working. This session aims to provide an introduction to HLH and, using a format similar to a working MDT meeting with an MDT panel, takes a detailed approach to two cases to draw out the diagnostic and treatment approach to HLH. The session closes with advice about taking the learning back into attendees workplaces and signposting of useful resources.

Organisers

British Infection Association

UKCPA: A review of intravenous (IV) to oral (PO) stepdown programs in clinical practice

Fintry (Level 3)

The timely review of intravenous antimicrobials as part of the IV to PO switch (IVOS) program has been identified as a key strategy for antimicrobial stewardship teams. This forms part of the NHS England CQUIN for 2023/24 and has been included in the recent UKSHA National antimicrobial intravenous-to-oral switch (IVOS) criteria for early switch guidance (November 2022). This session will provide an overview of the IVOS strategies adopted across the UK including examples where they have been successfully implemented in to practice. The challenges of implementing such programmes and opportunities for future developments will be discussed also.

Organisers

UK Clinical Pharmacy Association

UKCVN: Using vaccines to combat antimicrobial resistance

Sidlaw (Level 3)

AMR is recognised as an increasing threat to human health, as well as having significant socio-economic consequences. It is estimated that 28 million people could fall into poverty due to an increase in healthcare costs of up to US$ 1 trillion globally by 2050, with a disproportionate impact on low-income countries according to the WHO. Vaccines are considered to be an important tool against AMR for multiple reasons- including reduction of antibiotic use, prevention of disease-related complications (e.g. secondary infections), the potential for reaching populations with vaccination who have limited access to other types of healthcare, and the potential to impact individuals with higher biological risk factors for exposure to resistance. This session will address the concepts of vaccines for AMR and the modelling that supports this approach, with some examples of infectious diseases for which this approach has been shown to be beneficial.

Organisers

UK Clinical Vaccine Network

Pfizer-sponsored promotional symposium: Personal Best: Top tips for antifungal stewardship

Kilsyth (Level 0)

Symposium from an international expert in clinical and diagnostic mycology, discussing why implementing antifungal stewardship (AFS) is more important than ever.

Dr Schelenz will share her own experience of implementing antifungal stewardship at Kings College Hospital in London, discuss key priorities and barriers to AFS, the importance of fungal diagnostics and give her top tips on how to set up an effective AFS programme in your own centre.

This meeting is intended for UK healthcare professionals only.

Organisers

HIS: What I wish I’d known as a new consultant

Lammermuir (Level -2)

Lunch will be provided in the adjacent exhibition hall and can be brought to this session. So join us for this networking session that will begin with a short presentation on ‘What I wish I’d known as a new consultant’. We will then breakout into roundtable groups to discuss key themes that may be of interest to anyone who has just started or will shortly be starting in a consultant role. Roundtable topics will include core topics e.g. job planning and appraisals, combined with ‘common problems faced as a new infection consultant’. Each round table group will be facilitated by a senior consultant.

Organisers

Wednesday 15 November, Afternoon

Microbiology Society Infectious Disease Futures

Pentland (Level 3)

The Infection Science Award is an exchange scheme that facilitates the most promising trainee and early career presenters from the Federation of Infection Societies (FIS) Annual Conference (Infectious Disease Futures session) to present at the Microbiology Society Annual Conference (Infection Forum) and vice versa. The aim of the Award is to support the exchange of ideas between the two meetings and the career development of early career researchers and trainee scientists and doctors by exposing them to new audiences and networks.

Organisers

Pfizer-sponsored promotional symposium: CPE = Challenging Pathogen Encounters

Moorfoot (Level 0)

Symposium from an international expert in infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship, discussing the ongoing challenge of dealing with infections caused by Carbapenemase Producing Enterobacterales (CPE) in the UK.

Dr Jenkins will share his own extensive experience in addressing the issues that these multidrug resistant pathogens present, from surveillance and diagnostics through to the management of infections and outbreaks, including understanding the wider impact they can have on healthcare resources.

This meeting is intended for UK healthcare professionals only.

Organisers

Microbiology Society: Benchtop to Bedside: Development of Novel Diagnostics at Point of Care

Fintry (Level 3)

The speakers in this session will highlight the importance and patient benefit of rapidly diagnosing of infections in real time. The session will explore differences between currently-used benchtop diagnostics versus new, rapid and accurate diagnostic technologies that are being developed by scientists today and will be used in clinic in the future.

Organisers

Microbiology Society

Friday 17 November, Afternoon

BIA: Infection and migration: When and how we need to adapt specialist infection services to care for refugees and asylum seekers? (virtual)

In this session, experienced speakers will guide you through the challenges of identifying and responding to specific needs and infection challenges facing refugees and asylum seekers. The session will focus particularly on healthcare delivery in European settings, and will include case studies of outbreak management and individual case management. There will be discussion of how to adapt and improve our knowledge, skills and healthcare systems to provide appropriate infection services for individuals and populations who have experienced forced migration.

Organisers

British Infection Association

Lecture View

Tuesday 14 November, Morning

Tuesday 14 November, Afternoon

Wednesday 15 November, Morning

Wednesday 15 November, Afternoon

Friday 17 November, Afternoon