Alumnus Giovanni Satta ’22MPH Publishes Paper on COVID-19’s Impact on Central-Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections
The publication grew out of Satta’s graduate capstone project while he was a student.
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Alumnus Giovanni Satta ’22MPH recently published “Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Impact on Central-Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSI): A Systematic Review”in the international journal ScienceDirect. The publication grew out of Satta’s graduate capstone project while he was a student in the MPH in Public Health Practice program at UMass Amherst. In addition, his remote practicum project completed at Baystate Medical Center was presented at the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) Conference in Seattle in spring 2023.
According to the CDC, a central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) is a serious infection that occurs when germs (usually bacteria or viruses) enter the bloodstream through the central line, also known as a central venous catheter that doctors often place in a large vein in the neck, chest, or groin to give medication or fluids or to collect blood for medical tests. CLABSI are an important public health issue as they have a significant impact on patients' morbidity and mortality and increase health care costs and length of hospital admissions, writes Satta, with most infections preventable with proper aseptic techniques, surveillance, and care bundles. A recent analysis conducted by the CDC has revealed a continued increase in healthcare-associated infections (HCAI) in US hospitals during 2021, the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his review, Satta concludes that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted CLABSI incidence/rates. He suggests changes to CLABSI surveillance since reporting is not mandatory in many healthcare systems. He adds that an audit tool combined with regular assessments of compliance with infection control measures are an essential step in the prevention of CLABSI.
Satta’s interest in CLABSI surveillance started during his capstone project at Baystate Medical Center and his appreciation of the massive impact this complication could have on patients. “I really enjoyed the practicum project and working with the IPC team at Baystate,” says Satta. “It was also great to meet some of them in person during the SHEA conference. Presenting and publishing the work done was really satisfying and a sort of extra prize for the effort and the multiple evenings spent studying for the MPH.”
An international student from the United Kingdom, Satta attended UMass entirely remotely through the school’s online programs. Following graduation, he took on a global health role with the World Health Organization developing a Global Action Plan and Monitoring Framework for Infection Prevention and Control plus other international policies and guidelines. “Every single course in my MPH program, from epidemiology and statistics to public health leadership and environmental health, has been incredibly useful and I have certainly translated them into practice in my everyday job,” says Satta.
“Having completed most of my undergrad and postgrad training in Europe and UK, I was specifically looking at US universities when choosing an MPH, and in particular, a Council on Education for Public Health accredited program,” says Satta. “Overall, UMass has a great balance between reputation and costs, quality, and flexibility at the same time.”
Satta says even though the program was entirely online, he felt like he was in the classroom. He added that he didn’t feel isolated from classmates and was able to interact through online forums and discussions.
“The professors were all incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, and always available,” says Satta. “They all used a combination of different teaching methods like lectures, forums, discussions, and additional reading materials. I made the right choice when choosing UMass.”