Scholars@Duke
Ibukun Christine Kalu

Ibukun Christine Kalu

Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Pediatrics, Infectious Diseases
315 Trent Drive, Hanes House #365; DUMC Box 3499, Durham, NC 27710
ORCID iDhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-0839-568X
315 Trent Drive, Hanes House #365; DUMC Box 3499, Durham, NC 27710

Scholarly Works - Journal articles

SHEA/APIC/IDSA/PIDS multisociety position paper: Raising the bar: necessary resources and structure for effective healthcare facility infection prevention and control programs.

Journal article Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · July 2025 The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, the Association of Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society represent the core expertise regarding hea ... Full text Link to item Cite

Hospital-onset bacteremia in the neonatal intensive care unit: strategies for risk adjustment.

Journal article Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · April 2025 OBJECTIVE: To quantify the impact of patient- and unit-level risk adjustment on infant hospital-onset bacteremia (HOB) standardized infection ratio (SIR) ranking. DESIGN: A retrospective, multicenter cohort study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Infants admitted ... Full text Link to item Cite

Mitigation measures against Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in overnight faith-based camps: summer 2021.

Journal article Public Health · July 2024 OBJECTIVE: In this study, we describe community-based nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) incorporated into COVID-19 mitigation protocols, and SARS-CoV-2 incidence at five faith-based summer camps in the US. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. MET ... Full text Link to item Cite

Evidence gaps among systematic reviews examining the relationship of race, ethnicity, and social determinants of health with adult inpatient quality measures.

Journal article Antimicrob Steward Healthc Epidemiol · 2024 BACKGROUND: The field of healthcare epidemiology is increasingly focused on identifying, characterizing, and addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) to address inequities in healthcare quality. To identify evidence gaps, we examined recent systemat ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Laying the Groundwork for a Fulfilling Career in Pediatric Infectious Diseases: The Transition From Fellowship to Faculty.

Journal article J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc · December 16, 2023 There are limited resources for guidance on the transition from fellowship into a new faculty role in pediatric infectious diseases. This review aims to address this gap and provides a framework for a successful transition that is composed of four essentia ... Full text Link to item Cite

Disparities in central line-associated bloodstream infection and catheter-associated urinary tract infection rates: An exploratory analysis.

Journal article Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · November 2023 This retrospective review of 4-year surveillance data revealed a higher central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) rate in non-Hispanic Black patients and higher catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) rates in Asian and non-Hispani ... Full text Link to item Cite

Back to the future: Redefining "universal precautions" to include masking for all patient encounters.

Journal article Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · September 2023 Despite recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) allowing institutions to relax in-facility masking strategies and due to our evolving understanding of respiratory pathogen transmission during the coronavirus disease 2019 ( ... Full text Link to item Cite

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions about Antibiotic Stewardship Programs among Neonatology Trainees.

Journal article Am J Perinatol · June 2023 OBJECTIVE: Antibiotic stewardship should be an essential component of neonatology training as neonatal intensive care units (NICU) have unique stewardship needs. Our aim was to assess neonatology fellowship trainees' knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions a ... Full text Link to item Cite

The impact of a comprehensive coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection prevention bundle on non-COVID-19 hospital-acquired respiratory viral infection (HA-RVI) rates.

Journal article Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · June 2023 After implementing a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection prevention bundle, the incidence rate ratio (IRR) of non-severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (non-SARS-CoV-2) hospital-acquired respiratory viral infection (HA-RVI) was significant ... Full text Link to item Cite

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization in children with cerebral palsy.

Journal article Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · June 2023 A retrospective cohort of children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) with cerebral palsy was matched 1:3 by age and admission year to determine odds of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) nasal colonization. Adjusted odds ... Full text Link to item Cite

The Disproportionate Impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic on Healthcare-Associated Infections in Community Hospitals: Need for Expanding the Infectious Disease Workforce.

Journal article Clin Infect Dis · February 8, 2023 BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had a considerable impact on US healthcare systems, straining hospital resources, staff, and operations. However, a comprehensive assessment of the impact on healthcare-associated infections (HAI ... Full text Link to item Cite

The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response on hospital infection prevention programs and practices in the southeastern United States.

Journal article Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · February 2023 Initial assessments of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) preparedness revealed resource shortages and variations in infection prevention policies across US hospitals. Our follow-up survey revealed improvement in resource availability, increase in testing ... Full text Link to item Cite

Asymptomatic screening for severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as an infection prevention measure in healthcare facilities: Challenges and considerations.

Journal article Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · January 2023 Testing of asymptomatic patients for severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (ie, "asymptomatic screening) to attempt to reduce the risk of nosocomial transmission has been extensive and resource intensive, and such testing is of unclear ... Full text Link to item Cite

Strategies to reduce hospital-associated bloodstream infections in a limited resource setting: Preventing Infections in Neonates (PIN) collaborative.

Journal article Antimicrob Steward Healthc Epidemiol · 2023 BACKGROUND: Hospitalized neonates are at high risk for hospital-associated bloodstream infections (HA-BSI) and require locally contextualized interventions to prevent HA-BSI. METHODS: The Preventing Infections in Neonates (PIN) collaborative aimed to reach ... Full text Link to item Cite

SARS-CoV-2 Infections and Incidence at a North Carolina Pre-Kindergarten-12 School During In-Person Education: August 2020 to January 2021.

Journal article J Sch Health · May 2022 BACKGROUND: School closures were initially believed to mitigate SARS-CoV-2, but instead may have had a limited role in reducing community SARS-CoV-2 transmission. We describe a single school's experience with in-person education during the COVID-19 pandemi ... Full text Link to item Cite

Enhancement of infection prevention case review process to optimize learning from defects.

Journal article J Infect Prev · May 2022 Hospitals continue to struggle with preventable healthcare-associated infections. Whereas the focus is generally on proactive prevention processes, performing retrospective case reviews of infections can identify opportunities for quality improvement and m ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Burden of healthcare-associated infections among hospitalized children within community hospitals participating in an infection control network.

Journal article Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · April 2022 We describe the frequency of pediatric healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) identified through prospective surveillance in community hospitals participating in an infection control network. Over a 6-year period, 84 HAIs were identified. Of these 51 (61% ... Full text Link to item Cite

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) research agenda for healthcare epidemiology.

Journal article Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · February 2022 This SHEA white paper identifies knowledge gaps and challenges in healthcare epidemiology research related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with a focus on core principles of healthcare epidemiology. These gaps, revealed during the worst phases of th ... Full text Link to item Cite

Epstein-Barr Virus DNAemia and post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder in pediatric solid organ transplant recipients.

Journal article PLoS One · 2022 BACKGROUND: Pediatric solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients commonly have Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNAemia and are at risk of developing post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD). EBV DNAemia has not been analyzed on a continuous scale in this ... Full text Link to item Cite

Pseudo-outbreak of adenovirus in bronchoscopy suite.

Journal article Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · August 2021 Full text Link to item Cite

Infection Prevention in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Journal article Clin Perinatol · June 2021 Although many aspects of infection prevention and control (IPC) mirror institutional efforts, optimization of IPC practices in the neonatal intensive care unit requires careful consideration of its unique population and environment, addressed here for key ... Full text Link to item Cite

Incidence and Secondary Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Infections in Schools.

Journal article Pediatrics · April 2021 BACKGROUND: In an effort to mitigate the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), North Carolina closed prekindergarten through grade 12 public schools to in-person instruction on March 14, 2020. On July 15, 2020, North Carol ... Full text Link to item Cite

Symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Transmission in Youth and Staff Attending Day Camps.

Journal article Pediatrics · April 2021 BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: As schools reopen nationwide, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in youth settings remains a concern. Here, we describe transmission of SARS-CoV-2 among >6800 youth and staff at YMCA of the Tri ... Full text Link to item Cite

Early experience with universal preprocedural testing for SARS-CoV-2 in a relatively low-prevalence area.

Journal article Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · March 2021 We implemented universal severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) testing of patients undergoing surgical procedures as a means to conserve personal protective equipment (PPE). The rate of asymptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Antibiotic Susceptibility of Escherichia coli Among Infants Admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Units Across the US From 2009 to 2017.

Journal article JAMA Pediatr · February 1, 2021 IMPORTANCE: Escherichia coli is a leading cause of serious infection among term and preterm newborn infants. Surveillance of antibiotic susceptibility patterns of E coli among infants admitted to neonatal intensive care units should inform empirical antibi ... Full text Link to item Cite

Impact of COVID-19-related School Closures on the Drivers of Child Health.

Journal article N C Med J · 2021 The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in large-scale school closures in an effort to reduce the spread of disease. This article reviews the potential impact of COVID-19-related school closures on the health of children in North Carolina, with particular attention ... Full text Link to item Cite

Principles, policy and practice of antibiotic stewardship.

Journal article Semin Perinatol · December 2020 Antibiotic stewardship is a quality improvement and patient safety initiative focused on optimizing antibiotic use to improve patient outcomes, limit the emergence of antibiotic resistance, and adverse drug effects. Here, we discuss the Centers for Disease ... Full text Link to item Cite

A Pediatric Infectious Diseases Perspective of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Children.

Journal article J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc · November 10, 2020 Understanding the role that children play in the clinical burden and propagation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections, is emerging. While the severe manifestations and acute clin ... Full text Link to item Cite

Microbiology of Bloodstream Infections in Children After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Single-Center Experience Over Two Decades (1997-2017).

Journal article Open Forum Infect Dis · November 2020 BACKGROUND: Bloodstream infections (BSIs) occur frequently after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). We examined the microbiology of BSI in pediatric HSCT recipients over a 2-decade period at our institution to inform empirical antimicrobial pr ... Full text Link to item Cite

Microbiology and Risk Factors for Hospital-Associated Bloodstream Infections Among Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients.

Journal article Open Forum Infect Dis · April 2020 BACKGROUND: Children undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) are at high risk for hospital-associated bloodstream infections (HA-BSIs). This study aimed to describe the incidence, microbiology, and risk factors for HA-BSI in pediatric HSC ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Increasing Clindamycin and Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole Resistance in Pediatric Staphylococcus aureus Infections.

Journal article J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc · September 25, 2019 The epidemiology of Staphylococcus aureus infection in children is dynamic. We conducted a retrospective observational study on pediatric clinical cultures, performed between 2005 and 2017, that grew S aureus to determine temporal trends in antibiotic resi ... Full text Link to item Cite

Evaluating congenital syphilis in a reverse sequence testing environment.

Journal article J Perinatol · July 2019 OBJECTIVES: To examine the effect of maternal reverse-sequence (RS) syphilis screening on management of infants at risk for congenital syphilis (CS) using a standardized approach. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study from 2011 to 2014 at an academic medical ... Full text Link to item Cite

A 17-Year-Old Boy With Right Face Palsy, Left Leg Weakness, and Lytic Skull-Bone Lesions.

Journal article J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc · December 3, 2018 Human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV), an infection that is endemic in certain parts of Asia, Africa, and South America, has been associated with malignancy and neurological deficits. Here, we describe a pediatric patient with chronic HTLV-I infection who ... Full text Link to item Cite

Epidemiology and risk factors for recurrent Staphylococcus aureus colonization following active surveillance and decolonization in the NICU.

Journal article Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol · November 2018 OBJECTIVES: To examine neonatal risk factors associated with recurrent Staphylococcus aureus colonization and to determine the genetic relatedness of S. aureus strains cultured from neonates before and after decolonization.Study designSingle-center retrosp ... Full text Link to item Cite

Mobile Phone Incentives for Childhood Immunizations in Rural India.

Journal article Pediatrics · April 2018 OBJECTIVES: Young children in resource-poor settings remain inadequately immunized. We evaluated the role of compliance-linked incentives versus mobile phone messaging to improve childhood immunizations. METHODS: Children aged ≤24 months from a rural commu ... Full text Link to item Cite

Septic arthritis and concern for osteomyelitis in a child with rat bite fever.

Journal article J Clin Microbiol · June 2013 Rat bite fever is a rare infection usually caused by Streptobacillus moniliformis. A case of septic arthritis and possible osteomyelitis as sequelae of rat bite fever in a pediatric patient is described. ... Full text Link to item Cite