Healthcare-associated infection control

A 2-year point-prevalence surveillance of healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial use in Ferrara University Hospital, Italy

Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) represent one of the leading issues to patient safety as well as a significant economic burden. Similarly, Antimicrobial Use (AMU) and Resistance (AMR) represent a growi...

Authors: Paola Antonioli, Niccolò Bolognesi, Giorgia Valpiani, Chiara Morotti, Daniele Bernardini, Francesca Bravi, Eugenio Di Ruscio, Armando Stefanati and Giovanni Gabutti

Gaps between current clinical practice and evidence-based guidelines for treatment and care of older patients with Community Acquired Pneumonia: a descriptive cross-sectional study

Community acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains a significant cause of morbidity and in-hospital mortality, and readmission rates are rising for older persons (> 65 years). Optimized treatment and nursing care will...

Authors: Signe Eekholm, Gerd Ahlström, Jimmie Kristensson and Tove Lindhardt

A hybrid simulation model approach to examine bacterial genome sequencing during a hospital outbreak

Hospital infection control requires timely detection and identification of organisms, and their antimicrobial susceptibility. We describe a hybrid modeling approach to evaluate whole genome sequencing of patho...

Authors: Thomas M. Elliott, Xing J. Lee, Anna Foeglein, Patrick N. Harris and Louisa G. Gordon

Comorbid status and the faecal microbial transplantation failure in treatment of recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection – pilot prospective observational cohort study

Faecal microbial transplantation (FMT) is currently the most effective treatment of recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). However, up to 20% of patients experience further recurrences after single F...

Authors: M. Kachlíková, P. Sabaka, A. Koščálová, M. Bendžala, Z. Dovalová and I. Stankovič

Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia associated thrombosis at Beijing Children’s hospital

With the increase of awareness of mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP), we found thrombosis in severe MPP (SMPP) was not rare. The aim of the study was to investigate the clinical characteristics, treatment, and...

Authors: Jinrong Liu, Ruxuan He, Runhui Wu, Bei Wang, Hui Xu, Yue Zhang, Huimin Li and Shunying Zhao

Prevention of post-splenectomy sepsis in patients with asplenia - a study protocol of a controlled trial

Patients with asplenia have a significantly increased lifelong risk of severe invasive infections, particular post-splenectomy sepsis (PSS). Clear preventive measures have been described in the literature, but...

Authors: Marianne Bayrhuber, Natascha Anka, Johannes Camp, Manuela Glattacker, Erik Farin and Siegbert Rieg

Filling the gaps in global antimicrobial resistance research/surveillance

Authors: Luis Furuya-Kanamori and Laith Yakob

Prevalence of diarrhoea and associated risk factors among children under five years old in Pader District, northern Uganda

Diarrhoea remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children under 5 years in sub-Saharan Africa. Of the three East African countries, Uganda has the worst mortality rate in children < 5 years, with ...

Authors: Stephen Omona, Geoffrey M. Malinga, Robert Opoke, Geoffrey Openy and Robert Opiro

Quantifying the relative impact of contact heterogeneity on MRSA transmission in ICUs - a modelling study

An efficient surface cleaning strategy would first target cleaning to surfaces that make large contributions to the risk of infections.

Authors: Hao Lei, Rachael M. Jones and Yuguo Li

Validating a screening agar for linezolid-resistant enterococci

Linezolid is an alternative treatment option for infections with multidrug-resistant Gram-positive bacteria including vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Some countries report an increasing number of isolates wi...

Authors: Guido Werner, Carola Fleige, Ingo Klare, Robert E. Weber and Jennifer K. Bender

Epidemiological study of scarlet fever in Shenyang, China

Since 2011, there has been an increase in the incidence of scarlet fever across China. The main objective of this study was to depict the spatiotemporal epidemiological characteristics of the incidence of scar...

Authors: Huijie Chen, Ye Chen, Baijun Sun, Lihai Wen and Xiangdong An

An investigation of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia-positive culture caused by fiberoptic bronchoscope contamination

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (SMA) is present in hospital environments and has been one of the pathogens that cause nosocomial contamination and infections. To investigate the occurrence of Stenotrophomonas malto...

Authors: Bende Liu and Shenglan Tong

Perceived barriers and enablers for preventing the spread of carbapenem producing gram-negative bacteria during patient transfers: a mixed methods study among healthcare providers

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) increasingly threatens public health. Carbapenem-producing gram-negative bacteria (CPB) pose the biggest threat. The risk for CPB spread is heightened during the transfer of a CP...

Authors: Eline van Dulm, Wendy van der Veldt, Katja Jansen-van der Meiden, Gerry van Renselaar, Lian Bovée, Jeanette Ros, Udi Davidovich and Yvonne van Duijnhoven

Measuring the in-hospital costs of Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia: methodology and results from a German teaching hospital

Pseudomonas aeruginosa-related pneumonia is an ongoing healthcare challenge. Estimating its financial burden is complicated by the time-dependent nature of the disease.

Authors: Klaus Kaier, Thomas Heister, Tim Götting, Martin Wolkewitz and Nico T. Mutters

Effects of the proportion of high-risk patients and control strategies on the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in an intensive care unit

The presence of nosocomial pathogens in many intensive care units poses a threat to patients and public health worldwide. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an important pathogen endemic in man...

Authors: Farida Chamchod and Prasit Palittapongarnpim

Magnitude of Rotavirus A and Campylobacter jejuni infections in children with diarrhea in Twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan

Acute diarrhea is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children particularly in developing countries of Asia and Africa. The present study was conducted to detect the two most important pathogens, rotavi...

Authors: Asma Sadiq, Habib Bokhari, Zobia Noreen, Rai Muhammad Asghar and Nazish Bostan

Estimating extra length of stay and risk factors of mortality attributable to healthcare-associated infection at a Chinese university hospital: a multi-state model

The current evidence of extra length of stay (LOS) attributable to healthcare-associated infection (HCAI) scarcely takes time-dependent bias into consideration. Plus, limited evidences were from developing cou...

Authors: Qian Zhou, Lili Fan, Xiaoquan Lai, Li Tan and Xinping Zhang

The effect of temperature on childhood hand, foot and mouth disease in Guangdong Province, China, 2010–2013: a multicity study

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a serious infectious disease, which has become a public health problem. Previous studies have shown that temperature may influence the incidence of HFMD, but most only fo...

Authors: Zece Xu, Wenqi Hu, Kedi Jiao, Ci Ren, Baofa Jiang and Wei Ma

Prevalence of active trachoma and associated factors among children aged 1 to 9 years in rural communities of Lemo district, southern Ethiopia: community based cross sectional study

Trachoma, caused by Chlamydia trachomatis is the leading infectious cause of blindness. It is transmitted via personal contact with infected ocular and nasal secretions by hands, fomites and eye- seeking flies. A...

Authors: Endale WoldeKidan, Deresse Daka, Deresse Legesse, Tariku Laelago and Bealu Betebo

Broad spectrum resistance in Helicobacter pylori isolated from gastric biopsies of patients with dyspepsia in Cameroon and efflux-mediated multiresistance detection in MDR isolates

Antibiotic resistance is a leading cause of treatment failure in Helicobacter pylori infection. In Africa, there are very little data concerning the susceptibility of Helicobacter pylori isolates to antibiotics. ...

Authors: Laure Brigitte Kouitcheu Mabeku, Bertrand Eyoum Bille, Cromwell Tepap Zemnou, Lionel Danny Tali Nguefack and Hubert Leundji

Effect of ultrasound-guided central venous catheter insertion on the incidence of catheter-related bloodstream infections and mechanical complications

Central venous catheters (CVCs) are necessary for critically ill patients, including those with hematological malignancies. However, CVC insertion is associated with inevitable risks for various adverse events...

Authors: Osamu Imataki, Mami Shimatani, Yukiko Ohue and Makiko Uemura

Multiple sequence types responsible for healthcare-associated Acinetobacter baumannii dissemination in a single centre in Egypt

Acinetobacter baumannii is an increasingly worrying organism in the healthcare setting, due to its multidrug resistance and persistence. Prolonged hospitalisation, immunocompromised patients and excessive antibio...

Authors: Leena Al-Hassan, Mai M. Zafer and Hadir El-Mahallawy

Measles outbreak in an office building in the crowded Metropolis of Beijing, China

Although worldwide measles elimination achieved great progress for decades, outbreaks were still reported in certain countries. This study describes the epidemiologic features of a substantial measles outbreak...

Authors: Zhen Li, Zheng Zhang, Fang Wang, Rui Wei, Jianhong Zhao and Fang Liu

Association of TGF-ß1 polymorphisms and chronic hepatitis C infection: a Meta-analysis

Although several researches have reported the connection between the transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) gene polymorphisms and chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, the conclusions of these studies w...

Authors: Pengfei Guo, Shuangyin Liu, Xiangru Sun and Longqin Xu

The utility of endotracheal aspirate bacteriology in identifying mechanically ventilated patients at risk for ventilator associated pneumonia: a single-center prospective observational study

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a well-known, life-threatening disease that persists despite preventative measures and approved antibiotic therapies. This prospective observational study investigated ...

Authors: Ekaterina Kabak, Jana Hudcova, Zoltán Magyarics, Lukas Stulik, Marie Goggin, Valéria Szijártó, Eszter Nagy and Chris Stevens

Editorial: the airborne microbiome - implications for aerosol transmission and infection control – special issue

Although the title of the Special Issue is ‘Airborne Microbiome’ the manuscripts received have highlighted a variety of peripheral, yet related aspects of this. The contributions are a mixture of primary resea...

Authors: Julian W. Tang and Yuguo Li

Surgical site infections after cesarean sections at the University Clinical Center of Kosovo: rates, microbiological profile and risk factors

Surgical site infections (SSI) are a common complication after a cesarean section (C-section) and mainly responsible for increased maternal mortality and morbidity, dissatisfaction of patients, longer hospital...

Authors: Vjosa A. Zejnullahu, Rozalinda Isjanovska, Zana Sejfija and Valon A. Zejnullahu

A case report on mother-to-child transmission of Brucella in human, China

Human brucellosis is endemic in China and commonly occurs through contact with infected animals from working with livestock or consumption of unpasteurized dairy products. Although rare, human-to-human, and po...

Authors: Guozhong Tian, Zhifei Zhan, Aimin Zhang, Hongyan Zhao, Xin Xia, Zixiang He, Bing Zhang, Menghua Zhao, Dongri Piao, Dianying Lu and Hai Jiang

Prevalence and factors associated with one-year mortality of infectious diseases among elderly emergency department patients in a middle-income country

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of infectious diseases and risk factors for one-year mortality in elderly emergency department (ED) patients.

Authors: Maythita Ittisanyakorn, Sukkhum Ruchichanantakul, Alissara Vanichkulbodee and Jiraporn Sri-on

Intravenous-to-oral antibiotic switch therapy: a cross-sectional study in critical care units

This study aimed to evaluate the oral switch (OS) stewardship intervention in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Authors: Juliano Gasparetto, Felipe Francisco Tuon, Dayana dos Santos Oliveira, Tiago Zequinao, Gabriel Rammert Pipolo, Gabriel Velloso Ribeiro, Paola Delai Benincá, June Alisson Westarb Cruz and Thyago Proenca Moraes

Evaluation of the complexity of indoor air in hospital wards based on PM2.5, real-time PCR, adenosine triphosphate bioluminescence assay, microbial culture and mass spectrometry

The aim of this study was to establish a set of assessment methods suitable for evaluating the complex indoor environment of hospital wards and to ascertain the composition of bacteria and microbial ecology of...

Authors: Shao Ling and Liu Hui

Phylogeny, sequence-typing and virulence profile of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains from Pakistan

Escherichia coli lineage ST131 predominates across various spectra of extra-intestinal infections, including urinary tract infection (UTI). The distinctive resistance profile, diverse armamentarium of virulence f...

Authors: Ihsan Ali, Zara Rafaque, Ibrar Ahmed, Faiza Tariq, Sarah E. Graham, Elizabeth Salzman, Betsy Foxman and Javid Iqbal Dasti

Clinical parameters and outcomes of necrotizing soft tissue infections secondary to gastrointestinal fistulas

Necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTIs) is severe surgical infections which can occur following trauma or abdominal surgery. NSTIs secondary to gastrointestinal (GI) fistula is a rare but severe complication.

Authors: Kun Guo, Wenbin Gong, Tao Zheng, Zhiwu Hong, Xiuwen Wu, Huajian Ren, Gefei Wang, Guosheng Gu, Peter Nthumba, Jianan Ren and Jieshou Li

Efficacy of pulsed-xenon ultraviolet light for disinfection of high-touch surfaces in an Ecuadorian hospital

Hospital environment in patient care has been linked on healthcare-associated infections (HAI). No touch disinfection technologies that utilize pulsed xenon ultraviolet light has been recognized to prevent inf...

Authors: José E. Villacís, Mario Lopez, Deborah Passey, Manuel Hernando Santillán, Germán Verdezoto, Freddy Trujillo, Gustavo Paredes, Carmen Alarcón, Ronny Horvath and Mark Stibich

Observational study of a new strategy and management policy for measles prevention in medical personnel in a hospital setting

At the end of March 2018, a clustered outbreak of measles associated with health care workers occurred in northern Taiwan. Prior to this study, the policy for measles vaccination for physicians and nurses in M...

Authors: Chang-Pan Liu, Hsi-Peng Lu and Tainyi Luor

The pharyngeal carriage of Haemophilus influenzae among healthy population in China: a systematic review and meta-analysis

A nationwide investigation on the carriage proportion of H. influenzae among healthy populations is lacking in China. The purpose of the study was to review the prevalence of pharyngeal carriage of H. influenzae ...

Authors: Peng Yang, Jieming Zhang and Anlin Peng

The efficacy of pulsed-xenon ultraviolet light technology on Candida auris

Candida auris is an emerging, often multi-resistant, yeast that causes invasive infections in healthcare settings. Patients may be colonized for months and C. auris has been shown to remain viable on surfaces for...

Authors: Caroline Maslo, Moira du Plooy and Jennifer Coetzee

Emerging serotype III sequence type 17 group B streptococcus invasive infection in infants: the clinical characteristics and impacts on outcomes

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is an important pathogen that causes high mortality and morbidity in young infants. However, data on clinical manifestations between different GBS serotypes and correlation with mol...

Authors: Yi Kao, Ming-Horng Tsai, Mei-Yin Lai, Shih-Ming Chu, Hsuan-Rong Huang, Ming-Chou Chiang, Ren-Huei Fu, Jang-Jih Lu and Jen-Fu Hsu

Contamination by respiratory viruses on outer surface of medical masks used by hospital healthcare workers

Medical masks are commonly used in health care settings to protect healthcare workers (HCWs) from respiratory and other infections. Airborne respiratory pathogens may settle on the surface of used masks layers...

Authors: Abrar Ahmad Chughtai, Sacha Stelzer-Braid, William Rawlinson, Giulietta Pontivivo, Quanyi Wang, Yang Pan, Daitao Zhang, Yi Zhang, Lili Li and C. Raina MacIntyre

Waiting to inhale: factors associated with healthcare workers’ fears of occupationally-acquired tuberculosis (TB)

Fear of TB infection is rooted in historical and social memories of the disease, marked by stigma, segregation and exclusion. Healthcare workers (HCWs) face these same fears today, and even seek to hide their ...

Authors: Michelle Engelbrecht, Asta Rau, Gladys Kigozi, André Janse van Rensburg, Edwin Wouters, Nina Sommerland, Caroline Masquillier and Kerry Uebel

Assessing consistent condom use among migrant men who have sex with men in Shanghai, China: validation of an information–motivation–behavioural skills model

In China, high prevalence of risky sexual behaviours and inequity in health services lead to situations in which migrant men who have sex with men face higher risk of contracting the human immunodeficiency vir...

Authors: Ying Wang, Mengmeng Jia, Dong Yuan, Ajuan Liang, Zhiruo Zhang, Xueqin Jiang, Yi Chen, Huiyao Zhu, Mengyun Luo, Zezhou Wang and Yong Cai

The TransFLUas influenza transmission study in acute healthcare - recruitment rates and protocol adherence in healthcare workers and inpatients

Detailed knowledge about viral respiratory disease transmission dynamics within healthcare institutions is essential for effective infection control policy and practice. In the quest to study viral transmissio...

Authors: Hila Schwarz, Jürg Böni, Roger D. Kouyos, Teja Turk, Edouard Battegay, Malcolm Kohler, Rouven Müller, Heidi Petry, Hugo Sax, Rainer Weber, Allison McGeer, Alexandra Trkola and Stefan P. Kuster

Chlorhexidine-impregnated dressing for the prophylaxis of central venous catheter-related complications: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluated the role of Chlorhexidine-impregnated dressing for prophylaxis of central venous catheter (CVC) related complications, but the results remained inconsisten...

Authors: Li Wei, Yan Li, Xiaoyan Li, Lanzheng Bian, Zunjia Wen and Mei Li

The impact of chlorhexidine bathing on hospital-acquired bloodstream infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) bathing of hospitalized patients may have benefit in reducing hospital-acquired bloodstream infections (HABSIs). However, the magnitude of effect, implementation fidelity, and pat...

Authors: Jackson S. Musuuza, Pramod K. Guru, John C. O’Horo, Connie M. Bongiorno, Marc A. Korobkin, Ronald E. Gangnon and Nasia Safdar

Multicenter surveillance study of surgical site infection and its risk factors in radical resection of colon or rectal carcinoma

Colorectal surgery is associated with high rates of surgical site infection (SSI). We investigated SSI in radical resection of colon or rectal carcinoma and its epidemiological distribution in 26 hospitals in ...

Authors: Mingmei Du, Bowei Liu, Meng Li, Jingui Cao, Ding Liu, Zhigang Wang, Qiongshu Wang, Pengyun Xiao, Xinling Zhang, Yanxin Gao, Hua Zeng, Jing Yang, Xiaoli Xu, Yi Huang, Qun Zhang, Bo Zhang…

Overcrowding in a neonatal intermediate care unit: impact on the incidence of multidrug-resistant gram-negative organisms

Overcrowding, reduced nurse to patient ratio, limited distance between incubators and absence of microbiological surveillance have been shown to promote spread of multidrug-resistant gram-negative organisms (M...

Authors: Doris Fischer, Rolf L. Schlößer, Volkhard A. J. Kempf, Thomas A. Wichelhaus, Thomas Klingebiel, Sabine Philippi, Linda Falgenhauer, Can Imirzalioglu, Udo Dahl, Christian Brandt and Claudia Reinheimer

Evaluation of disinfection of surfaces at an outpatient unit before and after an intervention program

Cleaning and disinfection processes must be improved so that there is a reduction in environmental contamination of frequent-contact surfaces. The objective of this study was to evaluate cleaning and disinfect...

Authors: Mara Cristina Ribeiro Furlan, Adriano Menis Ferreira, Larissa da Silva Barcelos, Marcelo Alessandro Rigotti, Alvaro Francisco Lopes de Sousa, Aires Garcia dos Santos Junior, Denise de Andrade, Margarete Teresa Gottardo de Almeida and Mayckel da Silva Barreto

The association of prior hospitalization with clinical outcomes among patients admitted with pneumonia: a propensity score matching study

Although prior hospitalization (PH) has been considered as a risk factor for infection with potentially drug-resistant (PDR) pathogens in patients admitted with pneumonia, the evidence is limited. We aimed to ...

Authors: Jae-Uk Song, Yee Hyung Kim, Mi Yeon Lee and Jonghoo Lee

Decreasing trends, and geographical variation in outpatient antibiotic use: a population-based study in Central Denmark

Antimicrobial overuse and misuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics increases the risk for antimicrobial resistance. Investigating unwarranted variation in antibiotic prescription has therefore gained global priority.

Authors: Pia Kjær Kristensen, Søren Paaske Johnsen and Reimar Wernich Thomsen

Integrated care of severe infectious diseases to people with substance use disorders; a systematic review

Various integrated care models have been used to improve treatment completion of medications for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV), chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV), Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB), and Human immuno...

Authors: Jørn Henrik Vold, Christer Aas, Rafael Alexander Leiva, Peter Vickerman, Fatemeh Chalabianloo, Else-Marie Løberg, Kjell Arne Johansson and Lars Thore Fadnes