Articles

“Clean care for all-it’s in your hands”: the May 5th, 2019 World Health Organization SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands campaign

Authors: Alexandra Peters, Tcheun Borzykowski, Ermira Tartari, Claire Kilpatrick, Safiah Hwai Chuen Mai, Benedetta Allegranzi and Didier Pittet

The association between adherence to national antibiotic guidelines and mortality, readmission and length of stay in hospital inpatients: results from a Norwegian multicentre, observational cohort study

Clinical antibiotic prescribing guidelines are essential in defining responsible use in the local context. Our objective was to investigate the association between adherence to national antibiotic prescribing ...

Authors: Jannicke Slettli Wathne, Stig Harthug, Lars Kåre Selland Kleppe, Hege Salvesen Blix, Roy M. Nilsen, Esmita Charani and Ingrid Smith

Doxycycline-encapsulated solid lipid nanoparticles as promising tool against Brucella melitensis enclosed in macrophage: a pharmacodynamics study on J774A.1 cell line

Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease caused by Brucella species. It has been estimated that more than 500,000 new cases of Brucellosis occur annually all around the world. Relapse of the disease is one of the most i...

Authors: Seyed Mostafa Hosseini, Roghayyeh Abbasalipourkabir, Farid Azizi Jalilian, Sara Soleimani Asl, Abbas Farmany, Ghodratollah Roshanaei and Mohammad Reza Arabestani

Shifting trends and age distribution of ESKAPEEc resistance in bloodstream infection, Southwest China, 2012–2017

ESKAPEEc contribute to a majority of bloodstream infections (BSIs) and their antibiogram have changed overtime, while data concerning about these alterations are lacking in China. Added that a paucity of studi...

Authors: Shuangshuang Yang, Haofeng Xu, Jide Sun and Shan Sun

Community pharmacy staff’s response to symptoms of common infections: a pseudo-patient study

Inappropriate over-the-counter supply of antibiotics in pharmacies for common infections is recognised as a source of antibiotic misuse that can worsen the global burden of antibiotic resistance.

Authors: Shukry Zawahir, Sarath Lekamwasam and Parisa Aslani

Molecular characterization of class 1, 2 and 3 integrons in clinical multi-drug resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates

The aim of this study was to characterize class 1,2 and 3 integrons in clinical MDR Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates in Kashan, Iran.

Authors: Farzaneh Firoozeh, Zeinab Mahluji, Ahmad Khorshidi and Mohammad Zibaei

Scenario-based simulation training for the WHO hand hygiene self-assessment framework

The WHO SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands global hand hygiene campaign, launched in 2009 and celebrated annually on the 5th of May, features specific calls to action seeking to increase engagement from stakeholders’ c...

Authors: Ermira Tartari, Carolina Fankhauser, Alexandra Peters, Buyiswa Lizzie Sithole, Funda Timurkaynak, Sarah Masson-Roy, Benedetta Allegranzi, Daniela Pires and Didier Pittet

Successful implementation of infection control measure in a neonatal intensive care unit to combat the spread of pathogenic multidrug resistant Staphylococcus capitis

Once present in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), multidrug resistant Staphylococcus capitis NRCS-A is able to settle and diffuse.

Authors: Jérôme Ory, Michel Cazaban, Brigitte Richaud-Morel, Massimo Di Maio, Catherine Dunyach-Remy, Alix Pantel, Albert Sotto, Frédéric Laurent, Jean-Philippe Lavigne and Marine Butin

Impact of psychologically tailored hand hygiene interventions on nosocomial infections with multidrug-resistant organisms: results of the cluster-randomized controlled trial PSYGIENE

Professional hand hygiene compliance represents a multifaceted behaviour with various determinants. Thus, it has been proposed to apply psychological frameworks of behaviour change to its promotion. However, r...

Authors: Thomas von Lengerke, Ella Ebadi, Bettina Schock, Christian Krauth, Karin Lange, Jona T. Stahmeyer and Iris F. Chaberny

Genomic analysis of multidrug-resistant clinical Enterococcus faecalis isolates for antimicrobial resistance genes and virulence factors from the western region of Saudi Arabia

Enterococcus faecalis is a ubiquitous member of the gut microbiota and has emerged as a life- threatening multidrug-resistant (MDR) nosocomial pathogen. The aim of this study was to survey the prevalence of multi...

Authors: Muhammad Farman, Muhammad Yasir, Rashad R. Al-Hindi, Suha A. Farraj, Asif A. Jiman-Fatani, Maha Alawi and Esam I. Azhar

Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of antibiotic resistance in the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from hospital cockroaches

Cockroaches are one of the most important and frequent insects responsible for harboring, transmission and dissemination of human pathogens in the hospital environment. The present research was done to study t...

Authors: Zohreh Abdolmaleki, Zohreh Mashak and Farhad Safarpoor Dehkordi

The value of the infection prevention and control nurse led MRSA ward round

Meticillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is prevalent in most parts of the world. The study took place at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB) a UK tertiary referral hospital. At QEHB innovative nurse led dail...

Authors: Mark I. Garvey, Craig W. Bradley, Martyn A. C. Wilkinson, Kerry L. Holden, Victoria Clewer and Elisabeth Holden

Comparison of Tigecycline or Cefoperazone/Sulbactam therapy for bloodstream infection due to Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii

We retrospectively analyzed the effect of tigecycline and cefoperazone/sulbactam therapies on the prognosis of patients with carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii bloodstream infection (CRAB-BSI).

Authors: Tianshui Niu, Qixia Luo, Yaqing Li, Yanzi Zhou, Wei Yu and Yonghong Xiao

Evaluating the impact of the ICNET® clinical decision support system for antimicrobial stewardship

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an ecological and economic crisis and stewardship of available antimicrobials is required. Electronic prescribing, where available, enables auditing of practice, yet in order ...

Authors: Katie L. Heard, Stephen Hughes, Nabeela Mughal, Berge S. Azadian and Luke S. P. Moore

High prevalence of direct repeat unit types of 10di, 8 h and 8i among methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains with staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec type IIIA isolated in Tehran, Iran

The emergence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a main concern in burn care centers worldwide. The some reports of MRSA in Iran suggested that MRSA with type SCCmec III is common among burn...

Authors: Mitra Motallebi, Fereshteh Jabalameli, Reza Beigverdi and Mohammad Emaneini

Facility type and surgical specialty are associated with suboptimal surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis practice patterns: a multi-center, retrospective cohort study

Guidelines recommend discontinuation of antimicrobial prophylaxis within 24 h after incision closure in uninfected patients. However, how facility and surgical specialty factors affect the implementation of th...

Authors: Westyn Branch-Elliman, Steven D. Pizer, Elise A. Dasinger, Howard S. Gold, Hassen Abdulkerim, Amy K. Rosen, Martin P. Charns, Mary T. Hawn, Kamal M. F. Itani and Hillary J. Mull

Epidemiological, clinical, and microbiological characteristics of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae bloodstream infection in the Republic of Korea

Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) is an important pathogen in nosocomial infections; nevertheless, only a few studies regarding CPE infection and its epidemiological factors have been conducted ...

Authors: Jung-wan Park, Hyungmin Lee, Se Yoon Park and Tae Hyong Kim

The public washroom - friend or foe? An observational study of washroom cleanliness combined with microbiological investigation of hand hygiene facilities

Many people use handwashing and hand-drying facilities in public washrooms under the impression that these amenities are hygienic. However, such facilities may be potential sites for the transmission of pathog...

Authors: Lorna K. P. Suen, Gilman K. H. Siu, Yue Ping Guo, Simon K. W. Yeung, Kiki Y. K. Lo and Margaret O’Donoghue

Evaluation of co-transfer of plasmid-mediated fluoroquinolone resistance genes and bla_NDM gene in Enterobacteriaceae causing neonatal septicaemia

The bla_NDM-1 (New Delhi Metallo-β-lactamase-1) gene has disseminated around the globe. NDM-1 producers are found to co-harbour resistance genes against many antimicrobials, including fluoroquinolones. The spread ...

Authors: Shravani Mitra, Suchandra Mukherjee, Sharmi Naha, Pinaki Chattopadhyay, Shanta Dutta and Sulagna Basu

Prevalence of plasmid-mediated AmpC in Enterobacteriaceae isolated from humans and from retail meat in Zagazig, Egypt

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of plasmid-mediated AmpC (pAmpC) among Enterobacteriaceae isolated from humans and from retail meat in Egypt.

Authors: Katrijn L. Rensing, H. M. Abdallah, Alex Koek, Gamal A. Elmowalid, Christina M. J. E. Vandenbroucke-Grauls, Nashwan al Naiemi and Karin van Dijk

The nature and epidemiology of OqxAB, a multidrug efflux pump

OqxAB efflux pump has been found to mediate multidrug resistance (MDR) in various bacteria over the past decades. The updates on the nature and epidemiology of OqxAB efflux pump need to be fully reviewed to br...

Authors: Jun Li, Heying Zhang, Jianan Ning, Abdul Sajid, Guyue Cheng, Zonghui Yuan and Haihong Hao

Obstacles to the successful introduction of an electronic hand hygiene monitoring system, a cohort observational study

Hand hygiene (HH) compliance remains low in many intensive care units (ICU). Technology has been suggested to improve HH compliance.

Authors: Phillip D. Levin, Reut Razon, Carmela Schwartz, Alexander Avidan, Charles L. Sprung, Allon E. Moses and Shmuel Benenson

Blood culture result profile and antimicrobial resistance pattern: a report from neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), Asella teaching and referral hospital, Asella, south East Ethiopia

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the major public health emergencies worldwide, and this trend didn’t spare developing countries like Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to evaluate patterns of bacteri...

Authors: Abebe Sorsa, Jonas Früh, Loraine Stötter and Sileshi Abdissa

A compilation of antimicrobial susceptibility data from a network of 13 Lebanese hospitals reflecting the national situation during 2015–2016

There is a lack of official national antimicrobial resistance (AMR) data in Lebanon. Individual hospitals generate their own antibiotic susceptibility data in the form of yearly pamphlets.

Authors: Rima Moghnieh, Georges F. Araj, Lyn Awad, Ziad Daoud, Jacques E. Mokhbat, Tamima Jisr, Dania Abdallah, Nadim Azar, Noha Irani-Hakimeh, Maher M. Balkis, Mona Youssef, Gilbert Karayakoupoglou, Monzer Hamze, Madonna Matar, Roula Atoui, Edmond Abboud…

Effective therapeutic regimens in two South Asian countries with high resistance to major Helicobacter pylori antibiotics

Nepal and Bangladesh have a high prevalence of Helicobacter pylori with high resistance rates to clarithromycin, metronidazole, and levofloxacin. Here, we evaluated the susceptibility and genetic mutations of 5 a...

Authors: Muhammad Miftahussurur, Hafeza Aftab, Pradeep Krishna Shrestha, Rabi Prakash Sharma, Phawinee Subsomwong, Langgeng Agung Waskito, Dalla Doohan, Kartika Afrida Fauzia and Yoshio Yamaoka

Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase production and multi-drug resistance among Enterobacteriaceae isolated in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The global emergence and spread of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) producing Enterobacteriaceae have been threatening the ability to treat an infection. Hence, this study aimed to determine the prevalen...

Authors: Dejenie Shiferaw Teklu, Abebe Aseffa Negeri, Melese Hailu Legese, Tesfaye Legesse Bedada, Hiwot Ketema Woldemariam and Kassu Desta Tullu

Influence of antibiotic pressure on multi-drug resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae colonisation in critically ill patients

The aim of this study is to evaluate the risk factors for colonisation by multidrug resistant (MDR) K. pneumoniae in a critical care unit and the relationship between colonisation and the antibiotic pressure exer...

Authors: Jesus Ruiz, Monica Gordon, Esther Villarreal, Juan Frasquet, María Ángeles Sánchez, María Martín, Álvaro Castellanos and Paula Ramirez

Nation-wide survey of screening practices to detect carriers of multi-drug resistant organisms upon admission to Swiss healthcare institutions

As emergence and spread of multi-drug resistant organisms (MDRO) requires a standardized preventive approach, we aimed to evaluate current MDRO admission screening practices in Swiss hospitals and to identify ...

Authors: Romain Martischang, Niccolo Buetti, Carlo Balmelli, Mirko Saam, Andreas Widmer and Stephan Harbarth

Individual and community predictors of urinary ceftriaxone-resistant Escherichia coli isolates, Victoria, Australia

Ceftriaxone-resistant Enterobacteriaceae are priority pathogens of critical importance. Escherichia coli is the most commonly isolated Enterobacteriaceae. There are few data regarding non-invasive ceftriaxone-res...

Authors: Kyra Y. L. Chua and Andrew J. Stewardson

Value of hospital antimicrobial stewardship programs [ASPs]: a systematic review

Hospital antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) aim to promote judicious use of antimicrobials to combat antimicrobial resistance. For ASPs to be developed, adopted, and implemented, an economic value asses...

Authors: Dilip Nathwani, Della Varghese, Jennifer Stephens, Wajeeha Ansari, Stephan Martin and Claudie Charbonneau

Implementation of antibiotic stewardship in different settings - results of an international survey

Antibiotic stewardship interventions are being implemented across different healthcare settings. We report the findings of a global survey of healthcare professionals on the implementation of antibiotic stewar...

Authors: E. Charani, Enrique Castro-Sanchéz, S. Bradley, D. Nathwani, Alison H. Holmes and P. Davey

Incidence of community onset MRSA in Australia: least reported where it is Most prevalent

This is the first review of literature and synthesis of data on community onset methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CO-MRSA) infections in Australia. Incidence of CO-MRSA varies considerably in Australia...

Authors: Jessica K. Cameron, Lisa Hall, Steven Y. C. Tong, David L. Paterson and Kate Halton

Implementation of infection prevention and control in acute care hospitals in Mainland China – a systematic review

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) affect patients in acute-care hospitals worldwide. No systematic review has been published on adoption and implementation of the infec...

Authors: Jiancong Wang, Fangfei Liu, Jamie Bee Xian Tan, Stephan Harbarth, Didier Pittet and Walter Zingg

Phenotypic and molecular characterisations of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii strains isolated in Madagascar

The present study aimed to perform a deep phenotypic and genotypic analysis of 15 clinical carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAb) strains isolated in Madagascar between 2008 and 2016 from diverse sou...

Authors: Pierrette Landrie Simo Tchuinte, Mamitiana Alain Noah Rabenandrasana, Carole Kowalewicz, Volasoa Herilalaina Andrianoelina, Andriniaina Rakotondrasoa, Zafitsara Zo Andrianirina, Vincent Enouf, Elisoa Hariniaina Ratsima, Frédérique Randrianirina and Jean-Marc Collard

Evaluation of accordance of antibiotics package size with recommended treatment duration of guidelines for sore throat and urinary tract infections

The aim of this study was to investigate whether marketed antibiotics package sizes are in accordance with treatment durations recommended in guidelines for prescribing antibiotics in sore throat and urinary t...

Authors: Doris Rusic, Josko Bozic, Josipa Bukic, Ana Seselja Perisin, Dario Leskur, Darko Modun and Sinisa Tomic

Neonatal sepsis due to glycopeptide resistant Enterococcus faecium from colonized maternal gut- rare case evidence

Vancomycin-resistant enterococcal infections in the neonatal ICU are growing global problems. We report a case of neonatal septicemia by multidrug-resistant vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE), the so...

Authors: Supram Hosuru Subramanya, Rajesh Amberpet, Dinesh Chaudhary, Niranjan Nayak, Shashiraja Padukone, Indira Bairy and Shishir Gokhale

Use of microbiology tests in the era of increasing AMR rates– a multicentre hospital cohort study

Effective use of microbiology test results may positively influence patient outcomes and limit the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. However, studies indicate that their potential is not fully utilized. We in...

Authors: Brita Skodvin, Jannicke S. Wathne, P. Christoffer Lindemann, Stig Harthug, Roy M. Nilsen, Esmita Charani, Heidi Syre, Baard R. Kittang, Lars K. S. Kleppe and Ingrid Smith

Relationship between tetracycline antibiotic susceptibility and genotype in oral cavity Lactobacilli clinical isolates

Antibiotic resistance, is often conferred by the presence of antibiotic resistance genes. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between tetracycline resistance (Tet-R) and genotype in 31 Lactobacillus ...

Authors: Yifei Zhang and Qian Zhang

Using the best available data to estimate the cost of antimicrobial resistance: a systematic review

Valuation of the economic cost of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is important for decision making and should be estimated accurately. Highly variable or erroneous estimates may alarm policy makers and hospital...

Authors: Teresa M. Wozniak, Louise Barnsbee, Xing J. Lee and Rosana E. Pacella

Pneumonia in hospitalized neurologic patients: trends in pathogen distribution and antibiotic susceptibility

Bed-ridden state, dysphagia, altered mental state, or respiratory muscle weakness are common in neurologic patients and increase the risk of pneumonia. The major causes of pneumonia in neurologic patients may ...

Authors: Han Sang Lee, Jangsup Moon, Hye-Rim Shin, Seon Jae Ahn, Tae-Joon Kim, Jin-Sun Jun, Soon-Tae Lee, Keun-Hwa Jung, Kyung-Il Park, Ki-Young Jung, Manho Kim, Sang Kun Lee and Kon Chu

Assessment of early onset surface damage from accelerated disinfection protocol

The objective of this study was to evaluate the extent and potential mechanisms of early onset surface damage from simulated wiping typical of six-months of routine disinfection and to assess the subsequent mi...

Authors: Hyungyung Jo, Alyssa M. West, Peter J. Teska, Haley F. Oliver and John A. Howarter

Determinants of antibiotic prescribing behaviors of primary care physicians in Hubei of China: a structural equation model based on the theory of planned behavior

Over-prescription of antibiotics is prevalent all over the world, contributing to the development of antibiotic resistance. The importance of understanding how physicians prescribe antibiotics is increasingly ...

Authors: Chenxi Liu, Chaojie Liu, Dan Wang, Zhaohua Deng, Yuqing Tang and Xinping Zhang

The impact of the national action plan on the epidemiology of antibiotic resistance among 352,238 isolates in a teaching hospital in China from 2015 to 2018

We sought to understand the epidemiology and characteristics of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the impact of the National Action Plan (NAP) on AMR. This information will be critical to develop intervention...

Authors: Shanjuan Wang, Yanhong Jessika Hu, Paul Little, Yifei Wang, Qing Chang, Xudong Zhou, Michael Moore and Joseph Irvin Harwell

Catheter-related bloodstream infections with coagulase-negative staphylococci: are antibiotics necessary if the catheter is removed?

Catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSI) with coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CoNS) are a common source of hospital-acquired bloodstream infections. The main objective of this study was to elucidate t...

Authors: Ursula Patricia Hebeisen, Andrew Atkinson, Jonas Marschall and Niccolò Buetti

Infection control link nurses in acute care hospitals: a scoping review

Involving link nurses in infection prevention and control is a strategy to improve clinical practice that has been implemented in hospitals worldwide. However, little is known about the use, the range and bene...

Authors: Mireille Dekker, Irene P. Jongerden, Rosa van Mansfeld, Johannes C. F. Ket, Suzanne D. van der Werff, Christina M. J. E. Vandenbroucke-Grauls and Martine C. de Bruijne

Using local clinical and microbiological data to develop an institution specific carbapenem-sparing strategy in sepsis: a nested case-control study

From a stewardship perspective it is recommended that antibiotic guidelines are adjusted to the local setting, accounting for the local epidemiology of pathogens. In many settings the prevalence of Gram-negati...

Authors: Merel M. C. Lambregts, Bart J. C. Hendriks, Leo G. Visser, Sandra T. Bernards and Mark G. J. de Boer

Antimicrobial susceptibility and genotyping of Mycoplasma pneumoniae isolates in Beijing, China, from 2014 to 2016

The presence of macrolide-resistant Myocplasma pneumoniae has been frequently reported in recent years, especially in China. In this study, we investigated the antimicrobial susceptibility and genotype against M....

Authors: Fei Zhao, Jinrong Liu, Weixian Shi, Fang Huang, Liyong Liu, Shunying Zhao and Jianzhong Zhang

Assessing the social cost and benefits of a national requirement establishing antibiotic stewardship programs to prevent Clostridioides difficile infection in US hospitals

Economic evaluations of interventions to prevent healthcare-associated infections in the United States rarely take the societal perspective and thus ignore the potential benefits of morbidity and mortality ris...

Authors: R. Douglas Scott II, Rachel B. Slayton, Fernanda C. Lessa, James Baggs, Steven D. Culler, L. Clifford McDonald and John A. Jernigan

Point prevalence survey of peripheral venous catheter usage in a large tertiary care university hospital in Germany

Bloodstream infections (BSI) are among the most frequently documented healthcare-associated infections (HAI). Central and peripheral venous catheters (CVC and PVC) are relevant risk factors for BSI. Although t...

Authors: Seven Johannes Sam Aghdassi, Christin Schröder, Désirée Gruhl, Petra Gastmeier and Florian Salm

The potential of visible blue light (405 nm) as a novel decontamination strategy for carbapenemase-producing enterobacteriaceae (CPE)

Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) pose a considerable threat to modern medicine. New treatment options and methods to limit spread need to be investigated. Blue light (BL) is intrinsically antimicr...

Authors: Fenella D. Halstead, Zahra Ahmed, Jonathan R. B. Bishop and Beryl A. Oppenheim