Articles

Germs of thrones - spontaneous decolonization of Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) and Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE) in Western Europe: is this myth or reality?

In France, Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) and Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE) are considered as Extensively Drug-Resistant (XDR) bacteria. Their management requires reinforcement of hospi...

Authors: Benjamin Davido, Aurore Moussiegt, Aurélien Dinh, Frédérique Bouchand, Morgan Matt, Olivia Senard, Laurene Deconinck, Florence Espinasse, Christine Lawrence, Nicolas Fortineau, Azzam Saleh-Mghir, Silvia Caballero, Lelia Escaut and Jérome Salomon

Enumerating the economic cost of antimicrobial resistance per antibiotic consumed to inform the evaluation of interventions affecting their use

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a colossal threat to global health and incurs high economic costs to society. Economic evaluations of antimicrobials and interventions such as diagnostics and vaccines that...

Authors: Poojan Shrestha, Ben S. Cooper, Joanna Coast, Raymond Oppong, Nga Do Thi Thuy, Tuangrat Phodha, Olivier Celhay, Philippe J. Guerin, Heiman Wertheim and Yoel Lubell

A multi-center nested case-control study on hospitalization costs and length of stay due to healthcare-associated infection

In 2018, the Chinese government demanded nationwide implementation of medical insurance payment methods based on Single-Disease Payment (SDP), but during the operation process the medical insurance system did ...

Authors: Yu Lü, Min Hong Cai, Jian Cheng, Kun Zou, Qian Xiang, Jia Yu Wu, Dao Qiong Wei, Zhong Hua Zhou, Hui Wang, Chen Wang and Jing Chen

Bacterial contamination of frequently touched objects in a tertiary care hospital of Pokhara, Nepal: how safe are our hands?

Objects frequently touched by patients and healthcare workers in hospitals harbor potential pathogens and may act as source of infectious agents. This study aimed to determine the bacterial contamination of co...

Authors: Dharm Raj Bhatta, Deependra Hamal, Rajani Shrestha, Supram Hosuru Subramanya, Nisha Baral, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Niranjan Nayak and Shishir Gokhale

Myroides odoratimimus urinary tract infection in an immunocompromised patient: an emerging multidrug-resistant micro-organism

Myroides spp. are common environmental organisms and they can be isolated predominantly in water, soil, food and in sewage treatment plants. In the last two decades, an increasing number of infections such as uri...

Authors: Giovanni Lorenzin, Giorgio Piccinelli, Lucrezia Carlassara, Francesco Scolari, Francesca Caccuri, Arnaldo Caruso and Maria Antonia De Francesco

Characteristics of ventilator-associated pneumonia due to hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae genotype in genetic background for the elderly in two tertiary hospitals in China

Aerobactin is a critical factor for the hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp), but data for the aerobactin-positive genotype of hvKp in elderly persons with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is limited. ...

Authors: Chao Liu and Jun Guo

Risk for subsequent infection and mortality after hospitalization among patients with multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria colonization or infection

Risks for subsequent multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria (MDRGNB) infection and long-term outcome after hospitalization among patients with MDRGNB colonization remain unknown.

Authors: Wen-Pin Tseng, Yee-Chun Chen, Shang-Yu Chen, Shey-Ying Chen and Shan-Chwen Chang

Implementing an infection control and prevention program decreases the incidence of healthcare-associated infections and antibiotic resistance in a Russian neuro-ICU

The impact of infection prevention and control (IPC) programs in limited resource countries such as Russia are largely unknown due to a lack of reliable data. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of...

Authors: Ksenia Ershova, Ivan Savin, Nataliya Kurdyumova, Darren Wong, Gleb Danilov, Michael Shifrin, Irina Alexandrova, Ekaterina Sokolova, Nadezhda Fursova, Vladimir Zelman and Olga Ershova

Letter to the editor in response to estimating the burden of antimicrobial resistance: a systematic literature review

The systematic review published by Naylor et al. in April 2018 highlights methodological assumptions and biases that occur in studies investigating the burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). They note that,...

Authors: Teresa M. Wozniak

Non-prescribed sale of antibiotics for acute childhood diarrhea and upper respiratory tract infection in community pharmacies: a 2 phase mixed-methods study

Although prohibited by law and legal regulatory frameworks, non-prescribed sale of antibiotics in community medicine retail outlets (CMROs) remains a serious problem in Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to d...

Authors: Daniel Asfaw Erku and Sisay Yifru Aberra

Intra-hospital differences in antibiotic use correlate with antimicrobial resistance rate in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae: a retrospective observational study

Monitoring antimicrobial use and resistance in hospitals are important tools of antimicrobial stewardship programs. We aimed to determine the association between the use of frequently prescribed antibiotics an...

Authors: Alexia Cusini, David Herren, Lukas Bütikofer, Catherine Plüss-Suard, Andreas Kronenberg and Jonas Marschall

Molecular characterization of extended spectrum β -lactamases enterobacteriaceae causing lower urinary tract infection among pediatric population

The β-lactam antibiotics have traditionally been the main treatment of Enterobacteriaceae infections, nonetheless, the emergence of species producing β- Lactamases has rendered this class of antibiotics largel...

Authors: Nahla O. Eltai, Asmaa A. Al Thani, Khalid Al-Ansari, Anand S. Deshmukh, Eman Wehedy, Sara H. Al-Hadidi and Hadi M. Yassine

Antibiotic resistance in Swiss nursing homes: analysis of National Surveillance Data over an 11-year period between 2007 and 2017

We evaluated data from isolates of nursing home (NH) patients sent to the Swiss centre for antibiotic resistance (ANRESIS). We focussed on carbapenem-resistance (CR) among Gram-negative pathogens, extended-spe...

Authors: Philipp Kohler, Rosamaria Fulchini, Werner C. Albrich, Adrian Egli, Carlo Balmelli, Stephan Harbarth, Delphine Héquet, Christian R. Kahlert, Stefan P. Kuster, Christiane Petignat, Matthias Schlegel and Andreas Kronenberg

Extended-spectrum β-lactamase prevalence and virulence factor characterization of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli responsible for acute diarrhea in Nepal from 2001 to 2016

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacterial species are an increasingly dangerous public health threat, and are now endemic in many areas of South Asia. However, there are a lack of comprehensive data fr...

Authors: Katie R. Margulieux, Apichai Srijan, Sirigade Ruekit, Panida Nobthai, Kamonporn Poramathikul, Prativa Pandey, Oralak Serichantalergs, Sanjaya K. Shrestha, Ladaporn Bodhidatta and Brett E. Swierczewski

Outbreak report: a nosocomial outbreak of vancomycin resistant enterococci in a solid organ transplant unit

Vancomycin resistant enterococci (VRE) are an emerging problem in health care settings. The purpose of the investigation was to assess the extent of the outbreak including environmental contamination and to limit...

Authors: Peter Kreidl, Astrid Mayr, Guido Hinterberger, Michael Berktold, Ludwig Knabl, Stefan Fuchs, Wilfried Posch, Stephan Eschertzhuber, Alois Obwegeser, Cornelia Lass-Flörl and Dorothea Orth-Höller

Collateral damage of using colistin in hospitalized patients on emergence of colistin-resistant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae colonization and infection

Colistin has been used for therapy of carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative infections in Thailand, especially carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii and P. aeruginosa, for more than 10 years. However, the prevalence of ...

Authors: W. Wangchinda, N. Pati, N. Maknakhon, C. Seenama, S. Tiengrim and V. Thamlikitkul

Neisseria Gonorrhoae and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns among symptomatic patients from Gondar town, north West Ethiopia

Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the causative agent of gonorrhoea, is a Gram negative, coffee-bean shaped facultative intracellular diplococcus bacterium, the classical sexually transmitted bacteria. Nowadays, N. gonorrho...

Authors: Addisu Gize Yeshanew and Rozina Ambachew Geremew

Antibiotic use on paediatric inpatients in a teaching hospital in the Gambia, a retrospective study

Antibiotics are useful but increasing resistance is a major problem. Our objectives were to assess antibiotic use and microbiology testing in hospitalized children in the Gambia.

Authors: Pa Saidou Chaw, Kristin Maria Schlinkmann, Heike Raupach-Rosin, André Karch, Mathias W. Pletz, Johannes Huebner, Ousman Nyan and Rafael Mikolajczyk

Temporal association between antibiotic use and resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae at a tertiary care hospital

β-Lactam/β-lactamase inhibitors (BLBLIs) were introduced into clinical practice as an alternative to carbapenems for treating multi-drug–resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae infections. However, little is known about ...

Authors: Sukhyun Ryu, Eili Y. Klein and Byung Chul Chun

Variability in contact precautions to control the nosocomial spread of multi-drug resistant organisms in the endemic setting: a multinational cross-sectional survey

Definitions and practices regarding use of contact precautions and isolation to prevent the spread of gram-positive and gram-negative multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) are not uniform.

Authors: Danielle Vuichard Gysin, Barry Cookson, Henri Saenz, Markus Dettenkofer and Andreas F. Widmer

Alcohol-based surgical hand preparation: translating scientific evidence into clinical practice

Although alcohol-based surgical hand preparation offers potential advantages over the traditional surgical scrubbing technique, implementing it may be challenging due to resistance of surgeons in changing thei...

Authors: Gilberto G. Gaspar, Mayra G. Menegueti, Ana Elisa R. Lopes, Roberto O. C. Santos, Thamiris R. de Araújo, Aline Nassiff, Lécio R. Ferreira, Maria Eulalia L. V. Dallora, Silvia R. M. S. Canini and Fernando Bellissimo-Rodrigues

Risk factors for hospitalized patients with resistant or multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Identifying risk factors predicting acquisition of resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa will aid surveillance and diagnostic initiatives and can be crucial in early and appropriate antibiotic therapy. We conducted a ...

Authors: Gowri Raman, Esther E. Avendano, Jeffrey Chan, Sanjay Merchant and Laura Puzniak

Prevalence of antibiotic resistant Escherichia coli isolates from fecal samples of food handlers in Qatar

It is well documented that food handlers harbor and shed enteric foodborne pathogens causing foodborne disease outbreaks. However, little known on enteric antibiotic resistant (AR) bacteria carriage in food ha...

Authors: Nahla O. Eltai, Hadi M. Yassine, Asmaa A. Al Thani, Marwan A. Abu Madi, Ahmed Ismail, Emad Ibrahim and Walid Q. Alali

Correction to: The knowledge, attitudes and practices of doctors regarding antibiotic resistance at a tertiary care institution in the Caribbean

The original article [1] contains a major error whereby the present title does not display the correct wording as intended by the authors.

Authors: Alison Nicholson, Ingrid Tennant, Livingston White, Camille-Ann Thoms-Rodriguez, Loraine Cook, Stephen Johnson, Tamara Thompson, Jasper Barnett and Lundie Richards

Characteristics of the antibiotic regimen that affect antimicrobial resistance in urinary pathogens

Treatment duration, treatment interval, formulation and type of antimicrobial (antibiotic) are modifiable factors that will influence antimicrobial selection pressure. Currently, the impact of the route of adm...

Authors: Boudewijn Catry, Katrien Latour, Robin Bruyndonckx, Camellia Diba, Candida Geerdens and Samuel Coenen

Risk factors for poor outcome in community-onset Clostridium difficile infection

A substantial portion of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) cases occur in communities, and community-onset CDI (CO-CDI) can lead to serious complications including mortality. This study aimed to identify the ...

Authors: Eunyoung Lee, Kyoung-Ho Song, Ji Yun Bae, Doran Yoon, Joo-Hee Hwang, Pyoeng Gyun Choe, Wan Beom Park, Ji Hwan Bang, Eu Suk Kim, Sang Won Park, Nam Joong Kim, Myoung-don Oh and Hong Bin Kim

Comparing appropriateness of antibiotics for nursing home residents by setting of prescription initiation: a cross-sectional analysis

The pervasive, often inappropriate, use of antibiotics in healthcare settings has been identified as a major public health threat due to the resultant widespread emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria. In ...

Authors: Michael Pulia, Michael Kern, Rebecca J. Schwei, Manish N. Shah, Emmanuel Sampene and Christopher J. Crnich

The prevalence, antibiotic resistance and mecA characterization of coagulase negative staphylococci recovered from non-healthcare settings in London, UK

Coagulase negative staphylococci (CoNS) are important reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes and associated mobile genetic elements and are believed to contribute to the emergence of successful methicillin ...

Authors: Zhen Xu, Haroun N. Shah, Raju Misra, Jiazhen Chen, Wenhong Zhang, Yuting Liu, Ronald R. Cutler and Hermine V. Mkrtchyan

Whole genome sequencing reveals high clonal diversity of Escherichia coli isolated from patients in a tertiary care hospital in Moshi, Tanzania

Limited information regarding the clonality of circulating E. coli strains in tertiary care hospitals in low and middle-income countries is available. The purpose of this study was to determine the serotypes, ant...

Authors: Tolbert Sonda, Happiness Kumburu, Marco van Zwetselaar, Michael Alifrangis, Blandina T. Mmbaga, Frank M. Aarestrup, Gibson Kibiki and Ole Lund

Carbapenem non-susceptibility of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates in hospitals from 2011 to 2016, data from the German Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance (ARS)

Carbapenem resistance in Klebsiella pneumoniae is of significant public health concern and recently spread across several countries. We investigated the extent of carbapenem non-susceptibility in K. pneumoniae is...

Authors: Uwe Koppe, Anja von Laer, Lars E. Kroll, Ines Noll, Marcel Feig, Marc Schneider, Hermann Claus, Tim Eckmanns and Muna Abu Sin

Whole genome sequence revealed the fine transmission map of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumonia isolates within a nosocomial outbreak

Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) is a major cause of nosocomial infections worldwide. The transmission route of CRKP isolates within an outbreak is rarely described. This study aimed to reveal th...

Authors: Wenjun Sui, Haijian Zhou, Pengcheng Du, Lijun Wang, Tian Qin, Mei Wang, Hongyu Ren, Yanfei Huang, Jing Hou, Chen Chen and Xinxin Lu

The Tigecycline Evaluation and Surveillance Trial; assessment of the activity of tigecycline and other selected antibiotics against Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens from France collected between 2004 and 2016

A high level of antibiotic consumption in France means antimicrobial resistance requires rigorous monitoring. The Tigecycline Evaluation and Surveillance Trial (T.E.S.T.) is a global surveillance study that mo...

Authors: Jean-Winoc Decousser, Paul-Louis Woerther, Claude-James Soussy, Marguerite Fines-Guyon and Michael J. Dowzicky

Social media posts and online search behaviour as early-warning system for MRSA outbreaks

Despite many preventive measures, outbreaks with multi-drug resistant micro-organisms (MDROs) still occur. Moreover, current alert systems from healthcare organizations have shortcomings due to delayed or inco...

Authors: Tom H. van de Belt, Pieter T. van Stockum, Lucien J. L. P. G. Engelen, Jules Lancee, Remco Schrijver, Jesús Rodríguez-Baño, Evelina Tacconelli, Katja Saris, Marleen M. H. J. van Gelder and Andreas Voss

Dynamics of colistin and tobramycin resistance among Enterobacter cloacae during prolonged use of selective decontamination of the digestive tract

A high prevalence of colistin resistance among E. cloacae isolates in two intensive care units (ICU) (of 16 and 6 beds) using selective digestive decontamination (SDD) since 1990 instigated a retrospective and pr...

Authors: M. J. D. Dautzenberg, J. R. Bayjanov, M. A. Leverstein-van Hall, A. E. Muller, L. B. S. Gelinck, C. L. Jansen, E. M. S. Leyten, T. Ruys, J. Scharringa, R. E. van der Starre, A. C. Fluit and M. J. M. Bonten

Abstracts from the Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control Conference 2018

Authors:

Epidemiology of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae bloodstream infections after renal transplantation from donation after cardiac death in a Chinese hospital: a case series analysis

Although the high mortality rates have been extensively reported worldwide, few studies have investigated the epidemiology of CRKP-BSIs in the early stage after kidney transplantation (KTx) from donation after...

Authors: Yuxi Wang, Hong Lei, Yuxiang Zhang, Qiwen Yang, Yu Wang, Jiaxing Wang, Cheng Xu, Jinggang Yu, Lili Zhou, Xiaoni Kang and Lei Cui

How long is enough? Identification of product dry-time as a primary driver of alcohol-based hand rub efficacy

The World Health Organization has called for the development of improved methodologies to evaluate alcohol-based handrub (ABHR) efficacy, including evaluation at “short application times and volumes that refle...

Authors: Miranda Suchomel, Rachel A. Leslie, Albert E. Parker and David R. Macinga

Enhancing pharmacists’ role in developing countries to overcome the challenge of antimicrobial resistance: a narrative review

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health challenge and developing countries are more vulnerable to the adverse health impacts of AMR. Health care workers including pharmacists can play a key role to s...

Authors: M. H. F. Sakeena, Alexandra A. Bennett and Andrew J. McLachlan

The social biography of antibiotic use in smallholder dairy farms in India

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been identified as one of the major threats to global health, food security and development today. While there has been considerable attention about the use and misuse of ant...

Authors: Abhimanyu Singh Chauhan, Mathew Sunil George, Pranab Chatterjee, Johanna Lindahl, Delia Grace and Manish Kakkar

Genome-based analysis of Carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from German hospital patients, 2008-2014

By using whole genome sequence data we aimed at describing a population snapshot of carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae isolated from hospitalized patients in Germany between 2008 and 2014.

Authors: Laura Becker, Martin Kaase, Yvonne Pfeifer, Stephan Fuchs, Annicka Reuss, Anja von Laer, Muna Abu Sin, Miriam Korte-Berwanger, Sören Gatermann and Guido Werner

Prevalence and patterns of drug resistance among pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Hangzhou, China

To evaluate prevalence and patterns of drug resistance among pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) patients in Hangzhou City, China.

Authors: Qingchun Li, Gang Zhao, Limin Wu, Min Lu, Wei Liu, Yifei Wu, Le Wang, Ke Wang, Han-Zhu Qian and Li Xie

Dissemination of bla_NDM-5 gene via an IncX3-type plasmid among non-clonal Escherichia coli in China

The emergence and spread of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae has been a serious challenge to manage in the clinic due to its rapid dissemination of multi-drug resistance worldwide. As on...

Authors: Xi Li, Ying Fu, Mengyuan Shen, Danyan Huang, Xiaoxing Du, Qingfeng Hu, Yonglie Zhou, Dairong Wang and Yunsong Yu

Estimating the burden of antimicrobial resistance: a systematic literature review

Accurate estimates of the burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are needed to establish the magnitude of this global threat in terms of both health and cost, and to paramaterise cost-effectiveness evaluatio...

Authors: Nichola R. Naylor, Rifat Atun, Nina Zhu, Kavian Kulasabanathan, Sachin Silva, Anuja Chatterjee, Gwenan M. Knight and Julie V. Robotham

An observational case study of hospital associated infections in a critical care unit in Astana, Kazakhstan

Hospital Associated infections (HAI) are very common in Intensive Care Units (ICU) and are usually associated with use of invasive devices in the patients. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence ...

Authors: Dmitriy Viderman, Yekaterina Khamzina, Zhannur Kaligozhin, Makhira Khudaibergenova, Agzam Zhumadilov, Byron Crape and Azliyati Azizan

Temporal relationship between antibiotic use and respiratory virus activities in the Republic of Korea: a time-series analysis

Inappropriate use of antibiotics increases resistance and reduces their effectiveness. Despite evidence-based guidelines, antibiotics are still commonly used to treat infections likely caused by respiratory vi...

Authors: Sukhyun Ryu, Sojung Kim, Bryan I. Kim, Eili Y. Klein, Young Kyung Yoon and Byung Chul Chun

Continuous increase of vancomycin resistance in enterococci causing nosocomial infections in Germany − 10 years of surveillance

Enterococci are frequent pathogens causing nosocomial infections in Germany. Infections due to strains with vancomycin resistance are high when compared with other European states. Therefore, the study aimed t...

Authors: Cornelius Remschmidt, Christin Schröder, Michael Behnke, Petra Gastmeier, Christine Geffers and Tobias Siegfried Kramer

A systematic review of the epidemiology of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in the United States

Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) pose an urgent public health threat in the United States. An important step in planning and monitoring a national response to CRE is understanding its epidemiology...

Authors: Daniel J. Livorsi, Margaret L. Chorazy, Marin L. Schweizer, Erin C. Balkenende, Amy E. Blevins, Rajeshwari Nair, Matthew H. Samore, Richard E. Nelson, Karim Khader and Eli N. Perencevich

Prevalence, identification of virulence factors, O-serogroups and antibiotic resistance properties of Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli strains isolated from raw milk and traditional dairy products

Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli strains are one of the most important foodborne bacteria with an emergence of antibiotic resistance. Foodborne STEC strains are mainly associated with presence of certain virulenc...

Authors: Reza Ranjbar, Farhad Safarpoor Dehkordi, Mohammad Hossein Sakhaei Shahreza and Ebrahim Rahimi

Colonization sites in carriers of ESBL-producing Gram-negative bacteria

The distribution of Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase-producing Gram-negative bacteria (ESBL-GNB) colonization sites is relevant for infection control guidelines on detection and follow-up of colonization. We q...

Authors: Joffrey van Prehn, Anna M. Kaiser, Suzanne D. van der Werff, Rosa van Mansfeld and Christina M. J. E. Vandenbroucke-Grauls

Environmental colonization and onward clonal transmission of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) in a medical intensive care unit: the case for environmental hygiene

In May 2015, we noticed an increase in carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) infections in the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU). To investigate this, we studied the extent of environmental contami...

Authors: Deborah H. L. Ng, Kalisvar Marimuthu, Jia Jun Lee, Wei Xin Khong, Oon Tek Ng, Wei Zhang, Bee Fong Poh, Pooja Rao, Maya Devi Rajinder Raj, Brenda Ang and Partha Pratim De