Articles

The function of the thyroid gland in patients with multi-drug resistant tuberculosis

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDRTB) remains a health problem for many countries in the world. The share of MDRTB is 10–30% among newly diagnosed cases and 20–70% among relapses and treatment failure. The ...

Authors: S. L. Matveyeva, O. S. Shevchenko and O. O. Pogorelova

An electronic trigger tool to optimise intravenous to oral antibiotic switch: a controlled, interrupted time series study

Timely switch from intravenous (iv) antibiotics to oral therapy is a key component of antimicrobial stewardship programs in order to improve patient safety, promote early discharge and reduce costs. We have in...

Authors: Marvin A. H. Berrevoets, Johannes (Hans) L. W. Pot, Anne E. Houterman, Anton (Ton) S. M. Dofferhoff, Marrigje H. Nabuurs-Franssen, Hanneke W. H. A. Fleuren, Bart-Jan Kullberg, Jeroen A. Schouten and Tom Sprong

Antibiotic resistance, ability to form biofilm and susceptibility to copper alloys of selected staphylococcal strains isolated from touch surfaces in Polish hospital wards

Despite the employment of sanitary regimes, contact transmission of the aetiological agents of hospital infections is still exceedingly common. The issue of microbe transmission becomes particularly important ...

Authors: Anna Różańska, Agnieszka Chmielarczyk, Dorota Romaniszyn, Małgorzata Bulanda, Monika Walkowicz, Piotr Osuch and Tadeusz Knych

Knowledge sharing in infection prevention in routine and outbreak situations: a survey of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America Research Network

In this cross-sectional Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America Research Network survey on knowledge sharing in infection prevention we identified a rudimentary understanding of how to communicate and s...

Authors: Rami Sommerstein, Sonja Geser, Andrew Atkinson, Franziska Tschan, Daniel J. Morgan and Jonas Marschall

Plasmid-mediated mcr-1 colistin resistance in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. clinical isolates from the Western Cape region of South Africa

Colistin is a last resort antibiotic for the treatment of carbapenem-resistant Gram negative infections. Until recently, mechanisms of colistin resistance were limited to chromosomal mutations which confer a h...

Authors: Mae Newton-Foot, Yolandi Snyman, Motlatji Reratilwe Bonnie Maloba and Andrew Christopher Whitelaw

Evaluation of automated systems for aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones susceptibility testing for Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae

Automated systems (MicroScan WalkAway 96 Plus, Phoenix 100, and Vitek 2 Compact) are widely used in clinical laboratories nowadays. The aim of this study is to evaluate the performance of these three systems f...

Authors: Zhichang Zhao, Fangjun Lan, Maobai Liu, Weiyuan Chen, Liya Huang, Qili Lin and Bin Li

Antibacterial efficacy of local plants and their contribution to public health in rural Ethiopia

Proper hand hygiene with soap and detergents prevents the transmission of many infectious diseases. However, commercial detergents are less likely to be accessible or affordable to poor people in remote rural ...

Authors: Gutema Taressa Tura, Wondwossen Birke Eshete and Gudina Terefe Tucho

Antimicrobial use and antimicrobial susceptibility in Escherichia coli on small- and medium-scale pig farms in north-eastern Thailand

Intensification of livestock production seen in many low- and middle-income countries is often believed to be associated with increased use of antimicrobials, and may hence contribute to the emergence of antim...

Authors: G. Ström, M. Halje, D. Karlsson, J. Jiwakanon, M. Pringle, L.-L. Fernström and U. Magnusson

The impact of methicillin-resistant S. aureus on length of stay, readmissions and costs: a register based case-control study of patients hospitalized in Norway

Patients with methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) are thought to incur additional costs for hospitals due to longer stay and contact isolation. The aim of this study was to assess the costs associated with MRS...

Authors: A. Elizabeth S. Andreassen, Caroline M. Jacobsen, BirgitteFreiesleben de Blasio, Richard White, Ivar Sønbø Kristiansen and Petter Elstrøm

Incidence, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of nosocomial Enterococcus spp. bloodstream infections in a tertiary-care hospital in Beijing, China: a four-year retrospective study

Enterococcus spp. are the common cause of nosocomial bloodstream infections (BSIs) with high morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to characterize the incidence, clini...

Authors: Yangyang Zhang, Mingmei Du, Yan Chang, Liang-an Chen and Qing Zhang

Influence of glycerol and an alternative humectant on the immediate and 3-hours bactericidal efficacies of two isopropanol-based antiseptics in laboratory experiments in vivo according to EN 12791

Guidelines for hand hygiene recommend the use of alcohol-based hand rubs containing humectants in order to improve dermal tolerance. However, the bactericidal efficacy of pre-surgical hand rubs is negatively a...

Authors: Miranda Suchomel, Martina Weinlich and Michael Kundi

Non-prescribed antimicrobial use and associated factors among customers in drug retail outlet in Central Zone of Tigray, northern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Non-prescribed antimicrobial use and their resistance are among the main public health problems, worldwide. In Ethiopia, particularly in the northern part, the magnitude of non-prescribed antimicrobial use and...

Authors: Negash Hadera Gebrekirstos, Birhanu Demeke Workneh, Yosef Sibhatu Gebregiorgis, Kebede Haile Misgina, Negassie Berhe Weldehaweria, Meresa Gebremedhin Weldu and Hailay Siyum Belay

No nosocomial transmission under standard hygiene precautions in short term contact patients in case of an unexpected ESBL or Q&A E. coli positive patient: a one-year prospective cohort study within three regional hospitals

Many Highly Resistant Gram Negative Rod (HR-GNR) positive patients are found unexpectedly in clinical cultures, besides patients who are screened and isolated based on risk factors. As unexpected HR-GNR positi...

Authors: Dennis Souverein, Sjoerd M. Euser, Bjorn L. Herpers, Corry Hattink, Patricia Houtman, Amerens Popma, Jan Kluytmans, John W. A. Rossen and Jeroen W. Den Boer

Relationship between hospital ward design and healthcare associated infection rates: what does the evidence really tell us? Comment on Stiller et al. 2016

The systematic review published by Stiller et al. in Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control in November 2016 concludes that single-patient bedrooms confer a significant benefit for protecting patients fr...

Authors: Jennie Wilson, Andrew Dunnett and Heather Loveday

Meeting abstracts from International Conference on Prevention & Infection Control (ICPIC 2017)

Authors:

High burden of antimicrobial resistance among gram negative bacteria causing healthcare associated infections in a critical care unit of Nepal

Healthcare associated infections (HCAI) and antimicrobial resistance are principal threats to the patients of intensive care units and are the major determining factors for patient outcome. They are associated...

Authors: Narayan Prasad Parajuli, Subhash Prasad Acharya, Shyam Kumar Mishra, Keshab Parajuli, Basista Prasad Rijal and Bharat Mani Pokhrel

Use of 90% ethanol to decontaminate stethoscopes in resource limited settings

In developing countries like Nepal, 90% ethanol is cheap and is available in most hospitals. The unavailability of isopropyl alcohol (IPA) in these settings led us to compare the efficacy between 90% ethanol a...

Authors: Bijendra Raj Raghubanshi, Supriya Sapkota, Arjab Adhikari, Aman Dutta, Utsuk Bhattarai and Rastriyata Bhandari

Incidence and risk factors for surgical site infections in obstetric and gynecological surgeries from a teaching hospital in rural India

Surgical site infections (SSI) are one of the most common healthcare associated infections in the low-middle income countries. Data on incidence and risk factors for SSI following surgeries in general and Obst...

Authors: Ashish Pathak, Kalpana Mahadik, Manmat B. Swami, Pulak K. Roy, Megha Sharma, Vijay K. Mahadik and Cecilia Stålsby Lundborg

Why language matters: a tour through hand hygiene literature

Hand hygiene has evolved over the last decades and many terminologies emerged. We aimed to analyse the evolution in the frequency of utilization of key hand hygiene terms in the literature along the years.

Authors: Daniela Pires, Ermira Tartari, Fernando Bellissimo-Rodrigues and Didier Pittet

Emerging antimicrobial resistance in early and late-onset neonatal sepsis

Compared to developed countries, the use of antimicrobials in Egypt is less regulated and is available over the counter without the need for prescriptions. The impact of such policy on antimicrobial resistance...

Authors: Lamiaa Mohsen, Nermin Ramy, Dalia Saied, Dina Akmal, Niveen Salama, Mona M. Abdel Haleim and Hany Aly

Fecal carriage of extended-spectrum β-lactamase- and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae in Egyptian patients with community-onset gastrointestinal complaints: a hospital -based cross-sectional study

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and carbapenemase production among Enterobacteriaceae isolated from ambulatory patients with gastrointestinal compl...

Authors: H.M. Abdallah, N. Alnaiemi, E.A. Reuland, B.B. Wintermans, A. Koek, A.M. Abdelwahab, A. Samy, K.W. Abdelsalam and C.M.J.E. Vandenbroucke-Grauls

Prevalence of antimicrobial resistant pathogens from blood cultures: results from a laboratory based nationwide surveillance in Ghana

Blood stream infections (BSI) are critical medical conditions with high morbidity and mortality. There is paucity of information on BSI from surveillance studies in Ghana.

Authors: Japheth Awuletey Opintan and Mercy Jemima Newman

Effectiveness of surface coatings containing silver ions in bacterial decontamination in a recovery unit

HAIs remain a frequent complication for hospitalised patients and pose a challenge that must be tackled by our health systems.

Authors: Rafael Manuel Ortí-Lucas and Julio Muñoz-Miguel

Comparison of subsequent infection in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriers between ST72 community-genotype and hospital genotypes: a retrospective cohort study

Carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an important risk factor of subsequent infection. The purpose of our study was to compare the rates of subsequent infection among newly-admitted p...

Authors: So Yeon Park, Doo Ryeon Chung, Yu Ri Kang, So Hyun Kim, Sun Young Cho, Young Eun Ha, Cheol-In Kang, Kyong Ran Peck and Jae-Hoon Song

Reduced rate of intensive care unit acquired gram-negative bacilli after removal of sinks and introduction of ‘water-free’ patient care

Sinks in patient rooms are associated with hospital-acquired infections. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of removal of sinks from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patient rooms and the introducti...

Authors: Joost Hopman, Alma Tostmann, Heiman Wertheim, Maria Bos, Eva Kolwijck, Reinier Akkermans, Patrick Sturm, Andreas Voss, Peter Pickkers and Hans vd Hoeven

Antimicrobial susceptibility of Clostridium difficile isolated in Thailand

Exposure to antimicrobials is the major risk factor associated with Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). Paradoxically, treatment of CDI with antimicrobials remains the preferred option. To date, only three stu...

Authors: Papanin Putsathit, Monthira Maneerattanaporn, Pipat Piewngam, Daniel R. Knight, Pattarachai Kiratisin and Thomas V. Riley

Virulence traits associated with Burkholderia cenocepacia ST856 epidemic strain isolated from cystic fibrosis patients

Burkholderia cenocepacia is considered one of the most problematic cystic fibrosis (CF) pathogens. Colonization prevalence in the Serbian CF population is high and virtually exclusivel...

Authors: Milka Malešević, Zorica Vasiljević, Aleksandar Sovtić, Brankica Filipić, Katarina Novović, Milan Kojić and Branko Jovčić

Surveillance of surgical site infections by Pseudomonas aeruginosa and strain characterization in Tanzanian hospitals does not provide proof for a role of hospital water plumbing systems in transmission

The role of hospital water systems in the development of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) surgical site infections (SSIs) in low-income countries is barely studied. This study characterized P. aeruginosa is...

Authors: Nyambura Moremi, Heike Claus, Ulrich Vogel and Stephen E. Mshana

Diffusion of clindamycin-resistant and erythromycin-resistant methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), potential ST398, in United States Veterans Health Administration Hospitals, 2003-2014

Changing phenotypic profiles of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) isolates can indicate the emergence of novel sequence types (ST). The diffusion of MSSA ST can be tracked by combining establis...

Authors: Margaret Carrel, Michihiko Goto, Marin L. Schweizer, Michael Z. David, Daniel Livorsi and Eli N. Perencevich

Effectiveness of various cleaning and disinfectant products on Clostridium difficile spores of PCR ribotypes 010, 014 and 027

In healthcare facilities, Clostridium difficile infections spread by transmission of bacterial spores. Appropriate sporicidal disinfectants are needed to prevent development of clusters and outbreaks. In this stu...

Authors: N. Kenters, E. G. W. Huijskens, S. C. J. de Wit, I. G. J. M. Sanders, J. van Rosmalen, E. J. Kuijper and A. Voss

How externalities impact an evaluation of strategies to prevent antimicrobial resistance in health care organizations

The rates of antimicrobial-resistant organisms (ARO) continue to increase for both hospitalized and community patients. Few resources have been allocated to reduce the spread of resistance on global, national ...

Authors: Jenine R. Leal, John Conly, Elizabeth Ann Henderson and Braden J. Manns

Erratum to: Abstracts from the 8th International Congress of the Asia Pacific Society of Infection Control (APSIC)

Authors: Teresa Conceição, Hermínia de Lencastre, Marta Aires-de-Sousa, Rocio Alvarez Marin, Marta Aires de Sousa, Nicolas Kieffer, Patrice Nordmann, Laurent Poirel, Wison Laochareonsuk, Sireekul Petyu, Pawin Wanasitchaiwat, Sutasinee Thana, Chollathip Bunyaphongphan, Woranan Boonsomsuk, Pakpoom Maneepongpermpoon, Silom Jamulitrat…

Characterization of the novel In1059 harbouring VIM gene cassette

VIM-type enzyme encodes the most widely acquired metallo-β-lactamases in Gram- negative bacteria. To obtain current epidemiological data for integrons from enterobacteriae in hospital, the study characterizes ...

Authors: Dongguo Wang, Jinhong Yang, Meiyu Fang, Wei He, Ying Zhang, Caixia Liu and Dongsheng Zhou

Colonization of long term care facility patients with MDR-Gram-negatives during an Acinetobacter baumannii outbreak

We aimed to determine the prevalence of colonization by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria including ESBL-producing enterobacteriaceae, carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and

Authors: Ines Zollner-Schwetz, Elisabeth Zechner, Elisabeth Ullrich, Josefa Luxner, Christian Pux, Gerald Pichler, Walter Schippinger, Robert Krause and Eva Leitner

Weekly screening supports terminating nosocomial transmissions of vancomycin-resistant enterococci on an oncologic ward – a retrospective analysis

To investigate the impact of weekly screening within the bundle of infection control measures to terminate vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) transmissions on an oncologic ward.

Authors: Stefanie Kampmeier, Dennis Knaack, Annelene Kossow, Stefanie Willems, Christoph Schliemann, Wolfgang E. Berdel, Frank Kipp and Alexander Mellmann

The threat of antimicrobial resistance in developing countries: causes and control strategies

The causes of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in developing countries are complex and may be rooted in practices of health care professionals and patients’ behavior towards the use of antimicrobials as well as ...

Authors: James A. Ayukekbong, Michel Ntemgwa and Andrew N. Atabe

Sites of colonization in hospitalized patients with infections caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase organisms: a prospective cohort study

The objective of this study was to determine whether patients infected with extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing organisms are colonized at multiple body sites.

Authors: Zeina A. Kanafani, Sukayna M. Fadlallah, Sarah Assaf, Khalil Anouti, Kohar Annie B. Kissoyan, Jad Sfeir, Tamara Nawar, Mohamad Yasmin and Ghassan M. Matar

Patient engagement with surgical site infection prevention: an expert panel perspective

Despite remarkable developments in the use of surgical techniques, ergonomic advancements in the operating room, and implementation of bundles, surgical site infections (SSIs) remain a substantial burden, asso...

Authors: E. Tartari, V. Weterings, P. Gastmeier, J. Rodríguez Baño, A. Widmer, J. Kluytmans and A. Voss

Prevalence and pattern of antibiotic resistance of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from door handles and other points of contact in public hospitals in Ghana

Studies have implicated Staphylococcus aureus as the leading cause of septicemia in the Tamale metropolis of Ghana. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility of S. aureus

Authors: Courage Kosi Setsoafia Saba, Jean Kwadwo Amenyona and Stephen Wilson Kpordze

Reliability and validity of using telephone calls for post-discharge surveillance of surgical site infection following caesarean section at a tertiary hospital in Tanzania

Surgical site infection (SSI) is a common post-operative complication causing significant morbidity and mortality. Many SSI occur after discharge from hospital. Post-discharge SSI surveillance in low and middl...

Authors: Boniface Nguhuni, Pasquale De Nardo, Elisa Gentilotti, Zainab Chaula, Caroline Damian, Paola Mencarini, Emanuele Nicastri, Arnold Fulment, Alessandro Piscini, Francesco Vairo, Alexander M. Aiken and Giuseppe Ippolito

Clean Your Hands 5th May 2017: 'Fight antibiotic resistance - it's in your hands'

Authors: Ermira Tartari, Daniela Pires and Didier Pittet

High burden of Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) fecal carriage at a teaching hospital: cost-effectiveness of screening in low-resource setting

Infections by multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria (MDR-GNB) have been continuously growing and pose challenge to health institution globally. Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriacea (CRE) was identified as ...

Authors: Abdul Rahman Zaidah, Nurul Izzah Mohammad, Siti Suraiya and Azian Harun

Investigation of antimicrobial use at a tertiary care hospital in Southern Punjab, Pakistan using WHO methodology

Globally, between 20 to 50% of antimicrobial consumption is inappropriate, causing significant impact on the quality of care, cost of therapy and incidence of adverse drug reactions. The purpose of this study ...

Authors: Muhammad Atif, Muhammad Azeem, Anum Saqib and Shane Scahill

Risk factors and outcomes of organ-space surgical site infections after elective colon and rectal surgery

Organ-space surgical site infections (SSI) are the most serious and costly infections after colorectal surgery. Most previous studies of risk factors for SSI have analysed colon and rectal procedures together....

Authors: Aina Gomila, Jordi Carratalà, Daniel Camprubí, Evelyn Shaw, Josep Mª Badia, Antoni Cruz, Francesc Aguilar, Carmen Nicolás, Anna Marrón, Laura Mora, Rafel Perez, Lydia Martin, Rosa Vázquez, Ana Felisa Lopez, Enric Limón, Francesc Gudiol…

P. aeruginosa colonization at ICU admission as a risk factor for developing P. aeruginosa ICU pneumonia

To determine the incidence of P. aeruginosa (PA) ICU pneumonia and its independent association with PA colonization at ICU admission.

Authors: Fleur P. Paling, Martin Wolkewitz, Pieter Depuydt, Liesbet de Bus, Frangiscos Sifakis, Marc J. M. Bonten and Jan A. J. W. Kluytmans

Screening and contact precautions – A survey on infection control measures for multidrug-resistant bacteria in German university hospitals

To assess the scope of infection control measures for multidrug-resistant bacteria in high-risk settings, a survey among university hospitals was conducted. Fourteen professionals from 8 sites participated. Re...

Authors: Lena M. Biehl, Hartmut Bertz, Johannes Bogner, Ute-Helke Dobermann, Johanna Kessel, Carolin Krämer, Sebastian Lemmen, Marie von Lilienfeld-Toal, Silke Peter, Mathias W. Pletz, Holger Rohde, Stefan Schmiedel, Sören Schubert, Andrew J. Ullmann, Gerd Fätkenheuer and Maria J. G. T. Vehreschild

In vitro evaluation of the susceptibility of Acinetobacter baumannii isolates to antiseptics and disinfectants: comparison between clinical and environmental isolates

This study aims to assess the susceptibility of Acinetobacter baumannii isolates to the antiseptics and disinfectants commonly used, and to the non-approved product.

Authors: Sanae Lanjri, Jean Uwingabiye, Mohammed Frikh, Lina Abdellatifi, Jalal Kasouati, Adil Maleb, Abdelouahed Bait, Abdelhay Lemnouer and Mostafa Elouennass

Barriers and facilitators to infection control at a hospital in northern India: a qualitative study

Hospital acquired infections occur at higher rates in low- and middle-income countries, like India, than in high-income countries. Effective implementation of infection control practices is crucial to reducing...

Authors: Anna K. Barker, Kelli Brown, Dawd Siraj, Muneeb Ahsan, Sharmila Sengupta and Nasia Safdar

The incidence of MRSA infections in the United States: is a more comprehensive tracking system needed?

A review of epidemiological studies on the incidence of MRSA infections overtime was performed along with an analysis of data available for download from Hospital Compare (

Authors: Kevin T. Kavanagh, Said Abusalem and Lindsay E. Calderon

Inappropriate prescribing in outpatient healthcare: an evaluation of respiratory infection visits among veterans in teaching versus non-teaching primary care clinics

A recent study led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed at least 30% of antibiotic prescriptions in the outpatient setting were inappropriate. In this study of all ages, among adult...

Authors: Diane M. Parente, Tristan T. Timbrook, Aisling R. Caffrey and Kerry L. LaPlante