Articles

Nosocomial cluster of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacter cloacae in an intensive care unit dedicated COVID-19

Concomitant prevention of SARS-CoV-2 and extensively drug-resistant bacteria transmission is a difficult challenge in intensive care units dedicated to COVID-19 patients. We report a nosocomial cluster of four...

Authors: Guillaume Miltgen, Thomas Garrigos, Pascal Cholley, Marine Deleume, Nicolas Allou, Jérôme Allyn, David A. Wilkinson, Nathalie Lugagne, Olivier Belmonte, Xavier Bertrand, Didier Hocquet and Patrick Mavingui

A pre-pandemic COVID-19 assessment of the costs of prevention and control interventions for healthcare associated infections in medical and surgical wards in Québec

Healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) present a major public health problem that significantly affects patients, health care providers and the entire healthcare system. Infection prevention and control prog...

Authors: Eric Tchouaket Nguemeleu, Stephanie Robins, Sandra Boivin, Drissa Sia, Kelley Kilpatrick, Bruno Dubreuil, Catherine Larouche, Natasha Parisien and Josiane Letourneau

Droplets generated from toilets during urination as a possible vehicle of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae

In the health care setting, infection control actions are fundamental for containing the dissemination of multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDR). Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE), especially Klebsiella ...

Authors: Fabio Arena, Anna Rita Daniela Coda, Valentina Meschini, Roberto Verzicco and Arcangelo Liso

Epidemiology of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli from repeated prevalence studies over 11 years in a long-term-care facility

Escherichia coli sequence type (ST) 131 H30 is an emerging multidrug resistant subclone, known to spread and cause outbreaks in long-term care facilities (LTCFs).

Authors: Romain Martischang, Patrice François, Abdessalam Cherkaoui, Nadia Gaïa, Gesuele Renzi, Americo Agostinho, Monica Perez, Christophe E. Graf and Stephan Harbarth

ESBL/pAmpC-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae carriage among veterinary healthcare workers in the Netherlands

Animals are a reservoir for ESBL/pAmpC-producing Escherichia coli/Klebsiella pneumoniae (ESBL-E/K). We investigated the association between occupational contact with different types of animals and the prevalence ...

Authors: Anouk P. Meijs, Esther F. Gijsbers, Paul D. Hengeveld, Cindy M. Dierikx, Sabine C. de Greeff and Engeline van Duijkeren

Economic impact of a care bundle to prevent surgical site infection after craniotomy: a cost-analysis study

Surgical site infections after craniotomy (SSI-CRAN) significantly impact patient outcomes and healthcare costs by increasing length of stay and readmission and reoperation rates. However, to our knowledge, no...

Authors: Emilio Jiménez-Martínez, Guillermo Cuervo, Jordi Carratalà, Ana Hornero, Pilar Ciercoles, Andreu Gabarrós, Carmen Cabellos, Ivan Pelegrin, Maria Angeles Domínguez-Luzón, Jordi Càmara, Ramon Moreno-Fuentes, Jordi Adamuz and Miquel Pujol

Impact of interprofessional service-learning on the effectiveness of knowledge transfer of antimicrobial resistance to Hong Kong elders: a quasi-experiment

Community perception on antimicrobials plays a role in driving the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of interprofessional service-learning on the ef...

Authors: Anna C. Y. Lo, Joyce T. S. Li, Janita P. C. Chau, Samuel Y. S. Wong, David S. C. Hui and Vivian W. Y. Lee

Decontaminating N95/FFP2 masks for reuse during the COVID-19 epidemic: a systematic review

With the current COVID-19 pandemic, many healthcare facilities have been lacking a steady supply of filtering facepiece respirators. To better address this challenge, the decontamination and reuse of these res...

Authors: Alexandra Peters, Nasim Lotfinejad, Rafael Palomo, Walter Zingg, Pierre Parneix, Hervé Ney and Didier Pittet

An outbreak investigation of Burkholderia cepacia infections related with contaminated chlorhexidine mouthwash solution in a tertiary care center in Turkey

We report a nosocomial outbreak caused by Burkholderia cepacia that occurred among six patients admitted in the medical and surgical intensive care unit between 04 March 2019 and 02 April 2019 in Istanbul, Turkey...

Authors: Hüseyin Bilgin, Gülşen Altınkanat Gelmez, Fatma Bayrakdar, Elvan Sayın, Fethi Gül, Nazlı Pazar, Gülcan Çulha, Serap Süzük Yıldız, Ismail Cinel and Volkan Korten

Overuse of antibiotics in maternity and neonatal wards, a descriptive report from public hospitals in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Overuse of antibiotics is a major challenge and undermines measures to control drug resistance worldwide. Postnatal women and newborns are at risk of infections and are often prescribed prophylactic antibiotic...

Authors: Mwaka A. Kakolwa, Susannah L. Woodd, Alexander M. Aiken, Fatuma Manzi, Giorgia Gon, Wendy J. Graham and Abdunoor M. Kabanywanyi

Case report of the first cured patient with Mycobacterium Chimaera infection following cardiac valve replacement in the mainland of China

Mycobacterium chimaera infections subsequent to cardiac surgery are related to contaminated heater-cooler devices, with high mortality. Nevertheless, few studies have been reported in Asia.

Authors: Di Lu, Chun-Hong Zhang, Li-Jiang Chen, Pei-Feng Jin, Xia-Fei Feng, Xi Zhou, Wei-Cong Huang, Jue Wang, Ying Dai and Yun Fu

Effectiveness of chlorhexidine in preventing infections among patients undergoing cardiac surgeries: a meta-analysis and systematic review

Although several meta-analyses reported the impact of chlorhexidine (CHX) use in patients undergoing various types of surgery, no meta-analysis summarized the overall effectiveness of CHX specifically for card...

Authors: Jianhua Wei, Lingying He, Fengxia Weng, Fangfang Huang and Peng Teng

Beyond the operating room: do hospital characteristics have an impact on surgical site infections after colorectal surgery? A systematic review

Hospital characteristics have been recognized as potential risk factors for surgical site infection for over 20 years. However, most research has focused on patient and procedural risk factors. Understanding h...

Authors: Rui Malheiro, Bárbara Peleteiro and Sofia Correia

Assessing the impact of the Global Point Prevalence Survey of Antimicrobial Consumption and Resistance (Global-PPS) on hospital antimicrobial stewardship programmes: results of a worldwide survey

The Global Point Prevalence Survey of Antimicrobial Consumption and Resistance (Global-PPS) provides a methodology to support hospitals worldwide in collecting antimicrobial use data. We aim to evaluate the im...

Authors: Ines Pauwels, Ann Versporten, Helene Vermeulen, Erika Vlieghe and Herman Goossens

Rapid reinfection with SARS-CoV-2 variant-of-concern Alpha detected in a nurse during an outbreak at a non-covid inpatient ward: lessons learned

We describe the lessons learned during a SARS-CoV-2 variant-of-concern Alpha outbreak investigation at a normal care unit in a university hospital in Amsterdam in December 2020. The outbreak consisted of nine ...

Authors: Jelle Koopsen, Mireille Dekker, Philip Thung, Marcel Jonges, Harry Vennema, Tjalling Leenstra, Dirk Eggink, Matthijs R. A. Welkers, Peter A. A. Struijs, Chantal Reusken, Rosa van Mansfeld, Menno D. de Jong, Janke Schinkel and Ingrid J. B. Spijkerman

Effectiveness of topical vancomycin in the prevention of spinal surgical site infections: a retrospective cohort study

The risk of surgical site infections (SSIs), particularly methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) SSIs, after spinal surgeries is one of the most daunting experiences to patients and surgeons. Some aut...

Authors: Rawan T. Tafish, Ahmed F. Alkhaldi, Anouar Bourghli and Turki A. Althunian

Mechanical ventilation-associated pneumonia caused by Acinetobacter baumannii in Northeast China region: analysis of genotype and drug resistance of bacteria and patients’ clinical features over 7 years

To investigate the clinical features and outcomes of patients with mechanical ventilation-associated pneumonia (VAP) caused by Acinetobacter baumannii (Ab), and to characterize the drug resistance of pathogenic s...

Authors: Tao Zhang, Xiao Xu, Cai-Fang Xu, Salisu Rabiu Bilya and Wei Xu

Knowledge, attitudes and behaviors on antibiotic use and resistance among healthcare workers in Italy, 2019: investigation by a clustering method

Identifying healthcare workers (HCW) who have less awareness and knowledge on antibiotic use and resistance represents a challenge for public health, since it might help the development of novel educational an...

Authors: Martina Barchitta, Michela Sabbatucci, Francesca Furiozzi, Stefania Iannazzo, Andrea Maugeri, Francesco Maraglino, Rosa Prato, Antonella Agodi and Annalisa Pantosti

Virus matrix interference on assessment of virucidal activity of high-touch surfaces designed to prevent hospital-acquired infections

High-touch surfaces are a critical reservoir in the spread of nosocomial infections. Although disinfection and infection control protocols are well developed, they lack the ability to passively reduce the path...

Authors: Sadru-Dean Walji, Mark R. Bruder and Marc G. Aucoin

The epidemiology of bloodstream infections and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns in Thuringia, Germany: a five-year prospective, state-wide surveillance study (AlertsNet)

Monitoring pathogens of bloodstream infections (BSI) and their antibiotic susceptibility is important to guide empiric antibiotic treatment strategies and prevention programs.

Authors: Franziska Schöneweck, Roland P. H. Schmitz, Florian Rißner, André Scherag, Bettina Löffler, Mathias W. Pletz, Sebastian Weis, Frank M. Brunkhorst and Stefan Hagel

Increasing incidence and antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli bloodstream infections: a multinational population-based cohort study

Escherichia coli is an important pathogen in humans and is the most common cause of bacterial bloodstream infections (BSIs). The objectives of our study were to determine factors associated with E. coli BSI incid...

Authors: Melissa C. MacKinnon, Scott A. McEwen, David L. Pearl, Outi Lyytikäinen, Gunnar Jacobsson, Peter Collignon, Daniel B. Gregson, Louis Valiquette and Kevin B. Laupland

Abstracts from the 6th international conference on prevention & infection control (ICPIC 2021)

Authors:

Non-prescriptionxx antibiotic use for people aged 15 years or older for cough in China: a community-based survey

Non-prescription antibiotic use at community is a main driver of antimicrobial resistance. Cough is a common condition and prevalent in all townships, including China. This study aims to investigate the non-pr...

Authors: Yan Luo, Xuewen Tang, Linling Ding, Zhujun Shao, Jianxing Yu, Yangqing Chen, Yang Zhou, Hanqing He and Zhiping Chen

Admission screening and cohort care decrease carbapenem resistant enterobacteriaceae in Vietnamese pediatric ICU’s

To assess if admission screening for Carbapenem Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) and cohort care can reduce CRE acquisition (CRE colonization during hospital stay), Hospital Acquired Infections (HAI), hospital-...

Authors: K. Garpvall, V. Duong, S. Linnros, T. N. Quốc, D. Mucchiano, S. Modeen, L. Lagercrantz, A. Edman, N. K. Le, T. Huong, N. T. B. Hoang, H. T. Le, D. TK. Khu, D. M. Tran, P. H. Phuc, H. Hanberger…

Investigation of possible transmission of a susceptible microorganism through a contaminated duodenoscope; a case report

Despite compliance to extensive reprocessing protocols, duodenoscopes have been linked to outbreaks of susceptible and multi-drug resistant organisms (MDRO) due to persistent duodenoscope contamination. Duoden...

Authors: Judith A. Kwakman, Arjan W. Rauwers, Corné H. W. Klaassen, Marco J. Bruno and Margreet C. Vos

Prevalence of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis in a Chinese multidrug-resistant TB cohort after redefinition

Recently, the definition of extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) has been revised. In this study, we conducted a descriptive and retrospective study to determine the prevalence of XDR-TB in a Chinese multidr...

Authors: Cong Yao, Haiping Guo, Qiang Li, Xuxia Zhang, Yuanyuan Shang, Tongxin Li, Yufeng Wang, Zhongtan Xue, Lu Wang, Liang Li and Yu Pang

COVID-19 lessons learned: a global perspective

One June 15, 2021, infectious disease authorities from around the world participated in a joint webinar to share experiences and lessons learned in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the overriding goals...

Authors: Kevin T. Kavanagh, Christine Pontus, Judith Pare and Lindsay E. Cormier

Animal source food eating habits of outpatients with antimicrobial resistance in Bukavu, D.R. Congo

Antibiotic resistance is a public health concern in Democratic Republic Congo and worldwide. It is usually caused by antibiotic over prescription or dispensing practices. The consumption of animal source food ...

Authors: Ghislain Bilamirwa Ngaruka, Brigitte Bora Neema, Theophile Kashosi Mitima, Antoine Sadiki Kishabongo and Olivier Basole Kashongwe

A five-component infection control bundle to permanently eliminate a carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii spreading in an intensive care unit

Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) infection outbreaks are difficult to control and sometimes require cohorting of CRAB-positive patients or temporary ward closure for environmental cleaning. We ...

Authors: Marianna Meschiari, José-María Lòpez-Lozano, Vincenzo Di Pilato, Carola Gimenez-Esparza, Elena Vecchi, Erica Bacca, Gabriella Orlando, Erica Franceschini, Mario Sarti, Monica Pecorari, Antonella Grottola, Claudia Venturelli, Stefano Busani, Lucia Serio, Massimo Girardis, Gian Maria Rossolini…

Genomic analysis of Staphylococcus aureus from the West African Dwarf (WAD) goat in Nigeria

Staphylococcus aureus can colonize various host species, and human-animal interaction is a significant factor for cross-species transmission. However, data on S. aureus colonization in animals, particularly on ru...

Authors: Adebayo Osagie Shittu, Fadekemi Funmilayo Taiwo, Neele Judith Froböse, Bianca Schwartbeck, Silke Niemann, Alexander Mellmann and Frieder Schaumburg

Pathogens distribution and antimicrobial resistance in bloodstream infections in twenty-five neonatal intensive care units in China, 2017–2019

Overcrowding, abuse of antibiotics and increasing antimicrobial resistance negatively affect neonatal survival rates in developing countries. We aimed to define pathogens and their antimicrobial resistance (AM...

Authors: Jing Liu, Zengyu Fang, Yonghui Yu, Yanjie Ding, Zhijie Liu, Chengyuan Zhang, Haiying He, Hongli Geng, Weibing Chen, Guoying Zhao, Qiang Liu, Baoying Wang, Xueming Sun, Shaofeng Wang, Rongrong Sun, Delong Fu…

Long-term antimicrobial effectiveness of a silver-impregnated foil on high-touch hospital surfaces in patient rooms

The hospital environment has got more attention as evidence as source for bacterial transmission and subsequent hospital-acquired infection increased. Regular cleaning and disinfection have been proposed to lo...

Authors: Andreas F. Widmer, Sonja Kuster, Marc Dangel, Sammy Jäger and Reno Frei

Nosocomial infections among COVID-19 patients: an analysis of intensive care unit surveillance data

Surveillance of nosocomial infections, like catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI), central line-associated bloodstream infection, possible ventilator-associated pneumonia and secondary bloodstrea...

Authors: Clara Chong Hui Ong, Sharifah Farhanah, Kyaw Zaw Linn, Ying Wei Tang, Chu Ying Poon, Allie Yin Lim, Hui Ru Tan, Nur Hafizah Binte Hamed, Xiaowei Huan, Ser Hon Puah, Benjamin C. H. Ho, Margaret M. L. Soon, Brenda S. P. Ang, Shawn Vasoo, Monica Chan, Yee Sin Leo…

Trends in prevalence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli isolated from patients with community- and healthcare-associated bacteriuria: results from 2014 to 2020 in an urban safety-net healthcare system

The prevalence of infections caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-E. coli) is increasing worldwide, but the setting in which this increase is occurring is not well defined. ...

Authors: Eva Raphael, M. Maria Glymour and Henry F. Chambers

Correlation between antibiotic consumption and the incidence of healthcare facility-onset Clostridioides difficile infection: a retrospective chart review and analysis

Healthcare facility-onset Clostridioides difficile infection is the leading cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea, and is associated with morbidity and mortality. The use of antibiotics is an important risk fac...

Authors: Ji Hyun Yun, Ga Eun Park and Hyun Kyun Ki

The correlation between ATP measurement and microbial contamination of inanimate surfaces

The objective of this study was to determine the correlation between adenosine triphosphate (ATP) measurements and microbial contamination using a standardized method. Secondarily, analyzing reproducibility of...

Authors: Andreas van Arkel, Ina Willemsen and Jan Kluytmans

Global status of tetracycline resistance among clinical isolates of Vibrio cholerae: a systematic review and meta-analysis

There has been an increasing resistance rate to tetracyclines, the first line treatment for cholera disease caused by V. cholera strains, worldwide. The aim of the present study was to determine the global status...

Authors: Mohammad Hossein Ahmadi

SARS-CoV-2 nosocomial infection acquired in a French university hospital during the 1st wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, a prospective study

In healthcare facilities, nosocomial transmissions of respiratory viruses are a major issue. SARS-CoV-2 is not exempt from nosocomial transmission. Our goals were to describe COVID-19 nosocomial cases during t...

Authors: A. Landoas, F. Cazzorla, M. Gallouche, S. Larrat, B. Nemoz, C. Giner, M. Le Maréchal, P. Pavese, O. Epaulard, P. Morand, M.-R. Mallaret and C. Landelle

Infection prevention and control (IPC) implementation in low-resource settings: a qualitative analysis

The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has again demonstrated the critical role of effective infection prevention and control (IPC) implementation to combat infectious disease threats. Standards such...

Authors: Sara Tomczyk, Julie Storr, Claire Kilpatrick and Benedetta Allegranzi

Impact of a total lockdown for pandemic SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) on deep surgical site infections and other complications after orthopedic surgery: a retrospective analysis

A total lockdown for pandemic SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) entailed a restriction of elective orthopedic surgeries in Switzerland.  While access to the hospital and human contacts were limited, hygiene measures were ...

Authors: Ines Unterfrauner, Laura A. Hruby, Peter Jans, Ludwig Steinwender, Mazda Farshad and Ilker Uçkay

Comparison of colistin-induced nephrotoxicity between two different formulations of colistin in critically ill patients: a retrospective cohort study

Colistin is widely used in the treatment of nosocomial infections caused by carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacilli (CR-GNB). Colistin-induced nephrotoxicity is one of the major adverse reactions during col...

Authors: Jia-Yih Feng, Yi-Tzu Lee, Sheng-Wei Pan, Kuang-Yao Yang, Yuh-Min Chen, David Hung-Tsang Yen, Szu-Yuan Li and Fu-Der Wang

Evaluation of GeneXpert PA assay compared to genomic and (semi-)quantitative culture methods for direct detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in endotracheal aspirates

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common cause of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Rapid and accurate detection of lower respiratory tract colonization and/or infection with P. aeruginosa may advise targeted prev...

Authors: Thomas Ewout van der Schalk, Jasmine Coppens, Leen Timbermont, Agata Turlej-Rogacka, Liesbet Van Heirstraeten, Matilda Berkell, Li Yu, Christine Lammens, Basil Britto Xavier, Veerle Matheeussen, Margareta Ieven, Michael McCarthy, Philippe G. Jorens, Alexey Ruzin, Mark T. Esser, Samir Kumar-Singh…

Assessment of laparoscopic instrument reprocessing in rural India: a mixed methods study

Laparoscopy is a minimally-invasive surgical procedure that uses long slender instruments that require much smaller incisions than conventional surgery. This leads to faster recovery times, fewer post-surgical...

Authors: Daniel Robertson, Jesudian Gnanaraj, Linda Wauben, Jan Huijs, Vasanth Mark Samuel, Jenny Dankelman and Tim Horeman-Franse

Sequence type 17 is a predictor of subsequent bacteremia in vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium-colonized patients: a retrospective cohort study

Sequence type (ST) 17 vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREF) is frequently isolated in nosocomial settings. The aim of this study was to identify whether ST17 contributes to subsequent bacteremia more o...

Authors: Si-Ho Kim, Sun Young Cho, Hye Mee Kim, Kyungmin Huh, Cheol-In Kang, Kyong Ran Peck and Doo Ryeon Chung

Risk factors for norovirus infection in healthcare workers during nosocomial outbreaks: a cross-sectional study

Norovirus outbreaks cause severe medico-socio-economic problems affecting healthcare workers and patients. The aim of the study was to investigate prevalence of norovirus infection and risk factors for infecti...

Authors: Kjell Torén, Linus Schiöler, Nancy P. Nenonen, Charles Hannoun, Anette Roth, Lars-Magnus Andersson, Johan Westin and Tomas Bergström

Reducing the risk of tuberculosis transmission for HCWs in high incidence settings

Globally, tuberculosis (TB) is a leading cause of death from a single infectious agent. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at increased risk of hospital-acquired TB infection due to persistent exposure to Mycobacteriu...

Authors: Ana Paleckyte, Oshani Dissanayake, Stella Mpagama, Marc C. Lipman and Timothy D. McHugh

Antimicrobial stewardship in rural and remote primary health care: a narrative review

Antimicrobial resistance is an emerging problem worldwide and poses a significant threat to human health. Antimicrobial stewardship programmes are being implemented in health systems globally, primarily in hos...

Authors: Jun Wern Yau, Sze Mun Thor, Danny Tsai, Tobias Speare and Chris Rissel

Not too close! impact of roommate status on MRSA and VRE colonization and contamination in Nursing Homes

Multiple room occupancy is common in Nursing Homes (NHs), and its role in transmission of antibiotic-resistant pathogens is unclear. We investigated prevalence of patient colonization and environmental contami...

Authors: Marco Cassone, Meghan Linder, Cheon Jee Shin, Julia Mantey, Kristen Gibson, Bonnie Lansing and Lona Mody

A mandatory indication-registration tool in hospital electronic medical records enabling systematic evaluation and benchmarking of the quality of antimicrobial use: a feasibility study

Evaluation of the extent and appropriateness of antimicrobial use is a cornerstone of antibiotic stewardship programs, but it is time-consuming. Documentation of the indication at the moment of prescription mi...

Authors: Annemieke K. van den Broek, Berend H. H. Beishuizen, Eric A. F. Haak, Michiel Duyvendak, Jaap ten Oever, Chris Sytsma, Mieke van Triest, Cornelia C. H. Wielders and Jan M. Prins

Development of a web-based contact tracing and point-of-care-testing workflow for SARS-CoV-2 at a German University Hospital

In late 2019, a novel coronavirus was detected in China. Supported by its respiratory transmissibility, even by people infected without symptomatic disease, this coronavirus soon began to rapidly spread worldw...

Authors: Julian Zirbes, Christian M. Sterr, Marcus Steller, Laura Dapper, Claudia Nonnenmacher-Winter and Frank Günther