Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs): Prevention, Control and Surveillance, 2nd Edition

Dear Colleagues,

The success of the Special Issue “Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs): Prevention, Control and Surveillance” has encouraged us to launch a second volume on the same topic. As a continuation of the Special Issue, this second volume will focus on Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are infections acquired while patients receive treatment for medical or surgical conditions. The widespread misuse of antibiotics has led to the emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria, which are responsible for most HAIs. HAIs are associated with increased morbidity and mortality, prolonged hospital stays, and greater healthcare costs. Surveillance of HAIs is important to measure their burden, identify high-risk populations and procedures, and guide efforts to reduce HAI incidence. HAI surveillance is a core component of infection prevention and control (IPC) programmes worldwide. IPC is a practical, evidence-based approach that prevents patients and health workers from being harmed by avoidable infections. IPC involves all aspects of healthcare, including antimicrobial resistance. The frequency of HAIs varies between countries and according to economic conditions. The risk of acquiring an HAI is up to 20 times higher in low-/middle-income countries (LMICs). Interestingly, Enterobacterales, Acinetobacter spp., and Pseudomonas spp. have shown the highest prevalence of antibiotic resistance, including carbapenem resistance, in LMICs, as evidenced by a global survey. Effective IPC requires constant action at all levels of the health system, from policymakers, facility managers, health workers, and those who access health services.

For this Special Issue, we invite you to submit a manuscript related to all aspects concerning HAI detection, control, and management.

Dr. Maria Bagattini
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Antibiotics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.