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Antibiotics
Special Issues
Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare-Associated Infection
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Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare-Associated Infection

A special issue of Antibiotics (ISSN 2079-6382).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 April 2021) | Viewed by 9221

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Ines Zollner-Schwetz

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Section of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Interests: Nosocomial infection; healthcare associated infection; long-term care facility; antimicrobial resistance; infection control

Special Issue Information

Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) are the cause of substantial morbidity and mortality all over the world. The widespread inappropriate use of antimicrobial substances contributes to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance in healthcare facilities leading to HAIs caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens. Research has focused on HAIs acquired in acute-care hospitals, but resistant bacteria are also spread in other settings, such as long-term care facilities, home care, and ambulatory care. A better understanding of the factors contributing to the development and spread of multidrug-resistant pathogens and possibilities to prevent transmission and infection in various healthcare settings is urgently needed.

Therefore, this Special Issue seeks manuscript submissions that further our knowledge of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance development in all healthcare settings.

Dr. Ines Zollner-Schwetz
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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.

Keywords

  • Nosocomial infection
  • healthcare associated infection
  • long-term care facility
  • antimicrobial resistance
  • infection control

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

8 pages, 510 KiB  
Article
Prospective Surveillance of Healthcare-Associated Infections in Residents in Four Long-Term Care Facilities in Graz, Austria
by Elisabeth König, Mara Medwed, Christian Pux, Michael Uhlmann, Walter Schippinger, Robert Krause and Ines Zollner-Schwetz
Antibiotics 2021, 10(5), 544; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics10050544 - 7 May 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2480
Abstract
Healthcare-associated infections (HCAI) are a common cause for residents’ mortality and morbidity associated with a significant socio-economic burden. Data on HCAIs in Austrian long-term care facilities are scare. Therefore, we evaluated the incidence rate of HCAIs per 1000 resident days in four LTC [...] Read more.
Healthcare-associated infections (HCAI) are a common cause for residents’ mortality and morbidity associated with a significant socio-economic burden. Data on HCAIs in Austrian long-term care facilities are scare. Therefore, we evaluated the incidence rate of HCAIs per 1000 resident days in four LTC facilities in Graz, Austria, characterized the spectrum of HCAIs and the use of antimicrobial substances. We conducted a prospective surveillance study from 1 January to 31 December 2018 in four LTCFs of the Geriatric Health Centre of the City of Graz (total of 388 beds). Nursing staff collected data on HCAIs once a week using an electronic reporting system. During the 12-month surveillance period, 252 infections of 165 residents were recorded. The overall incidence rate of HCAIs was 2.1 per 1000 resident days. Urinary tract infections were the most commonly recorded HCAIs (49%, 124/252, 1.03 per 1000 resident days), followed by skin and soft tissue infections and respiratory tract infections. Beta-lactams (ATC class J01C) were prescribed most frequently (63/212), followed by fluoroquinolones (J01M; 54/212). In conclusion, the overall incidence rate for HCAIs was relatively low at 2.1 per 1000 resident days. Our real-life data can serve as a basis for future antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention interventions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare-Associated Infection)
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7 pages, 239 KiB  
Article
Surveillance of Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Anaerobe Clinical Isolates in Southeast Austria: Bacteroides fragilis Group Is on the Fast Track to Resistance
by Elisabeth König, Hans P. Ziegler, Julia Tribus, Andrea J. Grisold, Gebhard Feierl and Eva Leitner
Antibiotics 2021, 10(5), 479; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics10050479 - 21 Apr 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2502
Abstract
Anaerobic bacteria play an important role in human infections. Bacteroides spp. are some of the 15 most common pathogens causing nosocomial infections. We present antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) results of 114 Gram-positive anaerobic isolates and 110 Bacteroides-fragilis-group-isolates (BFGI). Resistance profiles were determined [...] Read more.
Anaerobic bacteria play an important role in human infections. Bacteroides spp. are some of the 15 most common pathogens causing nosocomial infections. We present antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) results of 114 Gram-positive anaerobic isolates and 110 Bacteroides-fragilis-group-isolates (BFGI). Resistance profiles were determined by MIC gradient testing. Furthermore, we performed disk diffusion testing of BFGI and compared the results of the two methods. Within Gram-positive anaerobes, the highest resistance rates were found for clindamycin and moxifloxacin (21.9% and 16.7%, respectively), and resistance for beta-lactams and metronidazole was low (<1%). For BFGI, the highest resistance rates were also detected for clindamycin and moxifloxacin (50.9% and 36.4%, respectively). Resistance rates for piperacillin/tazobactam and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid were 10% and 7.3%, respectively. Two B. fragilis isolates were classified as multi-drug-resistant (MDR), with resistance against all tested beta-lactam antibiotics. The comparative study of 109 BFGI resulted in 130 discrepancies in 763 readings (17%) with a high number of Very Major Errors (VME) and Major Errors (ME). In summary, resistance rates, with the exception of clindamycin and moxifloxacin, are still low, but we are facing increasing resistance rates for BFGI. Surveillance studies on a regular basis are still recommended. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare-Associated Infection)
12 pages, 991 KiB  
Article
The Clinical Need for New Diagnostics in the Identification and Management of Patients with Suspected Sepsis in UK NHS Hospitals: A Survey of Healthcare Professionals
by Amanda Winter, William Stephen Jones, A. Joy Allen, D. Ashley Price, Anthony Rostron, Raffaele Filieri and Sara Graziadio
Antibiotics 2020, 9(11), 737; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics9110737 - 26 Oct 2020
Viewed by 3335
Abstract
Development of a new diagnostic is ideally driven by an understanding of the clinical need that the test addresses and the optimal role the test will have within a care pathway. This survey aimed to understand the clinical need for new sepsis diagnostics [...] Read more.
Development of a new diagnostic is ideally driven by an understanding of the clinical need that the test addresses and the optimal role the test will have within a care pathway. This survey aimed to understand the clinical need for new sepsis diagnostics and to identify specific clinical scenarios that could be improved by testing. An electronic, cross-sectional survey was circulated to UK National Health Service (NHS) doctors and nurses who care for patients with suspected sepsis in hospitals. Two hundred and sixty-five participants completed the survey, representing 64 NHS Trusts in England. Sixty-seven percent of respondents suggested that the major cause of delay was during the initial identification of sepsis and the subsequent recognition of patients who were deteriorating. Existing blood tests did not enhance the confidence of consultants making their diagnoses. Those surveyed identified a role for a near-patient test to “rule out” suspected sepsis and, thereby, stop or postpone use of antibiotics. Current diagnostic tests are slow, non-specific, and do not reliably identify patients with a high suspicion of sepsis. As a result, they have a limited use in patient management and antibiotic stewardship. Future development of sepsis diagnostics should focus on overcoming these limitations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare-Associated Infection)
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