Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Therapy

Dear Colleagues,

Hospital-acquired infections occur frequently among hospitalized patients and are associated with a significant increase in morbidity and mortality. The most common of these include bloodstream infections and respiratory tract and urinary tract infections. Currently, several changes regarding the epidemiology and microbiology of hospital-acquired infections are noted, mostly related to the increasing problem of antimicrobial resistance either in Gram-positives, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus, or in Gram-negatives, such as carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales, extensively drug-resistant and pan-drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, and multi-drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The problem of increasing antimicrobial resistance leaves few therapeutic options, leading to the revival of old antibiotics or the use of antimicrobial combinations in difficult-to-treat pathogens.

To obtain a better understanding of the problem of hospital-acquired infections and the changes in their antimicrobial treatment, this Topic aims to bring together original studies and literature reviews related to the epidemiology, microbiology, clinical characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of these infections. Furthermore, studies focusing on antimicrobial stewardship and infection control regarding hospital-acquired infections are also welcome.

Dr. Diamantis P. Kofteridis
Dr. Petros Ioannou
Topic Editors