Infection Prevention in Practice最新文献

{"title":"Improving ventilation hygiene in wards for immunocompromised patients: a workflow comparison of traditional and innovative duct cleaning methods","authors":"Pascal De Waegemaeker,&nbsp;Thomas Snoeij,&nbsp;Isabel Leroux-Roels","doi":"10.1016/j.infpip.2025.100472","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.infpip.2025.100472","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>For a vulnerable hospital population, hospital ventilation systems can pose a risk if not maintained correctly. Dust accumulation in air ducts can create environments that allow fungal spores, such as <em>Aspergillus.spp</em>, to thrive, potentially leading to severe infections like invasive aspergillosis. Our study aimed to develop a safe protocol for cleaning ventilation systems on an active ward in healthcare settings.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We conducted a comparative evaluation of ventilation duct cleaning in adjacent hospital rooms. In one room, the ducts were accessed from within the room using a traditional brushing method, while in the other room, the ducts were primarily accessed from outside using a novel method including the use of newly developed low speed brushes and point extraction of debris. Air quality was monitored by counting particles every 15 minutes in 100-liter samples using a calibrated air sampler and collecting microbiological specimens before and after the cleaning process.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>In-room cleaning caused a significant spike in airborne particles of all sizes, along with a modest increase in <em>Aspergillus spp.</em> spores, which took an hour to return to baseline levels. Conversely, external access for cleaning did not notably impact room air quality.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>These findings highlight the risks associated with internal duct cleaning, especially for patients who are vulnerable to airborne fungal infections. External duct access proves to be a safer alternative, ensuring minimal disruption to the air quality in patient care areas. This study supports the necessity of strategic planning in hospital ventilation maintenance to protect vulnerable populations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":33492,"journal":{"name":"Infection Prevention in Practice","volume":"7 3","pages":"Article 100472"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144597158","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practices regarding standard precautions of infection prevention and control and associated factors among healthcare personnel working at tertiary care hospitals in Punjab, Pakistan","authors":"Muhammad Kiddeer ,&nbsp;Aamir Abbas ,&nbsp;Abdul Basit ,&nbsp;Tawseef Ahmad ,&nbsp;Imran Masood","doi":"10.1016/j.infpip.2025.100464","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.infpip.2025.100464","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Inadequate infection control in healthcare settings can increase healthcare-associated infections and worsen morbidity and mortality rates. Standard precautions, applicable to all patients with suspected or confirmed infections, safeguard both healthcare personnel and patients. This study aimed to evaluate knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding standard precautions among healthcare personnel in tertiary care hospitals across Punjab, Pakistan.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This multi-centre cross-sectional study, conducted from May to July 2019, included 600 healthcare personnel recruited via convenience sampling from tertiary care hospitals in six cities selected at random.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Out of 533 healthcare personnel, the response rate was 88.8%. Most respondents were female (<em>N</em>=341, 64.2%), mean ± standard deviation (SD) age was 28.85 ±7.08 years, and mean ± SD length of service was 5.58 ± 5.78 years. Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding standard precautions were poor, and only 37.5%, 46.7% and 46.3% of respondents had good knowledge, positive attitudes and safe practices, respectively. Healthcare personnel with &gt;10 years of experience [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.98, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.60–5.55], previous infection control training (AOR 1.96, 95% CI 1.30–2.94), professional degrees (AOR 2.04, 95% CI 1.16–3.60), and availability of infection control guidelines in their work department were more likely to have good knowledge regarding standard precautions. The availability of infection control guidelines in the work department was also significantly associated with positive attitudes (AOR 2.83, 95% CI 1.76–4.56) and safe practices (AOR 3.46, 95% CI 1.94–6.14).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Knowledge, attitudes and practices of healthcare personnel regarding standard precautions were inadequate. Continuous education and certified training for healthcare personnel can improve infection control measures substantially in public healthcare settings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":33492,"journal":{"name":"Infection Prevention in Practice","volume":"7 3","pages":"Article 100464"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144338639","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"COVID-19 vaccination and use of antibiotics in COVID-19 patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis","authors":"Marios Politis ,&nbsp;Ioanna Chatzichristodoulou ,&nbsp;Varvara A. Mouchtouri ,&nbsp;Georgios Rachiotis","doi":"10.1016/j.infpip.2025.100461","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.infpip.2025.100461","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Vaccinations are considered one of the most effective medical interventions. Among other benefits, certain vaccinations help reduce antimicrobial resistance by decreasing antibiotic use. Considering reports of increased antimicrobial resistance during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study aimed to explore the relationship between COVID-19 vaccination status and antibiotic use in COVID-19 patients.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and Google Scholar between January 1, 2021, and November 6, 2024. The included studies were assessed for risk of bias using the Newcastle-Ottawa tool. Narrative synthesis and random-effects meta-analysis were employed to synthesize the evidence.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Eight studies were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis (134,022 participants). COVID-19 vaccination was significantly associated with a 34% reduction in the odds of antibiotic use (OR: 0.662; 95% CI: 0.540–0.811) in COVID-19 patients. These findings were supported by the sensitivity analyses. In the subgroup analysis, a significant negative association was observed between COVID-19 vaccination and antibiotic use among COVID-19 patients across all study designs. A major limitation of this study is that most of the included studies did not adjust for confounders.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>COVID-19 vaccination was associated with a significant reduction in antibiotic use among COVID-19 patients. COVID-19 vaccination status may have influenced healthcare providers' decisions regarding antibiotic use in this group. Further large-scale cohort studies are needed to confirm these findings.</div></div><div><h3>Other</h3><div>The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO (ID: CRD42023449625). No funding was provided for this study. The APCs were covered by the Karolinska Institute.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":33492,"journal":{"name":"Infection Prevention in Practice","volume":"7 3","pages":"Article 100461"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144907624","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Corrigendum to ‘Utilizing an adenosine triphosphate bioluminescence assay as an indicator of instrument and environmental cleanliness in the radiology department – a pilot study’ Infect Prev Pract, Volume 7 (2025) 100449","authors":"Wen-Chang Tseng ,&nbsp;Yung-Cheng Wang ,&nbsp;Wei-Chi Chen ,&nbsp;Kang-Ping Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.infpip.2025.100466","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.infpip.2025.100466","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":33492,"journal":{"name":"Infection Prevention in Practice","volume":"7 2","pages":"Article 100466"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144106225","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association of antimicrobial consumption with Clostridioides difficile incidence across the departments of an academic medical centre","authors":"Nasstasja Wassilew ,&nbsp;Alexandra Zehnder ,&nbsp;Andrew Atkinson ,&nbsp;Andreas Kronenberg ,&nbsp;Jonas Marschall","doi":"10.1016/j.infpip.2025.100468","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.infpip.2025.100468","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div><em>Clostridioides difficile</em> infection <em>(CDI)</em> is a common gastrointestinal disease in healthcare settings, ranging from uncomplicated diarrhoea to life-threatening pseudomembranous colitis. It is associated with increased morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs. The aim of the study was to correlate CDI incidence with total and specific antibiotic consumption across 17 clinical departments of an academic hospital.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This retrospective correlation study used data on CDI and antibiotic prescriptions from 1.1.2008 to 31.12.2021. CDI episodes were defined using CDC criteria. Antibiotic consumption was reported per WHO in defined daily doses (DDD). A mixed effects logistic regression model was fitted with each department as random effect to determine CDI incidence as a function of year and adjusted for antibiotic consumption.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Amoxicillin-clavulanate showed the highest annual consumption across the 17 departments (median 13.5 DDD/100 patient-days). The average CDI incidence was highest in nephrology (22.3/10′000 patient-days) and lowest in otorhinolaryngology (0.1/10′000 patient-days). We observed an association between overall antimicrobial consumption and CDI incidence (incidence risk ratio (IRR) per 10 DDD/100 patient-days of 1.16, 95% confidence interval (1.09, 1.23), <em>P</em>&lt;0.001). When plotting each department's CDI incidence against the departmental average annual consumption, no significant trend was found; however, there was a trend for the association between CDI and selected antibiotic usage, such as carbapenems (<em>P</em>=0.003), ceftriaxone (<em>P</em>=0.04), cefepime (<em>P</em>&lt;0.001), macrolides (<em>P</em>&lt;0.001) and piperacillin/tazobactam (<em>P</em>=0.03).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>We detected an association between antibiotic consumption and CDI incidence across the departments of an academic hospital; however, we could only correlate departmental CDI incidence with the usage of select antibiotics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":33492,"journal":{"name":"Infection Prevention in Practice","volume":"7 3","pages":"Article 100468"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144490289","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Incidence of nosocomial pneumonia in two intensive care units of a French University Hospital from 2016 to 2022 in the era of COVID-19 pandemic","authors":"Sélilah Amour ,&nbsp;Elisabetta Kuczewski ,&nbsp;Elodie Marion ,&nbsp;Laurent Argaud ,&nbsp;Julien Crozon-Clauzel ,&nbsp;Anne Claire Lukaszewicz ,&nbsp;Philippe Vanhems ,&nbsp;Nagham Khanafer","doi":"10.1016/j.infpip.2025.100463","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.infpip.2025.100463","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia (HAP) are common in intensive care units (ICUs). The COVID-19 pandemic led to a global increase in healthcare-associated infections (HAI) among ICU patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the trends in HAP incidence over a seven-year period of surveillance in two ICUs at a French University Hospital, and to assess the impact of COVID-19 (as well as the associated bacterial ecology).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A prospective surveillance of HAI in ICUs was conducted during the 1^st quarter of each year between 2016 and 2022 (2020: reference year). Socio-demographic, clinical and bacteriological data were collected and the incidence of HAP was calculated. Poisson regressions were done and crude and adjusted incidence rate ratio were calculated.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>1,797 patients were included, with 61.3% of male and a median age of 67 years. The median duration of intubation was 4 days (7 days in 2021 and 5 days in 2022). The proportion of COVID-19 patients was 45.7% in 2021 and 24.1% in 2022. Compared to 2020, the incidence of HAP increased in both 2021 [cIRR: 2.34 (95%CI: 1.30–4.23) and aIRR: 2.26 (95%CI: 1.25–4.08)] and 2022 [cIRR: 1.79 (95%CI: 0.97–3.32) and aIRR: 1.66 (95%CI: 0.90–3.07)]. The most commonly identified microorganisms were Enterobacteriaceae (42.4%), with a significantly higher incidence of HAP due to Enterobacteriaceae in COVID-19 patients.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>These results indicate an increase of HAP incidence in 2021 and 2022, mainly caused by <em>Enterobacteriaceae</em> in COVID-19 patients. This trend needs to be confirmed or refuted in the post-pandemic era.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":33492,"journal":{"name":"Infection Prevention in Practice","volume":"7 2","pages":"Article 100463"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144083689","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"World Hand Hygiene Day 2025: A perspective from the Infection Prevention in Practice Editors","authors":"Siobhain Kelly ,&nbsp;Gemma Winzor ,&nbsp;Simon Ching Lam","doi":"10.1016/j.infpip.2025.100465","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.infpip.2025.100465","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":33492,"journal":{"name":"Infection Prevention in Practice","volume":"7 2","pages":"Article 100465"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143916621","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Antibiotic resistance profiles in Gram-negative bacteria causing bloodstream and urinary tract infections in paediatric and adult patients in Ndola District, Zambia, 2020–2021","authors":"Kaunda Yamba ,&nbsp;Joseph Yamweka Chizimu ,&nbsp;Raphael Chanda ,&nbsp;Mirfin Mpundu ,&nbsp;Mulemba Tillika Samutela ,&nbsp;Duncan Chanda ,&nbsp;Steward Mudenda ,&nbsp;Misa Finjika ,&nbsp;Bweendo Nduna Chansa ,&nbsp;Amon Siame ,&nbsp;Fanny Mbewe ,&nbsp;Moses Chakopo ,&nbsp;Andrew Mukubesa ,&nbsp;Patrice Mukomena ,&nbsp;Flavien Nsoni Bumbangi ,&nbsp;John Bwalya Muma","doi":"10.1016/j.infpip.2025.100462","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.infpip.2025.100462","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Bloodstream infections (BSIs) and urinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) have unfavourable treatment outcomes and negative economic impacts.</div></div><div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>The main objective of this study was to determine antibiotic resistance profiles in Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) causing BSIs and UTIs.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>A prospective study from October 2020 to January 2021 at Ndola Teaching Hospital and Arthur Davison Children's Hospital in the Ndola district, Zambia. Blood and urine samples collected from inpatients and outpatients presenting with fever and/or urinary tract infection symptoms were submitted for microbiological analysis. Pathogen identification and antibiotic susceptibility was determined by the automated VITEK 2 Compact machine. Resistance genes to commonly used antibiotics were determined using polymerase chain reaction. Data were analysed using SPSS version 28.0.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>One hundred and ten GNB were isolated, <em>E. coli</em> (45.5%) was predominant, with varying resistance profiles to different antibiotic classes. Resistance to third-generation cephalosporin was highest in <em>Enterobacter cloacae</em> (75%) and <em>Klebsiella pneumoniae</em> (71%), respectively. Emergence of carbapenem resistance was noted with the highest being 17% in <em>Acinetobacter baumannii</em>. Notably, the prevalence of multi-drug resistance was 63% and extensively drug-resistance was 32%. Resistance gene determinants identified included <em>bla</em>_CTX-M, <em>qnr</em>A and <em>bla</em>_NDM.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>High level antibiotic resistance was observed in GNB known to be prevalent causative agents of BSIs and UTIs locally in Zambia. Improving microbiology diagnostic capacity, strengthening antimicrobial stewardship programs and enforcing infection prevention and control measures are of utmost importance in promoting rational use of antibiotics and preventing the spread and emergence of resistant pathogens.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":33492,"journal":{"name":"Infection Prevention in Practice","volume":"7 3","pages":"Article 100462"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144279432","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clinical risk factors for postoperative infection in adult cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass: a retrospective study","authors":"Guangxu Mao ,&nbsp;Wensen Chen ,&nbsp;Liyun Wang ,&nbsp;Sheng Zhao ,&nbsp;Feng Zang","doi":"10.1016/j.infpip.2025.100458","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.infpip.2025.100458","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Postoperative infection remains a serious problem for patients undergoing open-heart surgery and is associated with poor prognosis and mortality.</div></div><div><h3>Aim</h3><div>To determine the incidence, characteristics and associated risk factors for nosocomial infections in adult cardiac surgery patients and to develop a nomogram prediction model.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Data were retrospectively collected from patients who underwent cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) at a tertiary hospital in 2023. Patients were divided into an infected group (<em>N</em> = 130) and a non-infected group (<em>N</em> = 192). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyse the independent risk factors for healthcare-associated infections after cardiac surgery under CPB.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Of the 1584 patients, 130 (8.21%) developed postoperative infections (infection group). Lower respiratory tract was the most common site of infection (<em>N</em> = 74, 56.9%), while Gram-negative bacteria were the predominant isolates overall (<em>N</em> = 81, 62.3%). Among the Gram-negative bacteria, <em>Acinetobacter baumannii</em> was the most frequently identified, whereas <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> was the leading strain among Gram-positive bacteria. Multivariate logistic regression analysis of the 322 patients included in the study revealed that CPB duration, American Society of Anaesthesiologists score, procalcitonin concentration on the first postoperative day, monocyte:lymphocyte ratio, preinfection mechanical ventilation duration, and preinfection central venous catheterization duration were the six independent predictors of postoperative infection. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.824 (0.778–0.870), and the model showed good predictive performance.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>A nomogram has been developed to predict postoperative infection via commonly available data. This tool could assist clinicians in optimising the perioperative care of patients undergoing cardiac surgery with CPB, but further external validation is needed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":33492,"journal":{"name":"Infection Prevention in Practice","volume":"7 2","pages":"Article 100458"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143874603","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A new classification of personal protective equipment in healthcare settings: Enhancing infection control and prevention","authors":"Hui Jin ,&nbsp;Qun Lu ,&nbsp;Kaiwen Ni ,&nbsp;Xiaoping Ni","doi":"10.1016/j.infpip.2025.100460","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.infpip.2025.100460","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":33492,"journal":{"name":"Infection Prevention in Practice","volume":"7 2","pages":"Article 100460"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143830093","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}