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Hospital-Acquired Infections and Multidrug-Resistant (MDR) Pathogens

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A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Bacterial Pathogens".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2024 | Viewed by 790

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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of Pathogens, entitled "Hospital-Acquired Infections and Multidrug-Resistant (MDR) Pathogens", offers a comprehensive exploration of a pressing global healthcare concern. It is our aim that, within these pages, readers will be able to find a compendium of research articles, reviews, and expert insights dedicated to unraveling the multifaceted challenges posed by infections acquired within healthcare settings, especially those caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens. This Issue will embark on a journey through the intricate landscape of hospital-acquired infections, shedding light on the epidemiology, transmission dynamics, and risk factors associated with these insidious ailments. Our aim is to provide an in-depth analysis of the alarming rise of MDR pathogens, dissect the genetic mechanisms underlying their resistance to multiple antimicrobial agents and the resulting implications for patient care and into the innovative strategies and cutting-edge technologies employed in the surveillance, prevention, and control of hospital-acquired infections.

Dr. Karolina Akinosoglou
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.

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 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

MDR pathogens
hospital-acquired infection
antimicrobial resistance
antimicrobial stewardship
infection control

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 788 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Outbreak in an ICU: Investigation of Possible Routes of Transmission and Implementation of Infection Control Measures

by Maria Luisa Cristina, Marina Sartini, Gianluca Ottria, Elisa Schinca, Giulia Adriano, Leonello Innocenti, Marco Lattuada, Stefania Tigano, David Usiglio and Filippo Del Puente

Pathogens 2024, 13(5), 369; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13050369 - 29 Apr 2024

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Abstract

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, a non-fermentative, ubiquitous, gram-negative aerobic bacterium, is associated with high mortality rates, particularly in immunocompromised or debilitated patients. The prevalence rate of ICU-acquired pneumonia episodes caused by this microorganism has been found to be 2%. S. maltophilia has been identified as one of the top 10 microorganisms responsible for such infections in EU/EEA countries. This study describes an outbreak of S. maltophilia in an intensive care unit of a hospital in northern Italy. This includes an epidemiological investigation of the cases, the environmental microbiological controls carried out, a comparison of the strains by multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and the measures taken to prevent and control the outbreak. Among the seven clinical isolates of S. maltophilia analyzed herein, six demonstrated susceptibilities to trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole. Conversely, one isolate of S. maltophilia exhibited resistance to first-line antibiotics. ST was found to be identical for six patients (ST 4), as well as in the environmental feedback on the trolley of Box 2. The analysis of the temporal and spatial progression of the outbreak has suggested that the transmission of S. maltophilia may have occurred through cross-transmission during care practices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hospital-Acquired Infections and Multidrug-Resistant (MDR) Pathogens)

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Review

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52 pages, 1118 KiB

Open AccessReview

Medical Device-Associated Biofilm Infections and Multidrug-Resistant Pathogens

by Nesrine Bouhrour, Peter H. Nibbering and Farida Bendali

Pathogens 2024, 13(5), 393; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13050393 - 8 May 2024

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Abstract

Medical devices such as venous catheters (VCs) and urinary catheters (UCs) are widely used in the hospital setting. However, the implantation of these devices is often accompanied by complications. About 60 to 70% of nosocomial infections (NIs) are linked to biofilms. The main complication is the ability of microorganisms to adhere to surfaces and form biofilms which protect them and help them to persist in the host. Indeed, by crossing the skin barrier, the insertion of VC inevitably allows skin flora or accidental environmental contaminants to access the underlying tissues and cause fatal complications like bloodstream infections (BSIs). In fact, 80,000 central venous catheters—BSIs (CVC-BSIs)—mainly occur in intensive care units (ICUs) with a death rate of 12 to 25%. Similarly, catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CA-UTIs) are the most commonlyhospital-acquired infections (HAIs) worldwide. These infections represent up to 40% of NIs.In this review, we present a summary of biofilm formation steps. We provide an overview of two main and important infections in clinical settings linked to medical devices, namely the catheter-asociated bloodstream infections (CA-BSIs) and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CA-UTIs), and highlight also the most multidrug resistant bacteria implicated in these infections. Furthermore, we draw attention toseveral useful prevention strategies, and advanced antimicrobial and antifouling approaches developed to reduce bacterial colonization on catheter surfaces and the incidence of the catheter-related infections. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hospital-Acquired Infections and Multidrug-Resistant (MDR) Pathogens)

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