Hospital infection

BACKGROUND: The unhoused population is at high risk for traumatic injuries and faces unique challenges in accessing follow-up care. However, there is scarce data regarding differences in Emergency Department (ED) return rates and reasons for return between unhoused and housed patients. METHODS: We conducted a 3-year retrospective cohort study at a level-1 trauma center in a large metropolitan area. All patients who presented to the ED with traumatic injuries and were discharged without hospital admission were included in the study...

INTRODUCTION: The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic put at risk the resilience of healthcare professionals by exposing them to high levels of stress. Our aim was to identify key elements for implementing the STEP  programme, a psychological support service for healthcare professionals. METHODS: qualitative design.  The study participants were hospital healthcare staff. Anonymous questionnaires and transcriptions  of group interventions and focus groups were used to  identify professionals' preferences to receiving psychological support, needs, concerns, resilience (STEP1...

Recent literature advocates for delayed or avoidance of catheter drainage of infected peri-pancreatic collections (IPCs) in acute pancreatitis (AP). This may not be realistic for patients at academic centers, many of whom are critically ill. We retrospectively reviewed 72 patients admitted to our institution from 2016-2021 with AP and IPCs. 34.7% had a Bedside Index of Severity in Acute Pancreatitis (BISAP) score ≥3, and 56.9% had a Balthazar score of E. 65.3% were admitted to the ICU, 51.4% experienced respiratory failure, and 47...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The COVID-19 pandemic and the infection of numerous individuals from diverse societies have emerged as major global challenges. Given the limited resources in intensive care units, effective bed management and resource allocation require a deep understanding of the disease. This study aimed to assess the epidemiology and treatment outcomes of COVID-19 patients admitted to an intensive care unit in an Iranian hospital in Neyshabur city. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on COVID-19 patients hospitalized in intensive care units in Razavi Khorasan, Iran in 2021...

The increase in the prevalence of carbapenem-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) is a major threat, with the New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM) enzyme-producing CPEs being one of the major causative agents of healthcare settings infections. In this study, we characterized an IncX3 plasmid harboring bla NDM-19 in Lebanon, recovered from three Escherichia coli belonging to ST167 and one Klebsiella pneumoniae belonging to ST16 isolated from a clinical setting . Plasmid analysis using PBRT, Plasmid Finder, and PlasmidSPAdes showed that all four isolates carried a conjugative 47-kb plasmid having bla NDM-19, and was designated as pLAU-NDM19...

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to investigate the correlation between Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) - DNA load in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of children with MP pneumonia (MPP) and its subtypes, relevant laboratory data, imaging, extrapulmonary complications in infected children, and its clinical significance in evaluating the disease. METHODS: Children hospitalized with MPP at Tianjin Children's Hospital between December 2017 and December 2020 were selected for the study, excluding those with mixed viral, bacterial, and fungal infections...

OBJECTIVE: Spirulina ( arthrospira platensis ) is a cyanobacterium proven to have anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antioxidant effects. However, the effect of high-dose Spirulina supplementation on hospitalized adults with COVID-19 is currently unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of high-dose Spirulina platensis for SARS-CoV-2 infection. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a randomized, controlled, open-label trial involving 189 patients with COVID-19 who were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to an experimental group that received 15...

BACKGROUND: Post-operative infections are a common cause of morbidity following major surgery. Little is understood about how major surgery perturbs immune function leading to heightened risk of subsequent infection. Through analysis of paired blood samples obtained immediately before and 24 h following surgery, we evaluated changes in circulating immune cell phenotype and function across the first 24 h, to identify early immune changes associated with subsequent infection. METHODS: We conducted a prospective observational study of adult patients undergoing major elective gastrointestinal, gynecological, or maxillofacial surgery requiring planned admission to the post-anesthetic care unit...

BACKGROUND: The first human infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N6) virus was reported in 2014. From then until June 30, 2023, 85 human cases with confirmed A(H5N6) infection have been reported worldwide. OBJECTIVE: To address the present gap in knowledge of the overall epidemiology of human A(H5N6) infections, the epidemiological characteristics of human infection with A(H5N6) in China from February 2014 to June 2023 are described. METHODS: Considering the severity of human infections with A(H5N6) virus (case fatality rate: 39%), the increased frequency of case reports from 2021 to present day, and lack of comprehensive epidemiologic analysis of all cases, we conducted a multiple-case descriptive analysis and a literature review to create an epidemiologic profile of reported human cases...

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity is influenced by multiple factors, such as age, underlying medical conditions, individual immunity, infecting variant, and clinical practice. The highly transmissible Omicron variants resulted in decreased COVID-19 screening capacity, which limited disease severity surveillance. OBJECTIVE: To report on the temporal evolution of disease severity among patients admitted to Québec hospitals due to COVID-19 between January 2, 2022, and April 23, 2022, which corresponded to the peak period of hospitalizations due to Omicron...

The use of devices for tissue dissection and hemostasis during surgery is almost unavoidable. Electrically powered devices such as electrocautery, ultrasonic and laser units produce surgical smoke containing more than a thousand different products of combustion. These include large amounts of carcinogenic, mutagenic and potentially teratogenic noxae. The smoke contains particles that range widely in size, even as small as 0.007 µm. Most of the particles (90%) in electrocautery smoke are ≤6.27 µm in size, but surgical masks cannot filter particles smaller than 5 µm...

BACKGROUND: Mounting evidence supports an association between the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the risk of infection from the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in dental healthcare workers (DCW). However, the prevalence and incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections in the setting of dental care remains poorly characterized. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies published prior to Mai 2023 providing epidemiological data for the occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 in DCW was performed...

This recommendation of the Commission for Hospital Hygiene and Infection Prevention (KRINKO) addresses not only hospitals, but also outpatient health care facilities and compiles current evidence. The following criteria are the basis for the indications for cleaning and disinfection: Infectious bioburden and tenacity of potential pathogens on surfaces and their transmission routes, influence of disinfecting surface cleaning on the rate of nosocomial infections, interruption of cross infections due to multidrug-resistant organisms, and outbreak control by disinfecting cleaning within bundles...

Artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics have emerged as game-changing technologies with the potential to revolutionize the healthcare industry. In the context of hospitals, their integration holds the promise of not only improving patient care but also driving competitive advantage and fostering sustainable development. This review paper aims to explore and evaluate the impact of AI and robotics applications on attaining competitive advantage and promoting sustainable development in hospitals, examines the current landscape of AI and robotics adoption in healthcare settings and delve into their specific applications within hospitals, including AI-assisted diagnosis, robotic surgery, patient monitoring, and data analytics...

INTRODUCTION: Despite a recent increase in the representation of female authors in scientific literature, a significant gap persists concerning the inclusion of women in research. This necessitates the analysis of published literature from a gender perspective. This study aimed to provide gender distribution in authorship in the 100 most-cited articles on food-borne pathogen outbreaks from 1990 to 2020. METHODS: Bibliometric analysis was conducted using the Scopus database...

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 pneumonia with an unusual outbreak is considered a new, global public health threat. Microbiological characterization of co-infections in patients with COVID-19 is important, and antimicrobial use is high. We aimed to describe microbiologically confirmed co-infections and the antimicrobial resistance of the causative pathogens. METHOD: From January to December 2020, we tested 1,301 patients who were COVID-19 positive. We received clinical samples (blood, respiratory and sterile body fluids) of COVID-19 patients who were suspected to have bacterial co-infections...

Caries is a multifactorial disease that involves a majority of the pediatric population. If not diagnosed and treated, it can lead to severe consequences affecting the permanent dentition. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of oral foci of infection in a multispeciality hospital during the pandemic in Chennai, South India. The majority of the patients examined had caries.

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) threatens vulnerable populations in health care. Two-step testing improves specificity, avoiding over-treatment. This study analyzed inpatient records to estimate diagnostic outcomes and identify characteristics associated with treatment after discordant testing. Among discordant patients, those aged 65+ years were significantly more likely to be prescribed antibiotics (67% vs 39%).

Introduction Menstrual changes after COVID-19 vaccination suggest a secondary connection to the immune response to vaccination rather than a specific component of the vaccine. The evaluation of these alterations in women with the same and multiple vaccination schedules will provide valuable information. Methods An observational, cross-sectional study was carried out; data were collected through a survey of 164 vaccinated women at the American British Cowdray (ABC) Santa Fe Medical Center Hospital in Mexico City...

BACKGROUND: Hydatid cyst is a parasitic infection, often caused by Echinococcus granulosus . Although it is classified as a benign disease, cyst ruptures in the abdomen can be fatal. Ruptures occur spontaneously or after trauma. We aimed to report data from patients who underwent emergency surgery due to spontaneous intra-abdominal hydatid cyst rupture. METHODS: Upon a retrospective review of the records at Department of General Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Harran University, Şanlıurfa, Turkey, we found that 34 cases were operated on due to hydatid cyst rupture between January 2012 and October 2022...