Infection control in ICU

BACKGROUND: The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has robustly affected the global healthcare and economic systems and it was caused by coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The clinical presentation of the disease ranges from a flu-like illness to severe pneumonia and death. Till September 2022, the cumulative number of cases exceeded 600 million worldwide and deaths were more than 6 million. Colchicine is an alkaloid drug that is used in many autoinflammatory conditions e.g., gout, familial Mediterranean fever, and Behçet's syndrome...

AIMS: To identify and compare new or increased nursing tasks in South Korea during the pandemic, categorized by hospital type and department. BACKGROUND: Although COVID-19 is no longer considered a global public health emergency, the threat of novel infectious diseases remains. Reflecting on the COVID-19 pandemic is essential to prepare effectively for future outbreaks. METHODS: This cross-sectional exploratory study, following the STROBE checklist, included 948 registered nurses with more than a year of clinical experience currently working in various hospitals...

BACKGROUND: Central venous catheterization is an invasive procedure that may lead to central line-associated bloodstream infection, affecting the patient's prognosis and recovery. Thus, it is essential to master the right interventions for the prevention and control of central line-associated bloodstream infections. FOCUS-Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle management model, also known as Deming circle management model, is a programmed and scientific management method. OBJECTIVE: We attempted to clarify the impact of nursing intervention on preventing and controlling central line-associated bloodstream infection under the FOCUS- PDCA cycle management model, in order to effectively deplete central line-associated bloodstream infection in each intensive care unit, facilitate early recovery of patients...

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a common pathogen contributing to healthcare-associated infections, which can result in multiple sites infections. The epidemiological characteristics of MRSA exhibit variability among distinct regions and healthcare facilities. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular epidemiology and nosocomial outbreak characteristics of MRSA in a county-level hospital in China. A total of 130 non-repetitive MRSA strains were collected from December 2020 to November 2021...

BACKGROUND: A complete review of the development of neonatology in the last 40 years would probably require a compendium with several volumes, to bring to view the remarkable improvements in survival rates and neurodevelopmental outcomes of ill babies in Austria, most industrial countries and to some extent worldwide. The challenge I had to solve here was to integrate my own contributions to the field of neonatology during this period and particularly the contributions of my team from the Division of Neonatology and Pediatric Intensive Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescence Medicine, Medical University Vienna where I was working first as an intern and resident and later had the privilege to become head of department...

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare 28-day mortality between patients have hospital-acquired influenza (HAI) and those have community-acquired influenza (CAI) during the 2017-2019 influenza seasons in a tertiary care center in İstanbul, Türkiye. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort included all hospitalized patients who had confirmed influenza infection and were over 17 years old. HAI was defined as a case of influenza that tested negative in a PCR test or had no signs of influenza on admission but with a positive test result at any point after 72 hours of admission...

PURPOSE: Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a signaling lipid involved in many biological processes, including inflammatory and immune regulatory responses. The study aimed to determine whether admission S1P levels are associated with disease severity and prognosis after spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). METHODS: Data of 134 patients with spontaneous ICH and 120 healthy controls were obtained from Biological Resource Sample Database of Intracerebral Hemorrhage at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University...

Critical care medicine in the 21st century has witnessed remarkable advancements that have significantly improved patient outcomes in intensive care units (ICUs). This abstract provides a concise summary of the latest developments in critical care, highlighting key areas of innovation. Recent advancements in critical care include Precision Medicine: Tailoring treatments based on individual patient characteristics, genomics, and biomarkers to enhance the effectiveness of therapies. The objective is to describe the recent advancements in Critical Care Medicine...

BACKGROUND: Thrombocytopenia is common in patients with sepsis and septic shock. AIM: To analyse the decrease in the number of platelets for predicting bloodstream infection in patients with sepsis and septic shock in the intensive care unit. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of patients admitted with sepsis and septic shock in Xingtai People Hospital was revisited. Patient population characteristics and laboratory data were collected for analysis...

BACKGROUND: The Breakthrough Series model uses learning sessions (LS) to promote education, professional development and quality improvement (QI) in healthcare. Staff divergences regarding prior knowledge, previous experience, preferences and motivations make selecting which pedagogic strategies to use in LS a challenge. AIM: We aimed to assess new active-learning strategies: two educational games, a card game and an escape room-type game, for training in healthcare-associated infection prevention...

By August 17, 2021, 4.3 million people had died globally as a result of SARS-CoV-2 infection. While data collection is ongoing, it is abundantly obvious that this is one of the most significant public health crises in modern history. Consequently, global efforts are being made to attain a greater understanding of this disease and to identify risk factors associated with more severe outcomes. The goal of this study is to identify clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with COVID-19 mortality in Mexico...

OBJECTIVE: Interleukin 34 (IL-34) is a molecule whose expression is increased in conditions such as autoimmune disorders, inflammation, and infections. Our study aims to determine the role of IL-34 in the diagnosis, follow-up, and prognosis of Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19). METHOD: A total of 80 cases were included in the study as 40 COVID-19 positive patient groups and 40 COVID-19 negative control groups. The COVID-19-positive group consisted of 20 intensive-care unit (ICU) patients and 20 outpatients...

BACKGROUND: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality among neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). The MRSA colonization of neonates, attributed to various sources, including mothers, healthcare workers, and environmental surfaces, can lead to severe infection, prolonged hospital stays, and even death, imposing substantial economic burdens. Given the pressing need to mitigate MRSA spread in these vulnerable environments, further examination of the subject is warranted...

Aim: To investigate whether it is safe for patients with Omicron variant infection to undergo surgery during perioperative period. Methods: A total of 3,661 surgical patients were enrolled: 3,081 who were not infected with the Omicron variant and 580 who were infected with the Omicron variant. We conducted propensity score matching (PSM) with a ratio of 1:4 and a caliper value of 0.1 to match the infected and uninfected groups based on 13 variables. After PSM, we further divided the Infected group (560 cases) by the number of days between the preoperative Omicron variant infection and surgery: 0-7, 8-14, 15-30, and >30 days...

BACKGROUND: Hospitals are exposed to abundant contamination sources with limited remediation strategies. Without new countermeasures or treatments, the risk of hospital-associated infections will remain high. This study explored the impact of advanced photohydrolysis (AP) continuous disinfection technology on hospital environmental bioburden. METHODS: Two acute care Intensive Care Units in different locations (i.e., Kentucky, Louisiana) during different time periods...

Infective endocarditis (IE) is today a public health problem, as the recent ESC Guidelines have also recalled. Abscesses can be complications of IE and their presence means that the infection is not controlled. We describe the complex case of a 57-year-old patient, presented in ED for fever and oleocranical bursitis, increase of cardiac enymes at blood samples. He was admitted to our Cardiology Unit because TTE showed a floating peduncolated formation in the left ventricle. The susequent TEE documented also the presence of a myocardial abscess, confirmed at cardiac MRI...

BACKGROUND: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a significant concern in low-middle-income countries (LMICs), where the burden of hospital-acquired infections is high, and resources are low. Evidence-based guidelines exist for preventing VAP; however, these guidelines may not be adequately utilized in intensive care units of LMICs. AIM: This scoping review examined the literature regarding the use of nursing care bundles for VAP prevention in LMICs, to understand the knowledge, practice and compliance of nurses to these guidelines, as well as the barriers preventing the implementation of these guidelines...

Listeriosis is a globally rare foodborne disease that causes fetal-placental infection, leading to adverse pregnancy outcome, while limited research among pregnant women is available in China. This study was therefore aimed at analyzing the incidence, clinical manifestations, and clinical outcome of listeriosis among pregnant women and its associated dietary behavior risk factors in prevention. A hospital-based case-control study had been conducted from January 2017 to December 2021. Clinical data, laboratory information, and questionnaires including dietary behaviors and personal hygiene were collected within 2 days after case diagnosis...

PURPOSE: To compare the clinical characteristics, virus serotype, and outcome in cases of mild and severe enteroviral infection at a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit in China. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of cases hospitalized between June and August 2019. Samples (stool or throat swabs) were examined using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Positive cases were divided into two groups: mild infection and severe infection. RESULTS: A total of 149 cases were assigned to one of two groups: mild infection (n = 104) and severe infection (n = 45)...

BACKGROUND: Pylephlebitis, a rare and lethal form of portal venous septic thrombophlebitis, often arises from infections in regions drained by the portal vein. Herein, we report a case of peritonitis with portal vein thrombosis due to acute severe appendicitis, managed with intensive intraperitoneal drainage via open abdominal management (OAM). CASE PRESENTATION: A 19-year-old male with severe appendicitis, liver abscesses, and portal vein thrombosis developed septic shock and multi-organ failure...