Device-related infections in long-term healthcare facilities: the challenge of prevention

A review on recent progress and techniques used for fabricating superhydrophobic coatings derived from biobased materials

Superhydrophobic coatings with remarkable water repellence have emerged as an increasingly prominent field of research with the growth of the material engineering and coating industries. Superhydrophobic coatings address the requirements of several application areas with characteristics including corrosion resistance, drag reduction, anti-icing, anti-fogging, and self-cleaning properties. Furthermore, the range of applications for superhydrophobic coatings has been substantially broadened by the inclusion of key performance features such as flame retardancy, thermal insulation, resistance to water penetration, UV resistance, transparency, anti-reflection, and many more. Numerous research endeavours have been focused on biomimetic superhydrophobic materials because of their distinct surface wettability. To develop superhydrophobic coatings with a long lifespan, scientists have refined the processes of material preparation and selection. To accomplish water repellency, superhydrophobic coatings are usually fabricated using harmful fluorinated chemicals or synthetic polymers. Utilising materials derived from biomass offers a sustainable alternative that uses renewable resources in order to eliminate the consumption of these hazardous substances. This paper provides an insight of several researches reported on the construction of superhydrophobic coatings using biomass materials such as lignin, cellulose, chitosan and starch along with the techniques used for the constructing superhydrophobic coatings. This study is a useful resource that offers guidance on the selection of various biobased polymers for superhydrophobic coatings tailored to specific applications. The further part of the paper put a light on different application of superhydrophobic coatings employed in various disciplines and the future perspectives of the superhydrophobic coatings.

Tuning surface topographies on biomaterials to control bacterial infection

Microbial contamination and subsequent formation of biofilms frequently cause failure of surgical implants and a good understanding of the bacteria-surface interactions is vital to the design and safety of biomaterials. In this review, the physical and chemical factors that are involved in the various stages of implant-associated bacterial infection are described. In particular, topographical modification strategies that have been employed to mitigate bacterial adhesion via topographical mechanisms are summarized and discussed comprehensively. Recent advances have improved our understanding about bacteria-surface interactions and have enabled biomedical engineers and researchers to develop better and more effective antibacterial surfaces. The related interdisciplinary efforts are expected to continue in the quest for next-generation medical devices to attain the ultimate goal of improved clinical outcomes and reduced number of revision surgeries.

Who Comes to the Emergency Room with an Infection from a Long-term Care Hospital? A Retrospective Study Based on a Medical Record Review

PURPOSE

Health care-associated infections increase disease prevalence and mortality and are the main reason for the hospitalization of the elderly. However, the management of underlying infections in patients hospitalized in long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) is insufficient, and the transfer of these poorly managed patients to the emergency room (ER) of an acute care hospital can lead to rapid spread of infection. This study investigated the risk factors associated with an ER visit due to infections that developed in LTCHs.

METHODS

The electronic medical records of patients who were transferred to the ER of a university hospital in South Korea were used. Infection prevalence, causative infectious agent, and antibiotic sensitivity were assessed. The associations between patient characteristics and hospital-associated infections were examined using multiple logistic regression analyses.

RESULTS

Among the 483 patients transferred to the ER during the study period, the number of infection cases was 197, and 171 individuals (35.4%) had one or more infections, with pneumonia being the most common (52.8%), followed by urinary tract (21.3%) and bloodstream (17.8%) infections. Patients with bedsores, fever, an indwelling catheter, and a higher nursing need were more likely to be seen in the ER because of infectious disease from an LTCH.

CONCLUSION

Both an intensive care system and surveillance support should be established to prevent infections, particularly in high-risk patients at LTCHs.

Clinical outcomes and prognostic factors in patients directly transferred to the intensive care unit from long-term care beds in institutions and hospitals: a retrospective clinical study

Background

There has been a steady increase in the aging population and an increase in the need for long-term care beds in institutions and hospitals (LTCHs) in Korea. The aim of this study was to investigate prognosis and to identify factors contributing to mortality of critically ill patients with respiratory problems who were directly transferred to intensive care units (ICU) from LTCHs.

Methods

Following a retrospective review of clinical data and radiographic findings between July 2009 and September 2016, we included 111 patients with respiratory problems who had visited the emergency room (ER) transferred from LTCHs due to respiratory symptoms and who were then admitted to the ICU.

Results

The mean age of the 111 patients was 79 years, and 71 patients (64%) were male. Pneumonia developed in 98 patients (88.3%), pulmonary thromboembolism in 4 (3.6%) and pulmonary tuberculosis in 3 (2.7%). Overall mortality was 19.8% (22/111). Multiple-drug-resistant (MDR) pathogens (odds ratio [OR], 17.43; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.96–155.40) and serum albumin levels < 2.15 g/dL, which were derived through ROC (sensitivity, 72.7%; specificity, 85.4%) (OR, 28.05; 95% CI, 5.47–143.75), were independent predictors for mortality. The need for invasive ventilation (OR, 2.74; 95% CI, 1.02–7.32) and history of antibiotic use within the 3 months (OR, 3.23; 95% CI, 1.32–7.90) were risk factors for harboring MDR pathogens.

Conclusions

The presence of MDR pathogens and having low serum albumin levels may be poor prognostic factors in patients with respiratory problems who are admitted to the ICU from LTCHs. A history of antibiotic use within the 3 months and the need for invasive ventilation can be helpful in choosing the appropriate antibiotics to combat MDR pathogens at the time of admission.

Nanoscience-Based Strategies to Engineer Antimicrobial Surfaces

Microbial contamination and biofilm formation of medical devices is a major issue associated with medical complications and increased costs. Consequently, there is a growing need for novel strategies and exploitation of nanoscience-based technologies to reduce the interaction of bacteria and microbes with synthetic surfaces. This article focuses on surfaces that are nanostructured, have functional coatings, and generate or release antimicrobial compounds, including "smart surfaces" producing antibiotics on demand. Key requirements for successful antimicrobial surfaces including biocompatibility, mechanical stability, durability, and efficiency are discussed and illustrated with examples of the recent literature. Various nanoscience-based technologies are described along with new concepts, their advantages, and remaining open questions. Although at an early stage of research, nanoscience-based strategies for creating antimicrobial surfaces have the advantage of acting at the molecular level, potentially making them more efficient under specific conditions. Moreover, the interface can be fine tuned and specific interactions that depend on the location of the device can be addressed. Finally, remaining important challenges are identified: improvement of the efficacy for long-term use, extension of the application range to a large spectrum of bacteria, standardized evaluation assays, and combination of passive and active approaches in a single surface to produce multifunctional surfaces.

[Hygiene and infection control measures in intensive care units]

The prevention of infections is the purpose of hospital hygiene/infection control using control and preventive measures and strategies to achieve this. Especially in intensive care units with seriously ill patients. The continuous increase of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) and as a consequence difficult to treat infections clearly shows the importance of prevention. Furthermore success and failure of hygienic/infection control activities is one of the few measurable quality and performance characteristics in the era of quality medicine and is therefore crucial for the evaluation of hospitals. Consequently it is recommended to meet the challenges and understand hygienic/infection control measures as vital and essential for the hospital. Central topics of present-day prevention are presented.