Multidrug-resistant bacterial infections after liver transplantation: An ever-growing challenge

Bacterial infections are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among solid organ transplant recipients.Over the last two decades,various multidrug-resistant(MDR)pathogens have emerged as relevant causes of infection in this population.Although this fact reflects the spread of MDR pathogens in health care facilities worldwide,several factors relating to the care of transplant donor candidates and recipients render these patients particularly prone to the acquisition of MDR bacteria and increase the likelihood of MDR infectious outbreaks in transplant units.The awareness of this high vulnerability of transplant recipients to infection leads to the more frequent use of broad-spectrum empiric antibiotic therapy,which further contributes to the selection of drug resistance.This vicious cycle is difficult to avoid and leads to a scenario of increased complexity and narrowed therapeutic options.Infection by MDR pathogens is more frequently associated with a failure to start appropriate empiric antimicrobial ther-apy.The lack of appropriate treatment may contribute to the high mortality occurring in transplant recipients with MDR infections.Furthermore,high therapeutic failure rates have been observed in patients infected with extensively-resistant pathogens,such as carbapenemresistant Enterobacteriaceae,for which optimal treatment remains undefined.In such a context,the careful implementation of preventive strategies is of utmost importance to minimize the negative impact that MDR infections may have on the outcome of liver transplant recipients.This article reviews the current literature regarding the incidence and outcome of MDR infections in liver transplant recipients,and summarizes current preventive and therapeutic recommendations.

Multidrug resistant organism infections in patients with COVID-19:risk factors and outcomes

Background:Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)has now spread to most countries and regions of the world.Risk factors associated with multi-drug resistant organism(MDRO)infections in patients with COVID-19 have not been well studied yet.In the present study,we aimed to identify the risk factors associated with the MDRO infections and their impact on in-hospital mortality of COVID-19 patients.Methods:This retrospective cohort study was conducted between December 2019 and April 2020 at two tertiary hospitals in Wuhan,China.Data of cases were collected through electronic medical records system.This study was focused on cases with bacterial culture records.Risk factors and outcomes associated with MDRO infections were analyzed using logistic regression model.Results:Of the 2891 patients,370 patients have bacterial culture results,and MDROs were isolated in 38 patients.Respiratory tract infections(67.3%)were the most common hospital acquired infections.Variables independently associated with MDRO infections were dyspnea at admission(odds ratio(OR)4.74;95%confidence interval(CI)2.06-10.88;P<0.001),intensive care unit(ICU)admission(OR 5.02;95%CI 1.99-12.63;P<0.01),and invasive mechanical ventilation(OR 5.13;95%CI 2.15-12.27;P<0.001),adjusted for age and gender.MDROs infection was also a significant risk factor of death for the patients,adjusted for age,gender,severity of illness,ICU admission and mechanical ventilation(OR 1.12,95%CI:0.43-2.96,P=0.817).Conclusion:In our study,dyspnea at admission,ICU admission and invasive mechanical ventilation were associated with the presence of MDRO infections,and clinicians should be alert in MDRO infections in COVID-19 hospitalized patients.

Antibacterial and antioxidant activities of Musa sp.leaf extracts against multidrug resistant clinical pathogens causing nosocomial infection

Objective:To investigate different Musa sp.leave extracts of hexane,ethyl acetate and methanol were evaluated for antibacterial activity against multi-drug resistant pathogens causing nosocomial infection by agar well diffusion method and also antioxidant activities.Methods:The four different Musa species leaves were extracted with hexane,ethyl acetate and methanol.Antibacterial susceptibility test,minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum inhibitory bacterial concentration were determined by agar well diffusion method.Total phenolic content and in vitro antioxidant activity was determined.Results:All the Musa sp.extracts showed moderate antibacterial activities expect Musa paradisiaca with the inhibition zone ranging from 8.0 to 18.6 mm.Among four species ethyl acetate extracts of Musa paradisiaca showed highest activity against tested pathogens particularly E.coli,P.aeruginosa and Citrobacter sp.The minimum inhibitory concentrations were within the value of 15.63-250μg/ml.and minimum bactericidal concentrations were ranging from 31.25-250μg/mL.Antioxidant activity of Musa acuminate exhibited maximum activity among other three Musa species.Conclusions:The present study concluded that among the different Musa species,Musa paradisiaca displayed efficient antibacterial activity followed by Musa acuminata against multidrug resistant nosocomial infection causing pathogens.Further,an extensive study is needed to identify the bioactive compounds,mode of action and toxic effect in.vivo of Musa sp.

Analysis of Influencing Factors and Predictive Models of Multidrug-resistant Bacterial Infection in Severe Patients

Objective:To investigate the influencing factors of multi-drug resistant bacterial infections in patients with severe disease and establish a predictive model.Methods:207 infected patients in our hospital from 2018 to May 2020 were selected for the study,of which 73 carried drug-resistant bacteria.Results:The risk factor network of people infected with multidrug resistant bacteria is higher than that of people infected with non-multidrug resistant bacteria,and the interaction between risk factors of the former is stronger.Conclusion:Antibiotics must be used appropriately after surgery.When the elderly was abnormal in indicators such as fever and procalcitonin in the ward,they should be considered as high-risk groups of MDRO infection.They need special care and preventive measures.

Bacterial contamination of orally-consumed crude herbal remedies:A potential source for multi-drug resistant pathogens in man

Objective:The acceptability of herbal remedies for alleviating discomforts and ill-health has become very popular, on the account of the increasing cost of allopathic medicine for personal health maintenance.The observable non-adherence of herbalists to the established World Health Organization(WHO) / National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control(NAFDAC) regulations for the quality control of herbal medicines is an issue for concern.In view of this,34 popular and widely consumed crude herbal remedies in southwestern,Nigeria were screened for compliance with standard limits for bacterial contamination,bacteria flora and their antibiotic susceptibility pattern.Methods:Isolates recovered from samples were identified using the cultural, morphological and biochemical characteristics.They were also tested for drug sensitivity using standard procedures. Results:A heavy bacteria load ranging from 3.00×10~3-9.58×10~5 CFU/ML and 1.20×10~5- 5.41×10~5 CFU/ML was observed for water and spirit extracted preparations respectively.The bacteria flora cum contaminants were:Staphylococcus aureus,Bacillus cereus,Bacillus subtilis,Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Micrococcus luteus,Lactobacillus plantarum,Klebsiella pneumoniae,Escherichia coli,streptococcus,Shigella, Neisseria,Arthrobacter,Kurthia and Clostridium species.All the isolates were multi-drug resistant(MDR) strains.Conclusion:The crude herbal preparations consumed in Nigeria failed to comply with the internationally recognized standards regarding bacteria load and flora.The presence of MDR pathogens is of greatest concern. It poses a great risk to consumers health and could be a source of introducing MDR organisms into the human population.There is the need for the enforcement of established guidelines to ensure the safety of these preparations.

Community-acquired pneumonia:The importance of the early detection of drug-resistant organisms

Pneumonia is a disease associated with significant healthcare burden with over 1.5 million hospitalizations annually and is the eighth leading cause of death in the United States.While community-acquired pneumonia(CAP)is generally considered an acute time-limited illness,it is associated with high long-term mortality,with nearly one-third of patients requiring hospitalization dying within one year.An increasing trend of detecting multidrug-resistant(MDR)organisms causing CAP has been observed,especially in the Western world.In this editorial,we discuss about a publication by Jatteppanavar et al which reported that a case of a MDR organism was the culprit in developing pneumonia,bacteremia,and infective endocarditis that led to the patient’s death.The early detection of these resistant organisms helps improve patient outcomes.Significant advances have been made in the biotechnological and research space,but preventive measures,diagnostic techniques,and treatment strategies need to be developed.

Management of bacterial and fungal infections in end stage liver disease and liver transplantation: Current options and future directions

Patients with liver cirrhosis are susceptible to infections due to various mechanisms, including abnormalities of humoral and cell-mediated immunity and occurrence of bacterial translocation from the intestine. Bacterial infections are common and represent a reason for progression to liver failure and increased mortality. Fungal infections, mainly caused by Candida spp., are often associated to delayed diagnosis and high mortality rates. High level of suspicion along with prompt diagnosis and treatment of infections are warranted. Bacterial and fungal infections negatively affect the outcomes of liver transplant candidates and recipients, causing disease progression among patients on the waiting list and increasing mortality, especially in the early posttransplant period. Abdominal, biliary tract, and bloodstream infections caused by Gram-negative bacteria [e.g., Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa(P. aeruginosa)] and Staphylococcus spp. are commonly encountered in liver transplant recipients. Due to frequent exposure to broad-spectrum antibiotics, invasive procedures, and prolonged hospitalizations, these patients are especially at risk of developing infections caused by multidrug resistant bacteria. The increase in antimicrobial resistance hampers the choice of an adequate empiric therapy and warrants the knowledge of the local microbial epidemiology and the implementation of infection control measures. The main characteristics and the management of bacterial and fungal infections in patients with liver cirrhosis and liver transplant recipients are presented.

Strategies for combating bacterial biofilm infections

Formation of biofilm is a survival strategy for bacteria and fungi to adapt to their living environment, especially in the hostile environment. Under the protection of biofilm, microbial cells in biofilm become tolerant and resistant to antibiotics and the immune responses, which increases the difficulties for the clinical treatment of biofilm infections. Clinical and laboratory investigations demonstrated a perspicuous correlation between biofilm infection and medical foreign bodies or indwelling devices. Clinical observations and experimental studies indicated clearly that antibiotic treatment alone is in most cases insufficient to eradicate biofilm infections. Therefore, to effectively treat biofilm infections with currently available antibiotics and evaluate the outcomes become important and urgent for clinicians. The review summarizes the latest progress in treatment of clinical biofilm infections and scientific investigations, discusses the diagnosis and treatment of different biofilm infections and introduces the promising laboratory progress, which may contribute to prevention or cure of biofilm infections. We conclude that, an efficient treatment of biofilm infections needs a well-established multidisciplinary collaboration, which includes removal of the infected foreign bodies, selection of biofilm-active, sensitive and well-penetrating antibiotics, systemic or topical antibiotic administration in high dosage and combinations, and administration of anti-quorum sensing or biofilm dispersal agents.

Detections of mefA, ermB, and mphA Macrolides Resistant Genes in Bacteria Isolated from Covid-19 Patients from Selected Health Facilities in Ibadan, Nigeria

Background: COVID-19 is a disease caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Epidemiological data indicated that bacterial complications in COVID-19 would decrease clearance rate of the infecting agent and increase mortality rate. Macrolides such as Azithromycin are usually administered to COVID-19 patients as palliative treatments. Currently, a considerable number of bacterial strains have developed resistance to various antibiotics, especially macrolides. Resistance is reported to be due to possession of mefA, ermB, and mphA genes by Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. Therefore, this study determined antibiotic resistance patterns and identify mefA, ermB and mphA macrolide-resistant genes in bacterial pathogens isolated from COVID-19 cases in Ibadan, Nigeria. Methods: 400 Nasopharyngeal samples were collected from symptomatic cases before antibiotic medication;structured questionnaires were administered to collect socio-demographic data of participants. Samples were cultured on Blood, Chocolate, MacConkey and Mannitol salt agar at 37°C for 48 hrs. Bacterial identification was performed using VITEK 2.0 ID cards and API 20E for Gram positive and negative bacteria respectively. Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing was performed using Kirby Bauer disc diffusion methods and VITEK 2.0 AST card kits. DNA of multidrug resistant bacterial isolates was extracted;resistant genes were determined using a polymerase chain reaction with specific primers. Amplified genes were detected using agarose gel electrophoresis. Results: 240 (60%) had bacterial growth and 97 (22.2%) yielded no growth. From the 240 bacterial isolates, 38 (15.83%) were multi-drug resistant including resistance to macrolides (Azithromycin) 20 (52.63%) of which were positive for either mefA or ermB, and none (0.0%) possess mphA gene;14 (36.8%) isolates had mefA gene, 10 (26.3%) isolates carried ermB gene. Conclusion: Multi-drug bacterial resistance including macrolides and quinolones was detected. Only mefA and ermB genes were detected in the bacterial isolates, especially in Gram positive organisms. The detection of mefA and ermB genes in the MDR bacterial isolates raised concern on the use of azithromycin as palliative treatment for COVID-19 symptomatic patients.

Nosocomial spontaneous bacterial peritonitis antibiotic treatment in the era of multi-drug resistance pathogens: A systematic review

To systematically review literature upon aetiology of nosocomial spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (N-SBP) given the rising importance of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. METHODSA literature search was performed on MEDLINE and Google Scholar databases from 2000 to 15th of November 2016, using the following search strategy: “spontaneous” AND “peritonitis”. RESULTSThe initial search through electronic databases retrieved 2556 records. After removing duplicates, 1958 records remained. One thousand seven hundred and thirty-five of them were excluded on the basis of the screening of titles and abstract, and the ensuing number of remaining articles was 223. Of these records, after careful evaluation, only 9 were included in the qualitative analysis. The overall proportion of MDR bacteria turned out to be from 22% to 73% of cases across the studies. CONCLUSIONN-SBP is caused, in a remarkable proportion, by MDR pathogens. This should prompt a careful re-assessment of guidelines addressing the treatment of this clinical entity.

New determinants of prognosis in bacterial infections in cirrhosis

Despite major advances in the knowledge and management of liver diseases achieved in recent decades,decompensation of cirrhosis still carries a high burden of morbidity and mortality.Bacterial infections are one of the main causes of decompensation.It is very important for clinical management to be aware of the population with the highest risk of poor outcome.This review deals with the new determinants of prognosis in patients with cirrhosis and bacterial infections reported recently.Emergence of multiresistant bacteria has led to an increasing failure rate of the standard empirical antibiotic therapy recommended by international guidelines.Moreover,it has been recently reported that endothelial dysfunction is associated with the degree of liver dysfunction and,in infected patients,with the degree of sepsis.It has also been reported that relative adrenal insufficiency is frequent in the non-critically ill cirrhotic population and it is associated with a higher risk of developing infection,severe sepsis,hepatorenal syndrome and death.We advise a change in the standard empirical antibiotic therapy in patients with high risk for multiresistant infections and also to take into account endothelial and adrenal dysfunction in prognostic models in hospitalized patients with decompensated cirrhosis.

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Patterns of the Bacterial Isolates in Post-Operative Wound Infections in a Tertiary Care Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal

Unrestrained anti-microbial resistance (AMR) among bacterial pathogens has made the management and treatment of post-operative wound infections difficult. This study assessed the current AMR patterns of bacterial isolates in post-operative wound infections in a tertiary care hospital in Kathmandu,Nepal. Pus swabs collected from post-operative wound infections and submitted for culture and sensitivity were included in this study. Isolation and identification of the organism was done by standard microbiological methods. Antibiotic susceptibility test was performed by Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method and result was interpreted as per National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) guide lines. Of the 120 pus swabs processed for culture, 96 showed bacterial growth. Staphylococcus aureus 36 (37.5%) was the predominant gram positive isolate and Escherichia coli 24 (25%) was the major gram negative isolate .The infection was most prevalent in the age group 20-40 years. All S. aureus isolates were sensitive to aminoglycosides and vancomycin. Out of 36 S. aureus, 15 (41.66%) isolates were methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Staphylococcus epidermidis showed high resistance (50%-100%) to all antibiotics but were sensitive to vancomycin. All gram negative isolates showed high resistance against cephalexin (75%-100%) and ceftriaxone (25%-100%). Overall multi-drug resistant isolates were 66.7%. A high level of AMR was observed in gram negative bacterial isolates. Rational use of antibiotics and a regular monitoring of AMR patterns in post-operative wound infections are essential and mandatory to avert further emergence and spread of anti-microbial resistance among bacterial pathogens.

Multi-Drug Resistance Pattern of Lactose Non-Fermenting <i>Escherichia coli</i>as Causative Agent of Urine Tract Infections in Luanda, Angola

This prospective study was carried out to assess the sensitivity and resistance pattern of lactose non-fermenting Escherichia coli from July 2018 to December 2018 in the Laboratory of Microbiology at Luanda Medical Center, Angola. Out of 1170 patient, a total of 120 urine specimens infected with Escherichia coli (>105 CFU/ml) were collected according to the routine protocol of urinalysis. Among these 120 isolates, 25 (21%) isolates were determined as “atypical”, lactose non-fermenting E. colis trains. The twenty-five lactose non-fermenting Escherichia coli strains isolated from urine samples in Luanda Medical Center were declared as Multiple Drugs-Resistant strains with high resistance to Cefalexine (100%), Cefuroxime (100%), Ceftriaxone (92%), Gentamycin (92%), Ciprofloxacin (72%) and Amoxiciclin/Clavulanic (80%). The alarming resistance level to the first-choice drugs for the treatment of urinary tract infections caused by non-fermentative lactose E. coli was observed.

Unresolved issues in the prophylaxis of bacterial infections in patients with cirrhosis

Bacterial infections are highly prevalent and a frequent cause of hospitalization and short-term mortality in patients with cirrhosis. Due to their negative impact on survival, antibiotic prophylaxis for bacterial infections in high-risk subgroups of patients with cirrhosis has been the standard of care for decades. Patients with prophylaxis indications include those at risk for a first episode of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis(SBP) due to a low ascitic fluid protein count and impaired liver and kidney function, patients with a prior episode of SBP and those with an episode of gastrointestinal bleeding. Only prophylaxis due to gastrointestinal bleeding has a known and short-time duration. All other indications imply longlasting exposure to antibiotics-once the threshold requirement for initiating prophylaxis is met-without standardized criteria for re-assessing antibiotic interruption. Despite the fact that the benefit of antibiotic prophylaxis in reducing bacterial infections episodes and mortality has been thoroughly reported, the extended use of antibiotics in patients with cirrhosis has also had negative consequences, including the emergence of multi-drug resistant bacteria.Currently, it is not clear whether restricting the use of broad and fixed antibiotic regimens, tailoring the choice of antibiotics to local bacterial epidemiology or selecting non-antibiotic strategies will be the preferred antibiotic prophylaxis strategy for patients with cirrhosis in the future.

Bacterial infections post-living-donor liver transplantation in Egyptian hepatitis C virus-cirrhotic patients: A singlecenter study

AIM To determine risk factors, causative organisms and antimicrobial resistance of bacterial infections following living-donor liver transplantation(LDLT) in cirrhotic patients.METHODS This prospective study included 45 patients with hepatitis C virus-related end-stage liver disease who underwent LDLT at Ain Shams Center for Organ Transplant, Cairo, Egypt from January 2014 to November 2015. Patients were followed-up for the first 3 mo after LDLT for detection of bacterial infections. All patients were examined for the possible risk factors suggestive of acquiring infection pre-, intra-and post-operatively. Positive cultures based on clinical suspicion and patterns of antimicrobial resistance were identified. RESULTS Thirty-three patients(73.3%) suffered from bacterial infections; 21 of them had a single infection episode, and 12 had repeated infection episodes. Bile was the most common site for both single and repeated episodes of infection(28.6% and 27.8%, respectively). The most common isolated organisms were gramnegative bacteria. Acinetobacter baumannii was the most common organism isolated from both single and repeated infection episodes(19% and 33.3%, respectively), followed by Escherichia coli for repeated infections(11.1%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa for single infections(19%). Levofloxacin showed high sensitivity against repeated infection episodes(P = 0.03). Klebsiella, Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas were multi-drug resistant(MDR). Pre-transplant hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) and duration of drain insertion(in days) were independent risk factors for the occurrence of repeated infection episodes(P = 0.024).CONCLUSION MDR gram-negative bacterial infections are common post-LDLT. Pre-transplant HCC and duration of drain insertion were independent risk factors for the occurrence of repeated infection episodes.

Bacterial infection after liver transplantation

Infectious complications are major causes of morbidity and mortality after liver transplantation,despite recent advances in the transplant field.Bacteria,fungi,viruses and parasites can cause infection before and after transplantation.Among them,bacterial infections are predominant during the first two months posttransplantation and affect patient and graft survival.They might cause surgical site infections,including deep intra-abdominal infections,bacteremia,pneumonia,catheter-related infections and urinary tract infections.The risk factors for bacterial infections differ between the periods after transplant,and between centers.Recently,the emergence of multi-drug resistant bacteria is great concern in liver transplant(LT)patients.The instructive data about effects of infections with extended-spectrum beta lactamase producing bacteria,carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacteria,and glycopeptide-resistant gram-positive bacteria were reported on a center-by-center basis.To prevent posttransplant bacterial infections,proper strategies need to be established based upon center-specific data and evidence from well-controlled studies.This article reviewed the recent epidemiological data,risk factors for each type of infections and important clinical issues in bacterial infection after LT.

Risk of transmission of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae and related “superbugs” during gastrointestinal endoscopy

To evaluate the risk of transmission of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae(CRE) and their related superbugs during gastrointestinal(GI) endoscopy. Reports of outbreaks linked to GI endoscopes contami-nated with different types of infectious agents, includ-ing CRE and their related superbugs, were reviewed. Published during the past 30 years, both prior to and since CRE's emergence, these reports were obtained by searching the peer-reviewed medical literature(via the United States National Library of Medicine's "MEDLINE" database); the Food and Drug Administration's Manu-facturer and User Facility Device Experience database, or "MAUDE"; and the Internet(via Google's search engine). This review focused on an outbreak of CRE in 2013 following the GI endoscopic procedure known as endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, or ERCP, performed at "Hospital X" located in the sub-urbs of Chicago(IL; United States). Part of the largest outbreak of CRE in United States history, the infection and colonization of 10 and 28 of this hospital's patients, respectively, received considerable media attention and was also investigated by the Centers for Disease Con-trol and Prevention(CDC), which published a report about this outbreak in Morbidity and Mortality WeeklyReport(MMWR), in 2014. This report, along with the results of an independent inspection of Hospital X's in-fection control practices following this CRE outbreak, were also reviewed. While this article focuses primar-ily on the prevention of transmissions of CRE and their related superbugs in the GI endoscopic setting, some of its discussion and recommendations may also apply to other healthcare settings, to other types of flexible endoscopes, and to other types of transmissible infec-tious agents. This review found that GI endoscopy is an important risk factor for the transmission of CRE and their related superbugs, having been recently as-sociated with patient morbidity and mortality following ERCP. The CDC reported in MMWR that the type of GI endoscope, known as an ERCP endoscope, that Hospi-tal X used to perform ERCP in 2013 on the 38 patients who became infected or colonized with CRE might be particularly challenging to clean and disinfect, because of the complexity of its physical design. If performed in strict accordance with the endoscope manufacturer's labeling, supplemented as needed with professional organizations' published guidelines, however, current practices for reprocessing GI endoscopes, which include high-level disinfection, are reportedly adequate for the prevention of transmission of CRE and their related superbugs. Several recommendations are provided to prevent CRE transmissions in the healthcare setting. CRE transmissions are not limited to contaminated GI endoscopes and also have been linked to other reusable flexible endoscopic instrumentation, including broncho-scopes and cystoscopes. In conclusion, contaminated GI endoscopes, particularly those used during ERCP, have been causally linked to outbreaks of CRE and their related superbugs, with associated patient morbidity and mortality. Thorough reprocessing of these complex reusable instruments is necessary to prevent disease transmission and ensure patient safety during GI endos-copy. Enhanced training and monitoring of reprocessing staffers to verify the proper cleaning and brushing of GI endoscopes, especially the area around, behind andnear the forceps elevator located at the distal end othe ERCP endoscope, are recommended. If the ERCPendoscope features a narrow and exposed channel thathouses a wire connecting the GI endoscope's controhead to this forceps elevator, then this channel's com-plete reprocessing, including its flushing with a deter-gent using a procedure validated for effectiveness, is also emphasized.

Bacteriology of Healthcare-Associated Infections in the Gynecology and Obstetrics Department of CHU Gabriel Touré

Introduction: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a public health issue. An infection is said to be associated with the care if it occurs during or after the care of a patient, and if it was neither present nor incubation at the beginning of the care. Objective: The purpose of this work was to study the bacteriology of infections associated with obstetric care in the gynecology-obstetrics department of CHU Gabriel Touré. Patients and Methods: This is an epidemiological, descriptive, analytical study conducted in the gynecology-obstetrics department of the CHU Gabriel Touré, from April 11th, 2016 to August 29th, 2016 (5 months). Data collection focused on the clinical and laboratory characteristics of healthcare-associated infections in patients during their hospitalization. Included in the study were any patients hospitalized in the Gynecology and Obstetrics Department who agreed to participate in the study. The criteria used to diagnose the associated infection were those of the Atlanta CDC. Operative wound monitoring was done up to the 30th postoperative day. Results: We have recorded 200 patients, out of whom 138 were operated on and 23 cases of bacterial infection associated with care (11.50%). The average age of the patients was 32.52 years ± 13.36 years against 29.36 years ± 10.28 years for the patients who did not present the infection. Seven point five percent of the evacuated patients had an infection associated with care. The most common types of infection were surgical site infection (60.86%), urinary tract infection (26.08%), endometritis and sepsis with 13.04% each. The isolated organisms were all resistant to Amoxicillin, to Amoxicillin + Clavulanic acid (88.88%) and to Ciprofloxacin (77.77%). The average duration of hospitalization for patients who developed the infection was 14.70 days. The lethality was 1.50%. The average cost of management of patients who developed the surgical site infection was 119,837 FCFA. Conclusion: The bacterial infections associated with the care remain frequent in our service and dominated by the infections of the operating site. Isolated organisms were all resistant to amoxicillin in 88.88% case ciprofloxacin.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Potential Role against Bacterial Infection

The worldwide spread of bacterial resistance makes finding new therapeutics to overcome this ongoing problem an urgent need. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) exert potential inhibiting activity against bacterial infections. The antimicrobial activity of MSCs relies on direct and indirect effects by secreting paracrine factors with potential inhibiting activity against bacterial growth or stimulating the phagocytic activity of the immune cells. These effects appeared when MSCs or its secreted factors are administrated therapeutically. Therefore, MSCs based cell therapy could be considered as a novel promising strategy to enhance the antibiotic activity in multidrug resistant (MDR) infections.

Engineering Janus gold nanorod–titania heterostructures with enhanced photocatalytic antibacterial activity against multidrugresistant bacterial infection

Photocatalytic antibacterial approach shows great potential in treating multidrug-resistant bacterial infections.However,the bactericidal efficiency heavily depends on the photocatalytic activity of semiconductor materials,which is limited by the fast recombination of photogenerated electron–hole pairs.Janus nano-heterostructures with spatial control growth of TiO_(2)nanoparticles(NPs)at one end of gold nanorods(Au NRs)are designed via surface ligand regulation for photocatalytic sterilization and infected wound healing.The asymmetric nanostructure of Janus gold nanorod-titanium dioxide nanoparticles(Janus AuNR-TiO_(2) NPs)promotes the directional migration of charge carriers and is more conducive to the spatial separation of electron–hole pairs.Moreover,the injection of hot electrons and enhancement of plasmon near-fields from the surface plasmon resonance(SPR)effect further improve the photocatalytic efficiency of Janus AuNR-TiO_(2) NPs.Under simulated sunlight irradiation,large amounts of reactive oxygen species(ROS)are generated for photocatalytic antibacterial activity.Enhanced bactericidal efficiency up to 99.99%against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA)is achieved in vitro.Furthermore,Janus AuNR-TiO_(2) NPs exhibit superior biocompatibility,structural stability,and also remarkably accelerate MRSA-infected wound healing.Taking the above all into consideration,Janus AuNR-TiO_(2) NPs,as an efficient antibacterial photocatalyst,offers a promising strategy for MRSA infectious therapy.