Epidemiology and zoonotic transmission of mcr-positive and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales on German turkey farms.

Introduction: The emergence of carbapenem-resistant bacteria causing serious infections may lead to more frequent use of previously abandoned antibiotics like colistin. However, mobile colistin resistance genes (mcr) can jeopardise its effectiveness in both human and veterinary medicine. In Germany, turkeys have been identified as the food-producing animal most likely to harbour mcr-positive colistin-resistant Enterobacterales (mcr-Col-E). Therefore, the aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of both mcr-Col-E and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) in German turkey herds and humans in contact with these herds. Methods: In 2018 and 2019, 175 environmental (boot swabs of turkey faeces) and 46 human stool samples were analysed using a combination of enrichment-based culture, PCR, core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) and plasmid typing. Results: mcr-Col-E were detected in 123 of the 175 turkey farms in this study (70.3%). mcr-Col-E isolates were Escherichia coli (98.4%) and Klebsiella spp. (1.6%). Herds that had been treated with colistin were more likely to harbour mcr-Col-E, with 82.2% compared to 66.2% in untreated herds (p = 0.0298). Prevalence also depended on husbandry, with 7.1% mcr-Col-E in organic farms compared to 74.5% in conventional ones (p < 0.001). In addition, four of the 46 (8.7%) human participants were colonised with mcr-Col-E. mcr-Col-E isolates from stables had minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) from 4 to ≥ 32 mg/l, human isolates ranged from 4 to 8 mg/l. cgMLST showed no clonal transmission of isolates. For one farm, plasmid typing revealed great similarities between plasmids from an environmental and a human sample. No CPE were found in turkey herds or humans. Discussion: These findings confirm that mcr-Col-E-prevalence is high in turkey farms, but no evidence of direct zoonotic transmission of clonal mcr-Col-E strains was found. However, the results indicate that plasmids may be transmitted between E. coli isolates from animals and humans.

The experience of general practitioners with Very Brief Advice in the treatment of tobacco addiction.

Although tobacco smoking is the world's most important preventable cause of many chronic diseases (including COPD and asthma) and premature death, many physicians do not routinely apply smoking cessation in the daily health care of their patients. Two widely felt important concerns of physicians are that smoking cessation as part of a treatment is time-consuming and may jeopardize their relationship with patients. Very Brief Advice (VBA) is a non-confrontational method, which could assist general practitioners (GPs) as a simple, quick first step in getting patients to stop smoking. In this study, we investigated the opinions and experiences of GPs with VBA in their routine care in two rounds of telephone interviews with 19 GPs. The interviews were recorded and transcribed and subsequently analysed with NVivo12. We observed that the GPs had a very positive experience with using VBA. They found the method to be efficient as to the time involved, patient-friendly and easy to implement.

What motivates general practitioners to change practice behaviour? A qualitative study of audit and feedback group sessions in Dutch general practice.

OBJECTIVES: Adopting an attributional perspective, the current article investigates how audit and feedback group sessions contribute to general practitioners' (GPs) motivation to change their practice behaviour to improve care. We focus on the contributions of the audit and feedback itself (content) and the group discussion (process). METHODS: Four focus groups, comprising a total of 39 participating Dutch GPs, discussed and compared audit and feedback of their practices. The focus groups were analysed thematically. RESULTS: Audit and feedback contributed to GPs' motivation to change in two ways: by raising awareness about aspects of their current care practice and by providing indications of the possible impact of change. For these contributions to play out, the audit and feedback should be reliable and valid, specific, recent and recurrent and concern GPs' own practices or practices within their own influence sphere. Care behaviour attributed to external, uncontrollable or unstable causes would not induce change. The added value of the group is twofold as well: group discussion contributed to GPs' motivation to change by providing a frame of reference and by affording insights that participants would not have been able to achieve on their own. CONCLUSIONS: In audit and feedback group sessions, both audit and feedback information and group discussion can valuably contribute to GPs' motivation to change care practice behaviour. Peer interaction can positively contribute to explore alternative practices and avenues for improvement. Local or regional peer meetings would be beneficial in facilitating reflection and discussion. An important avenue for future studies is to explore the contribution of audit and feedback and small-group discussion to actual practice change.

Foot ulceration and lower limb amputation in type 2 diabetic patients in dutch primary health care.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of foot ulceration and lower limb amputation in type 2 diabetic patients in primary health care. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Data on type 2 diabetes were collected by the Nijmegen Monitoring Project between 1993 and 1998 as part of a study of chronic diseases. The records of all patients recorded as having diabetic foot problems and those who died, moved to a nursing home, or were under specialist care were included. The annual incidence of foot ulceration was defined as the number of type 2 diabetic patients per patient-year who developed a new foot ulcer. Incidence of lower limb amputation was similarly defined. Additional information was collected on treatment of foot ulcers. RESULTS: The study population of type 2 diabetic patients increased from 511 patient-years in 1993 to 665 in 1998. The annual incidence of foot ulceration varied between 1.2 and 3.0% (mean 2.1) per year; 25% of the patients had recurrent episodes. The annual incidence of lower limb amputation varied between 0.5 and 0.8% (mean 0.6). Ten of the 15 amputees died, and 12 of 52 (23%) patients with ulceration had a subsequent amputation or a previous history of amputation. In 35 of the 73 (48%) episodes of ulceration, only the family physician provided treatment. Patients with foot problems were older and had more cardiovascular disease, retinopathy, and absent peripheral pulses. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of foot ulceration and lower limb amputation in type 2 diabetes is low; nevertheless, recurrence rates of ulceration and risk of amputation are high, with high mortality.