Subtypes, resistance and virulence platforms in extended-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Romanian isolates.

Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged worldwide as a dominant pathogen in a broad range of severe infections, raising an acute need for efficient antibacterials. This is the first report on the resistome and virulome of 33 extended drug-resistant and carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (XDR CRAB) strains isolated from hospitalized and ambulatory patients in Bucharest, Romania. A total of 33 isolates were collected and analyzed using phenotypic antibiotic susceptibility and conjugation assays, PCR, whole-genome sequencing (WGS), pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and MultiLocus Sequence Typing (MLST). All isolates were extensively drug-resistant (XDR), being susceptible only to colistin. The carbapenem resistance was attributed by PCR mainly to blaOXA-24 and blaOXA-23 genes. PFGE followed by MLST analysis demonstrated the presence of nine pulsotypes and six sequence types. WGS of seven XDR CRAB isolates from healthcare-associated infections demonstrated the high diversity of resistance genes repertoire, as well as of mobile genetic elements, carrying ARGs for aminoglycosides, sulphonamides and macrolides. Our data will facilitate the understanding of resistance, virulence and transmission features of XDR AB isolates from Romanian patients and might be able to contribute to the implementation of appropriate infection control measures and to develop new molecules with innovative mechanisms of action, able to fight effectively against these bugs, for limiting the spread and decreasing the infection rate and mortality.

Selection of homemade mask materials for preventing transmission of COVID-19: a laboratory study

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has swept the whole world with high mortality. Since droplet transmission is the main route of transmission, wearing a mask serves as a crucial preventive measure. However, the virus has spread quite quickly, causing severe mask shortage. Finding alternative materials for homemade masks while ensuring the significant performance indicators will help alleviate the shortage of masks. Referring to the national standard for the "Surgical Mask" of China, 17 materials to be selected for homemade masks were tested in four key indicators: pressure difference, particle filtration efficiency, bacterial filtration efficiency and resistance to surface wetting. Eleven single-layer materials met the standard of pressure difference ([≤]49 Pa), of which 3 met the standard of resistance to surface wetting ([≥]3), 1 met the standard of particle filtration efficiency ([≥]30%), but none met the standard of bacterial filtration efficiency ([≥]95%). Based on the testing results of single-layer materials, fifteen combinations of paired materials were tested. The results showed that three double-layer materials including double-layer medical non-woven fabric, medical non-woven fabric plus non-woven shopping bag, and medical non-woven fabric plus granular tea towel could meet all the standards of pressure difference, particle filtration efficiency, and resistance to surface wetting, and were close to the standard of the bacterial filtration efficiency. In conclusion, if resources are severely lacking and medical masks cannot be obtained, homemade masks using available materials, based on the results of this study, can minimize the chance of infection to the maximum extent.

International expansion of a novel SARS-CoV-2 mutant

Letter to the editor. There is no abstract. The summary was showed: SARS-CoV-2 has inevitably mutated during its pandemic spread to cause unpredictable effects on COVID-19 and complicate epidemic control efforts. Here we report that a novel SARS-CoV-2 mutation (ORF3a) appears to be spreading worldwide, which deserves close attention.

Targeted monitoring on ventilator-associated events / 中国感染控制杂志

Objective To monitor ventilator-associated event (VAE) for the first time in an intensive care unit (ICU) in China,understand the applicability,incidence,and clinical significance of VAE in China.Methods Targeted monitoring on VAE was performed among patients ≥18 years and with mechanical ventilation (MV)＞2 days in the ICU of a hospital between January 2014 and September 2015,incidence of VAE was calculated,and patients were grouped according to whether or not they had VAE,prognostic factors were analyzed statistically.Results A total of 1 004 patients were monitored,the total hospital stay was 13 795 days in patients who used ventilator,307 (30.58％) cases of VAE occurred,incidence of VAE per 1 000 ventilator-days was 22.25.Univariate analysis showed that patients with VAE had longer length of ICU stay and MV,and higher mortality rate than patients without VAE when they moved out of ICU (all P＜0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that VAE was independent risk factor for length of ICU stay,duration of MV,as well as mortality when patients moved out of ICU(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Judgment of VAE is based on MV parameters,it is more objective and accurate.There is a high incidence of VAE among ICU patients,it may lead to poor clinical outcomes,and has good values for the targeted monitoring on ICU patients in large comprehensive hospitals of China.

Comparative Study on HPLC Fingerprints of Taproot and Rhizome of Paeonia lactiflora / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE:To establish HPLC fingerprints of taproot and rhizome of Paenoia lactiflora,and to compare the similarity and difference of them.METHODS:The determination was performed on Phenomenex C18 column with mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-0.1％ phosphoric acid (gradient elution) at the flow rate of 1.0 mL/min.The detection wavelength was set at 230 nm,and column temperature was 30 ℃.The sample size was 10 tL.Using paeoniflorin as reference,HPLC chromatograms of the taproot and rhizome of P lactiflora were established.Common peak identification and similarity evaluation were performed by using TCM Chromatogram Fingerprint Similarity Evaluation System (2012 edition).RESULTS:There were 9 common peaks in HPLC chromatograms of taproot and rhizome of P lactiflora.The similarity of taproot with rhizome of P lactiflora was higher than 0.9.CONCLUSIONS:Established fingerprints can provide reference for identification and quality evaluation of P lactiflora.The effective constituent of taproot and rhizome of P lactiflora are uniform but have small difference.

Comparative Study on HPLC Fingerprints of Taproot and Rhizome of Paeonia lactiflora / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE:To establish HPLC fingerprints of taproot and rhizome of Paenoia lactiflora,and to compare the similarity and difference of them.METHODS:The determination was performed on Phenomenex C18 column with mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-0.1％ phosphoric acid (gradient elution) at the flow rate of 1.0 mL/min.The detection wavelength was set at 230 nm,and column temperature was 30 ℃.The sample size was 10 tL.Using paeoniflorin as reference,HPLC chromatograms of the taproot and rhizome of P lactiflora were established.Common peak identification and similarity evaluation were performed by using TCM Chromatogram Fingerprint Similarity Evaluation System (2012 edition).RESULTS:There were 9 common peaks in HPLC chromatograms of taproot and rhizome of P lactiflora.The similarity of taproot with rhizome of P lactiflora was higher than 0.9.CONCLUSIONS:Established fingerprints can provide reference for identification and quality evaluation of P lactiflora.The effective constituent of taproot and rhizome of P lactiflora are uniform but have small difference.

Combined Analysis of Variation in Core, Accessory and Regulatory Genome Regions Provides a Super-Resolution View into the Evolution of Bacterial Populations.

The use of whole-genome phylogenetic analysis has revolutionized our understanding of the evolution and spread of many important bacterial pathogens due to the high resolution view it provides. However, the majority of such analyses do not consider the potential role of accessory genes when inferring evolutionary trajectories. Moreover, the recently discovered importance of the switching of gene regulatory elements suggests that an exhaustive analysis, combining information from core and accessory genes with regulatory elements could provide unparalleled detail of the evolution of a bacterial population. Here we demonstrate this principle by applying it to a worldwide multi-host sample of the important pathogenic E. coli lineage ST131. Our approach reveals the existence of multiple circulating subtypes of the major drug-resistant clade of ST131 and provides the first ever population level evidence of core genome substitutions in gene regulatory regions associated with the acquisition and maintenance of different accessory genome elements.

Clostridium difficile infection and prevention measures / 中华临床感染病杂志

As the most common pathogen for healthcare -associated infection in European and American countries, Clostridium difficile has become increasingly popular in China and has posed a great threat to public health.Based on evidences retrieved from the PubMed and CNKI databases , this article reviews biological characters and dissemination patterns of C.difficile, epidemiology, burden and risk factors of C.difficile infection, and the surveillance, contact precaution, hand hygiene, antimicrobial stewardship, environment cleaning, use of probiotics and vaccine for the prevention of C.difficile infection.

Risk factors and prognosis of patients with bloodstream infection due to carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii / 中国感染控制杂志

Objective To explore the risk factors and prognosis of hospitalized patients with bloodstream infection due to carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB).Methods 163 patients with CRAB bloodstream in-fection from 2010 to 2013 were conducted retrospective case-control study,68 patients with bloodstream infection due to carbapenem-susceptible Acinetobacter baumannii (CSAB)during the same period were as control group. Results The independent risk factors for CRAB bloodstream infection were stay in intensive care unit(ICU)(OR, 1 .27[95%CI ,5.55-22.89])and emergency department(OR,3.57 [95%CI ,1 .67 -7.62])before infection.Pa-tients with CRAB bloodstream infection had lower 28-day survival rate than those with CSAB bloodstream infection (66.17% vs 96.95%,χ2 =15.71 ,P <0.001 ).The independent risk factors for influencing prognosis of Acineto-bacter baumannii bloodstream infection were infection of CRAB (HR 95% CI ,3.01 -67.28),blood disease(HR 95%CI ,3.77-25.97),cardiac insufficiency(HR 95%CI ,2.10-20.41),stay in ICU(HR 95%CI ,1 .01 -5.28), and age(HR 95%CI ,1 .01 -1 .04).Conclusion The independent risk factors for CRAB bloodstream infection are stay in ICU and emergency department before infection,CRAB bloodstream infection is risk factor for influencing prognosis of patients.

Study on improvement of hand hygiene compliance and correctness of health care workers in a large hospital / 中国感染控制杂志

Objective To explore strategies and measures to improve hand hygiene (HH)compliance and correctness of health care workers (HCWs)in a large hospital.Methods The WHO multimodal hand hygiene improvement strategy was adopted by healthcare-associated infection(HAI)management department of a hospital,measures consisted of five key com-ponents,including:system change,education and training,evaluation and feedback,reminders in the workplace,and insti-tutional safety climate.HH compliance and correctness of HCWs were observed by infection control practitioners,HH compliance and correctness in January-June of 2012 (pre-intervention)and January-June of 2014 (post-intervention)were compared,effectiveness of intervention strategies were evaluated.Results HH compliance rate and correctness rate of post-intervention were both higher than pre-intervention (75.92% [8 369/11 023]vs 53.67% [5 127/9 553],P 0.05).Except ‘after body fluid exposure’, HH compliance rates of the other four indications for HH before and after intervention were significantly different(all P <0.001).Conclusion HH compliance and correctness of HCWs can be improved after adopting WHO multimodal hand hy-giene improvement strategy.

Study on intervention in central line-associated bloodstream infection in intensive care units / 中国感染控制杂志

Objective To evaluate the effect of evidence-based bundle intervention strategy on reducing the inci-dence of central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI).Methods Prospective and multicenter study was adopted,patients admitted to 54 intensive care units (ICUs)of 41 hospitals and with central venous catheters (CVCs)between October 1 ,2013 and September 30,2014 were monitored .Baseline data between October 2013 and March 2014 were collected as pre-intervention data;from April to September 2014,the participated hospitals performed intervention strategy,post-intervention data were compared with pre-intervention data.Results The usage rate of CVCs before and after intervention was significantly different (44.18% vs 44.63%,χ2 =5.526,P =0.019).Incidence of CLABSI before and after intervention was not significantly different(RR ,0.82[95%CI ,0.59-1 .13],P =0.10).Constituent ratio of catheter insertion sites between pre-and post-intervention was significantly different (χ2 =76.264,P <0.001),femoral vein catheterization rate as well as proportion of two and above catheter insertion sites after intervention decreased(17.25% VS 13.72%;2.27% VS 1 .44%,respectively);hand hygiene implementation rate and accuracy rate after intervention were both higher than before intervention (79.73% vs 76.14%,P <0.001 ;91 .47% vs 74.26%,P <0.001 ,respectively);constituent ratio of skin disinfectant applica-tion before and after intervention was significantly different(χ2 =3.861 ,P <0.001 ),proportion of chlorhexidine ethanol increased (29.62% VS 50.56%);except daily assessment and record,compliance to other prevention and control measures before and after intervention were all significantly different(all P <0.001);utilization rate of max-imal sterile barrier,qualified rate of dressing of operators,and port disinfection were all significantly enhanced. Conclusion Bundle intervention in intubation and maintenance are implemented effectively,but intervention effect on CLABSI needs further study.

Effectiveness of multicenter intervention in hand hygiene compliance among health care workers in intensive care units / 中国感染控制杂志

Objective To evaluate the effect of comprehensive intervention measures on improving hand hygiene (HH)compliance of health care workers(HCWs)in intensive care units (ICUs)by multicenter study.Methods A total of 47 hospitals in 12 provinces and cities were enrolled in the study,from October 2013 to September 2014, HH compliance among HCWs in ICUs was investigated according to World Health Organization HH investigation method,HH compliance rates before and after intervention were compared.Results HH compliance rate of HCWs in ICUs increased from 73.70%(11 155/15 135)before intervention to 78.70%(18 206/23 132)after intervention (χ2 =128.16,P <0.01);except northeast region ,HH compliance of HCWs in the other provinces increased signif-icantly after intervention(all P <0.05);among all departments,HH compliance of HCWs in general ICUs,respira-tory ICUs,emergency ICUs,and surgical ICUs increased significantly(all P <0.05);HH compliance of HCWs of all kinds of occupations increased significantly(all P <0.05);HH compliance rates before touching a patient,before clean/aseptic procedure,after touching a patient,and after touching patient surroundings increased significantly after intervention(all P <0.01 ).Conclusion Comprehensive interventions are helpful for improving HH compliance of HCWs in ICUs. Objective To evaluate the effect of comprehensive intervention measures on improving hand hygiene (HH)compliance of health care workers(HCWs)in intensive care units (ICUs)by multicenter study.Methods A total of 47 hospitals in 12 provinces and cities were enrolled in the study,from October 2013 to September 2014, HH compliance among HCWs in ICUs was investigated according to World Health Organization HH investigation method,HH compliance rates before and after intervention were compared.Results HH compliance rate of HCWs in ICUs increased from 73.70%(11 155/15 135)before intervention to 78.70%(18 206/23 132)after intervention (χ2 =128.16,P <0.01);except northeast region ,HH compliance of HCWs in the other provinces increased signif-icantly after intervention(all P <0.05);among all departments,HH compliance of HCWs in general ICUs,respira-tory ICUs,emergency ICUs,and surgical ICUs increased significantly(all P <0.05);HH compliance of HCWs of all kinds of occupations increased significantly(all P <0.05);HH compliance rates before touching a patient,before clean/aseptic procedure,after touching a patient,and after touching patient surroundings increased significantly after intervention(all P <0.01 ).Conclusion Comprehensive interventions are helpful for improving HH compliance of HCWs in ICUs.

Multicenter study on epidemiology of device-associated infection in neonatal intensive care units / 中国感染控制杂志

Objective To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of device-associated infection (DAI)in neonatal intensive care units(NICUs)of tertiary first-class hospitals in China,and provide scientific evidence for the prevention and control of neonatal DAI.Methods Neonates in NICUs at 17 hospitals of 9 provinces from October 2013 to September 2014 were selected for multicenter study,DAI was surveyed prospectively according to the uni-form diagnostic criteria and methods.Results A total of 12 998 neonates were monitored,the total patient-days were 126 125 d,13 cases of central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI)and 70 cases of ventilator-asso-ciated pneumonia (VAP)occurred,central line utilization rate was 15.56%,incidence of CLABSI was 0.66/1 000 device-days;ventilator utilization rate was 7.67%,incidence of VAP was 7.23/1 000 device-days.Utilization rates of central line and respirator in neonates with body weight ≤ 1 000 g was the highest,which were 61 .06% and 29.91 % respectively;In NICUs with 20-30 beds,utilization rate of central line was the highest(16.67%),and res-pirator was the lowest(4.11 %);of hospitals in different regions,central line and respirator utilization rate in south-west China was the highest.Of different sizes of ICUs,VAP per 1 000 device-days was the lowest in NICUs with 20-30 beds(2.36 ‰).Difference in incidence of CLABSI and VAP per 1 000 device-days in neonates at NICUs of different regions were significantly different;incidence of CLABSI and VAP per 1 000 device-days was highest in southern China(2.68 ‰ and 31 .06‰ respectively),followed by southwest region.Of different quarters,incidence of CLABSI,and VAP per 1 000 device-days were not significantly different(all P >0.05).Conclusion Device utili-zation rate and incidence of DAI in China are both high,and are different in neonates of different birth weight,at different sizes of NICUs,as well as different regions,monitoring should be intensified,prevention and control measures should be implemented according to infection characteristics.

A multicenter intervention study on hand hygiene compliance of health care workers in neonatal intensive care units / 中国感染控制杂志

Objective To improve hand hygiene (HH)compliance of health care workers (HCWs)in neonatal in-tensive care units(NICUs)in China through a series of intervention measures.Methods A multicenter study was conducted,17 tertiary first class hospitals in 9 provinces and cities were selected,HH compliance of HCWs in these hospitals were investigated every month according to HH investigation method of World Health Organization.From October 1 ,2013 to March 31 ,2014 was pre-intervention stage;from April 1 ,2014 to September 30,2014 was post-intervention stage,timely feedback and intensified training were conducted at post-intervention stage.Results HH compliance rates of HCWs before and after intervention were 80.29% and 80.85% respectively,there was no sig-nificant difference (P >0.05).HH compliance rates of HCWs in different sizes of ICUs were significantly different before and after intervention (all P 30 beds were significantly lower than before intervention(P <0.001 );HH compliance rate of cleaners increased from 58.82% before intervention to 68.09% after intervention (P <0.05 );Of different hand hygiene indications,except before clean/aseptic task, compliance to the other HH indications were significantly different between before and after intervention(all P <0.05).Conclusion HH compliance is high among HCWs in NICUs in China,intervention measures,such as inten-sified training and timely feedback have certain influence in compliance to HH among HCWs at different sizes of ICUs,of different occupations,and at different HH indications.

Targeted monitoring on surgical site infection and effect of intervention / 中国感染控制杂志

Objective To explore the incidence of surgical site infection (SSI)and compliance to bundled interven-tion measures,and evaluate the effect of bundled interventions on controlling SSI.Methods From October 2013 to September 2014,three types of surgeries (colorectal surgery,abdominal hysterectomy,and femoral neck repair sur-gery)in 29 hospitals in China were monitored,October 2013 to March 2014 was baseline investigated stage,April 2014 to September 2014 was intervention stage.Results A total of 6 166 episodes of surgeries were monitored,the incidence of SSI was 1 .64%,incidence of SSI following colorectal surgery,abdominal hysterectomy,and femoral neck repair surgery were 4.47%,1 .03%,and 0.21 % respectively.The P 75 time of three types of surgeries were 3,2,and 2 hours respectively.Compared with the baseline stage,the compliance to most intervention measures im-proved after intervention,the largest increase in the compliance to interventions was disinfection with chlorhexidine-containing disinfectant at surgical sites of colorectal surgery (increased by 29.09%),followed by preoperative shower of femoral neck repair surgery (increased by 26.24%),preoperative shower of colorectal surgery(increased by 22.95%),and skin preparation on the day of operation (increased by 20.75%).Incidences of SSI in three types of surgeries were not significantly different before and after intervention(all P >0.05).Conclusion The incidences of SSI are different among different types of surgeries,the compliance to most bundled intervention measures has im-proved to some extent after intervention,but effectiveness of intervention measures needs to be further observed.

Targeted monitoring on healthcare-associated infection in a respiratory in-tensive care unit of a teaching hospital / 中国感染控制杂志

Objective To investigate the incidence of healthcare-associated infection (HAI)in patients in a respiratory in-tensive care unit (RICU)of a teaching hospital,and provide reference for HAI prevention and control.Methods All pa-tients admitted to this RICU from January to December 2014 were surveyed with prospective targeted monitoring method, surveyed data were analyzed statistically.Results A total of 561 patients were surveyed,43 patients developed 44 times HAI,HAI rate and HAI case rate were 7.66% and 7.84% respectively,incidence of HAI and adjusted incidence of HAI per 1 000 patient-days were 6.26‰ and 1.79‰ respectively.The main infection site was urinary tract (45.46%,n=20). Incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP ),catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI),and catheter-associat-ed urinary tract infection (CAUTI)per 1 000 catheter-days were 2.73‰(n=13),1.57‰(n=2),and 3.78‰(n=18)re-spectively.Incidence of HAI per 1 000 patient-days between the first and second half year of 2014 was significantly differ-ent(4.59‰ vs 7.89‰;u=-1.75,P =0.04).A total of 47 pathogenic strains were isolated,the main pathogens were gram-negative bacteria(n=26,55.32%).Conclusion The major HAI in RICU is device-associated infection,it is necessary to strengthen the management of invasive procedures;targeted monitoring can find the weak links of infection control prac-tice and helpful for taking effective prevention and control measures to reduce the incidence of HAI in ICU.

Multicenter study on targeted monitoring of surgical site infection and risk factors / 中国感染控制杂志

Objective To investigate the status and risk factors of surgical site infection (SSI)in hospitals in Chi-na,so as to provide theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of SSI.Methods Four types of surgeries (colorectal surgery,abdominal hysterectomy,femoral neck repair surgery,and vascular surgery)in 29 hospitals were monitored prospectively,risk factors for SSI were analyzed.Results A total of 6 309 surgical procedures were investigated,incidence of SSI was 1 .60%.Incidences of SSI in patients receiving colorectal surgery,abdominal hys-terectomy,femoral neck repair surgery,and vascular surgery were 4.47%(74/1 655 ),1 .03%(22/2 139),0.21 %(5/2 372),and 0.00% (0/143 )respectively.The incidences of SSI were different among different regions (χ2 =114.213,P <0.05).The most common SSI was superficial incisional infection,the next was deep incisional infec-tion.The major pathogens causing SSI were Escherichia coli ,Enterococcus spp .,coagulase negative staphylococ-cus ,Staphylococcus aureus ,and Klebsiella pneumoniae .The independent risk factors for SSI were male patients, long duration of surgery,and high NNIS score.Conclusion The risk of SSI is varied with different types of surger-ies.Male,long duration of surgery,and high NNIS score can increase the risk of postoperative SSI.

Impact of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infec-tion on the prognosis of patients / 中国感染控制杂志

Objective To understand the impact of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)blood-stream infection on the length of hospital stay,hospital mortality,and poor prognosis of patients.Methods 357 patients with Staphylococcus aureus (S .aureus)bacteremia in a hospital between January 1 ,2009 and December 31 , 2013 were surveyed and analyzed retrospectively.Results Of 357 patients,91 were infected with MRSA and 266 with methicillin-susceptible S .aureus (MSSA).The length of hospital stay was statistically different between MR-SA and MSSA group(29 d vs 23 d,P <0.01);before infection,length of hospital stay of MRSA group was longer than MSSA group(P <0.01 );after infection,length of hospital stay was not statistically different between two groups(17 d vs 16.5 d,P = 0.92 ).Mortality of MRSA group and MSSA group was not statistically different (13.19% vs 9.02%,χ2 =1 .28,P =0.26).The incidence of poor prognosis of MRSA group was higher than MSSA group(29.67% vs 16.92%,χ2 =6.85,P =0.01 ).Multivariate analysis results showed that MRSA infection was independent risk factor for poor prognosis (P <0.01).Conclusion MRSA infection doesn’t contribute to the pro-longation of hospital stay,but MRSA bloodstream infection is a risk factor for poor prognosis of patients.

Application of Oracle and Java for the development of medicine information search software in Wangjing Hospital / 药学实践杂志

Objective Since it is a common problem for medical practice that paper instructions for medicine information are difficult to update and inconvenient to search ,this article is to provide convenient service of pharmacy information for clini-cal practice by developing medicine information search software in our hospital .Methods According to the practical needs of clinical study and pharmacy research ,we took appropriate measures to collect data ,categorize contents ,scan pictures ,polish images and extract information for the medicine instructions .Based on the above work ,we applied Oracle 10G to establish medicine information database for our hospital and utilized Java to design medicine information search software .Results Our search software includes 1 201 kinds of medicines ,taking up 98 .85% of the medicines in our catalogue .The users can use four different search methods (including common name search ,commodity name search ,fuzzy search and key word search) to gain the written material and photographic information of medicine instructions .Conclusion With the help of the software of Oracle and Java ,the newly designed software for medicine information search can provide convenient pharmacy information service for clinical practice .

Molecular screening of carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative strains in Romanian intensive care units during a one year survey.

This is the first study, to our knowledge, performed on a significant number of strains (79 carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae and 84 carbapenem-resistant non-fermenting Gram-negative rods, GNRs) isolated from tissue samples taken from patients in the intensive care units of two large hospitals in Bucharest, Romania, between 2011 and 2012. The results revealed a high prevalence and great diversity of carbapenemase genes (CRG), in both fermenting and non-fermenting Gram-negative carbapenem-resistant strains. The molecular screening of carbapenem-resistant GNRs revealed the presence of worldwide-distributed CRGs (i.e. blaOXA-48 and blaNDM-1 in Enterobacteriaceae and blaOXA-23, blaVIM-4, blaOXA-10-like, blaOXA-60-like, blaSPM-like and blaGES-like in non-fermenting GNRs), reflecting the rapid evolution and spread of carbapenemase producers, particularly in hospitals. Rapid identification of the colonized or infected patients is required, as are epidemiological investigations to establish the local or imported origin of the respective strains.