Search Tag: bacterial infections
AMR Dilemma: To Give or Not to Give Antibiotics
2022 24 Nov
The two primary reasons for using antibiotics are treating and preventing bacterial infections. However, a leading cause of the overuse of antibiotics is the misdiagnosis of sepsis. Early and accurate diagnostics using point-of-care biomarkers can help address this issue. Sepsis is a dysregulated reaction of the body to infection. It is a significant... Read more
Copper Destroys MRSA in Touch Contamination
2016 23 Feb
New research from the University of Southampton shows that copper can destroy MRSA spread by touching and fingertip contamination of surfaces, setting it apart from other antimicrobial surfaces and shedding new light on how it works. Frequently-touched surfaces in busy areas – such as hospitals – are at high risk of community-acquired and healthcare-associated... Read more
Rapid Susceptibility Test for Staph Developed
2016 02 Feb
An interdisciplinary team of researchers at UC San Diego have developed a test to find out if bacteria are susceptible to antibiotics, with results available in just a few hours. They hope that this advance could slow the appearance of drug resistance and allow appropriate treatment for patients with life threatening bacterial infections to be identified... Read more
Blood Test May Allow More Precise Antibiotic Use
2016 20 Jan
More precise use of antibiotics may result from a blood test, according to an observational study from scientists at Duke Health, published in Science Translational Medicine . The infectious disease and genomics experts developed ‘gene signatures’, which are patterns that reflect which of a patient’s genes are turned on or off, to indicate whether... Read more
Treating C. Difficile with Faecal Microbiota
2016 13 Jan
Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) using frozen stool is just as effective as transplantation using fresh stool in resolving diarrhoea among adult patients with recurrent or refractory Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). The findings are published in JAMA . CDI has become a major health concern because of limited treatment options and associated... Read more
Is PCT Testing Effective in Guiding Antibiotic Therapy?
2015 12 Dec
The use of procalcitonin (PCT) testing to guide antibiotic treatment may reduce antibiotic use in patients with sepsis or suspected sepsis in the ICU and patients with possible bacterial infections in emergency departments (EDs), according to a systematic review published in Health Technology Assessment . PCT is produced in your body and increases... Read more
miacom diagnostics: New IVD Tools for Direct Testing of Respiratory Samples
2015 24 Apr
miacom diagnostics specialises in the development and commercialisation of diagnostics tools for identification and differentiation of bacteria in acute infectious diseases. The company was founded in Duesseldorf, Germany in 2006 with the vision to develop faster and better diagnostic methods than the ones currently available on the market. “One of... Read more
Simulations Show How Bacteria Resist Antiobiotics
2014 21 Oct
Research scientists at the University of Bristol have used computer simulations to show how bacteria destroy antibiotics. This could be a major breakthrough and could help in the development of drugs that can effectively tackle bacterial infections in the future. The research team focused on the role of enzymes in the bacteria and how they split the structure... Read more
Peer Pressure Boosts Hand-Hygiene Compliance
2014 13 Sep
Young people are often told by their parents or guardians not to give in to peer pressure. Interestingly, a recent study showed that social or peer pressure might be the key to boosting hand-hygiene adherence in hospitals. Results of the study have been published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology . Researchers from the University of Iowa's... Read more
Spread of S. Capitis Clone Linked To Late-Onset NICU Sepsis
2014 27 May
An unexpected global distribution of the Staphylococcus capitis (S. capitis) NRCS-A clone is implicated in cases of late-onset sepsis in neonatal intensive care units (NICU). The multi-resistant pathogen flourishes in the specific environment of NICUs, according to research conducted in Lyon, France and presented earlier this month at the European... Read more