New chip makes testing for antibiotic-resistant bacteria faster
Researchers at the University of Toronto design diagnostic chip to reduce testing time from days to one hour, allowing doctors to pick the right antibiotic the first time.
Bacteria
Article • Fast, accurate and convenient
New test identifies early sepsis
A newly launched test enables the quantitative determination of PCT in serum samples, EDTA or lithium heparin plasma samples by latex enhanced immunoturbidimetric methodology. The Stanbio Chemistry Procalcitonin (PCT) LiquiColor Assay was launched by EKF Diagnostics, based in Cardiff, Wales, which explains: ‘Procalcitonin is a marker for bacterial infection and sepsis and has been recognised as…
News • Clostridium difficile
Evidence supports success of fecal transplants in treatment
Research published in the open access journal Microbiome offers new evidence for the success of fecal microbial transplantation (FMT) in treating severe Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), a growing problem worldwide that leads to thousands of fatalities every year.
News • Plastic plus egg whites
Recipe for antibacterial plastic
Bioplastics made from protein sources such as albumin and whey have shown significant antibacterial properties, findings that could eventually lead to their use in plastics used in medical applications such as wound healing dressings, sutures, catheter tubes and drug delivery, according to a recent study.
News • Antibiotics
Antibiotic use by travelers may add to global spread of superbugs
Taking antibiotics for diarrhea may put travelers visiting developing parts of the world at higher risk for contracting superbugs and spreading these daunting drug-resistant bacteria to their home countries, according to a new study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases and now available online.
New antibiotic shows promise in treating drug-resistant bacteria
Scientists have discovered a new antibiotic, teixobactin, that can kill serious infections in mice without encountering any detectable resistance, offering a potential new way to get ahead of dangerous evolving superbugs.
Article • Study
Jet air and warm air driers unsuitable for use in healthcare settings
A new study concludes that jet air and warm air hand driers have a greater potential to contaminate washrooms by spreading bacteria into the air and onto users and bystanders. The findings have significant implications for infection control health professionals and purchasing managers responsible for equipping hospital washrooms.
A breakthrough in antibiotic resistance
An ‘Achilles heel’ in the defensive barrier surrounding drug-resistant bacterial cells has been identified by a team of scientists at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in Norwich, UK.
Peering into the abyss
In May, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that bacterial infections might lead to an increasing number of deaths because new resistance mechanisms threaten our ability to treat common infectious diseases.
Now available: ESBL-Tool kit for handling beta-lactamase resistant Enterobacteriaceae
Doctor Véronique Mondain from Nice explains the ambitious project she and colleagues have put in place to help combat the rise of these resistant pathogens.
Hygiene managers are not enough
‘Better hygiene’ is the frequently and loudly recommended panacea in the intensifying struggle against hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). However there are currently no evidence-based studies that evaluate the efficacy of additional hygiene measures.
Oral vaccination against pancreatic tumours
The world’s first gene cancer therapy study of an innovative oral vaccine is underway at the Surgical Clinic of Heidelberg University Hospital.
Better safe than sorry
Five recommendations to prevent central venous catheter-related infections. Catheter-related bloodstream infections are the third frequent infection in the intensive care unit (ICU) after pneumonia and peritonitis worldwide. The incidence of CVC infections lies between 1-4 for 1,000 catheterdays. This means for the USA, as an example, that more than five million patients annually need a central…
Bacterial or viral? – Name it! Beat it!
The smaller the child, the more defenceless it is against viral and bacterial attacks. That is why infection accompanied by the symptom of a high temperature is the most common illness in children. So, when a child has a runny nose and fever an infection is clear. The more elemental question is: Should it be treated with antibiotics?
Article • Bacterial defense mechanism
Antibiotic resistance: a global threat to healthcare
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is becoming more prevalent around the world, constituting a serious threat to public health. When bacteria acquire resistance against antibiotics, common medical procedures – for example, in surgery – become impossible due to the high infection risk. Keep reading to find out about AMR research, development of new antibiotics and antibiotic alternatives.