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Background: The spread of multi-drug-resistant organisms (MDROs) is a critical health issue. Isolation measures imposed to prevent transmission may result in adverse psychological effects among affected patients. This emphasizes the need for better communication and information to improve their hospital experience and mental well-being as well as to prevent inadequate treatment., Aim: The present study examined whether tailored counselling sessions during contact isolation could enhance patients' understanding of their situation concerning the significance of their MDRO status and enhance their well-being., Methods: A pre-post-intervention study was conducted in a German tertiary-care hospital in which N = 64 patients who were isolated due to MDROs received tailored counselling. The counselling included information about MDROs, the reason for hospital isolation measures, and appropriate behaviour during and after hospitalization. Participants completed questionnaires before and after the counselling sessions to assess its impact on their informedness, patient (dis)satisfaction and well-being measures., Findings: Prior to the counselling session, patient dissatisfaction was associated with anxiety and inadequate informedness about MDROs. After the counselling, patients reported a significantly improved comprehension of their MDROs-related situation and a notable decrease in dissatisfaction with their hospital situation, primarily attributed to the acquired information., Conclusions: This is the first German study to show how improved information about MDROs impacts patient satisfaction in hospitals. The findings stress the crucial need for improving healthcare workers' interaction and communication with patients affected by MDROs., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Surfaces in close proximity to patients within hospitals may cause healthcare-associated infections. These surfaces are repositories for pathogens facilitating their transmission among staff and patients. Regular cleaning and disinfection of these surfaces provides only a temporary elimination of pathogens with inevitable recontamination. Antimicrobial coatings (AMCs) of such surfaces may additionally reduce the risk of pathogen transmissions., Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of a standard and a novel photodynamic AMC, even at very low light intensities, in a field study conducted in two ICUs at our university hospital., Methods: The microbial burden was determined on three coatings: standard photodynamic AMC (A), a novel photodynamic AMC (B), and an inactive AMC as control (C). The control coating C was identical to standard coating A, but it contained no photosensitizer. During a three-month period, 699 samples were collected from identical surfaces using eSwab and were analysed (cfu/cm 2 )., Findings: Mean values of all surfaces covered with control coating (C) showed a microbial burden of 5.5 ± 14.8 cfu/cm 2 . Photodynamic AMC showed significantly lower mean value of 1.6 ± 4.6 cfu/cm 2 (coating A; P < 0.001) and 2.7 ± 9.6 (coating B; P < 0.001). When considering a benchmark of 2.5 cfu/cm 2 , the relative risk for higher microbial counts was reduced by 52% (coating A) or 40% (coating B), respectively., Conclusion: Both photodynamic AMCs offer a substantial, permanent risk reduction of microbial counts on near-patient surfaces in ICUs with low light intensities., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Prevention of toilet-to-patient transmission of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDR PA) poses management-related challenges at many bone marrow transplant units (BMTUs)., Aim: To conduct a longitudinal retrospective analysis of the toilet-to-patient transmission rate for MDR PA under existing infection control (IC) measures at a BMTU with persistent MDR PA toilet colonization., Methods: The local IC bundle comprised: (1) patient education regarding IC; (2) routine patient screening; (3) toilet flushing volume of 9 L; (4) bromination of toilet water tanks, and (5) toilet decontamination using hydrogen peroxide. Toilet water was sampled periodically between 2016 and 2021 (minimum every three months: 26 intervals). Upon MDR PA detection, disinfection and re-sampling were repeated until ≤3 cfu/100 mL was reached. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was performed retrospectively on all available MDR PA isolates (90 out of 117 positive environmental samples, 10 out of 14 patients, including nine nosocomial)., Findings: WGS of patient isolates identified six sequence types (STs), with ST235/CT1352/FIM-1 and ST309/CT3049/no-carbapenemase being predominant (three isolates each). Environmental sampling consistently identified MDR PA ST235 (65.5% ST235/CT1352/FIM-1), showing low genetic diversity (difference of ≤29 alleles by core-genome multi-locus sequence typing (cgMLST)). This indicates that direct toilet-to-patient transmission was infrequent although MDR PA was widespread (detection on 79 occasions, detection in every toilet). Only three MDR PA patient isolates can be attributed to the ST235/CT1352/FIM-1 toilet MRD PA population over six years., Conclusion: Stringent targeted toilet disinfection can reduce the potential risk for MDR PA acquisition by patients., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Water-bearing systems are known as frequent Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) outbreak sources. However, many older buildings continue to have sanitary facilities in high-risk departments such as the ICU. We present two simultaneous prolonged multi-drug-resistant (MDR) PA outbreaks detected at the ICU of a pulmonology hospital, which were resolved by whole-genome sequencing (WGS)., Methods: Outbreak management and investigations were initiated in August 2019 after detecting two patients with nosocomial VIM-2-positive MDR PA. The investigations involved weekly patient screenings for four months and extensive environmental sampling for 15 months. All patient and environmental isolates were collected and analysed by WGS., Results: From April to September 2019, we identified 10 patients with nosocomial MDR PA, including five VIM-2-positive strains. VIM-2-positive strains were also detected in nine sink drains, two toilets, and a cleaning bucket. WGS revealed that of 16 VIM-2-positive isolates, 14 were ST111 that carried qacE, or qacEΔ1 genes, whereas 13 isolates clustered (difference of ≤11 alleles by cgMLST). OXA-2 (two toilets), and OXA-2, OXA-74, PER-1 (two patients, three toilets) qacEΔ1-positive ST235 isolates dominated among VIM-2-negative isolates. The remaining seven PA strains were ST17, ST233, ST273, ST309 and ST446. Outbreak containment was achieved by replacing U-bends, and cleaning buckets, and switching from quaternary ammonium compounds (QUATs) to oxygen-releasing disinfectant products., Conclusion: Comprehension and management of two simultaneous MDR PA outbreaks involving the high-risk strains ST111 and ST235 were facilitated by precise control due to identification of different outbreak sources per strain, and by the in-silico detection of high-level QUATs resistance in all isolates., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: vanB-carrying vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) of the sequence types 80 (ST80) and ST117 have dominated Germany in the past. In 2020, our hospital witnessed a sharp increase in the proportion of vanA-positive VREfm., Aim: To attempt to understand these dynamics through whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and analysis of nosocomial transmissions., Methods: At our hospital, the first VREfm isolate per patient, treated during 2020, was analysed retrospectively using specific vanA/vanB PCR, WGS, multi-locus sequence typing (MLST), and core-genome (cg) MLST. Epidemiologic links between VRE-positive patients were assessed using hospital occupancy data., Findings: Isolates from 319 out of 356 VREfm patients were available for WGS, of which 181 (56.7%) fulfilled the ECDC definition for nosocomial transmission. The high load of nosocomial cases is reflected in the overall high clonality rate with only three dominating sequence (ST) and complex types (CT), respectively: the new emerging strain ST1299 (100% vanA, 77.4% CT1903), and the well-known ST80 (90.0% vanB, 81.0% CT1065) and ST117 (78.0% vanB, 65.0% CT71). The ST1299 isolates overall, and the subtype CT1903 in particular, showed high isolate clonality, which demonstrates impressively high spreading potential. Overall, 152 out of 319 isolates had an allelic cgMLST difference of ≤3 to another, including 91 (59.6%) ST1299. Occupancy data identified shared rooms (3.7%), shared departments (6.2%), and VRE-colonized prior room occupants (0.6%) within 30 days before diagnosis as solid epidemiological links., Conclusion: A new emerging VREfm clone, ST1299/CT1903/vanA, dominated our institution in 2020 and has been an important driver of the increasing VREfm rates., (Copyright © 2023 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The increasing demand for outpatient care is associated with a higher risk of infection transmission in these settings. However, there is limited research on infection prevention and control practices in ambulatory clinics, and none focuses on patients., Aim: To examine outpatients' hand hygiene behaviours, their determinants, and their associations with other infection prevention measures during the COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: We observed the hand hygiene behaviour of one cohort of patients in one outpatient clinic and surveyed a separate sample in five clinics about their hand hygiene practice in outpatient facilities. A questionnaire based on the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) was used to examine predictors of the behaviour. Moreover, patients indicated their compliance with COVID-19 infection prevention measures, vaccination status, disease risk perception, and vaccine hesitancy., Findings: Observed hand hygiene rates among 618 patients were low (12.8%), while 67.3% of the 300 surveyed patients indicated sanitizing their hands upon entering the clinic. The TDF domains 'memory, attention, and decision processes' and 'emotions' significantly predicted both current (today's) and general hand hygiene behaviour in outpatient clinics. Hand hygiene behaviour and compliance with COVID-19 infection prevention showed a positive association; however, no significant connection was found with patients' vaccination status, suggesting different behavioural motivators., Conclusion: Hand hygiene among outpatients should be improved through interventions focusing on helping patients remember to clean their hands. More research on infection prevention in outpatient facilities is needed to ensure patient safety., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Colonization of near-patient surfaces in hospitals plays an important role as a source of healthcare-associated infections. Routine disinfection methods only result in short-term elimination of pathogens., Aim: To investigate the efficiency of a newly developed antimicrobial coating containing nanosilver in long-term reduction of bacterial burden in hospital surfaces to close the gap between routine disinfection cycles., Methods: In this prospective, double-blinded trial, frequently touched surfaces of a routinely used treatment room in an emergency unit of a level-I hospital were treated with a surface coating (nanosilver/DCOIT-coated surface, NCS) containing nanosilver particles and another organic biocidal agent (4,5-dichloro-2-octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one, DCOIT), whereas surfaces of another room were treated with a coating missing both the nanosilver- and DCOIT-containing ingredient and served as control. Bacterial contamination of the surfaces was examined using contact plates and liquid-based swabs daily for a total trial duration of 90 days. After incubation, total microbial counts and species were assessed., Findings: In a total of 2880 antimicrobial samples, a significant reduction of the overall bacterial load was observed in the NCS room (median: 0.31 cfu/cm 2 ; interquartile range: 0.00-1.13) compared with the control coated surfaces (0.69 cfu/cm 2 ; 0.06-2.00; P < 0.001). The nanosilver- and DCOIT-containing surface coating reduced the relative risk of a critical bacterial load (defined as >5 cfu/cm 2 ) by 60% (odds ratio 0.38, P < 0.001). No significant difference in species distribution was detected between NCS and control group., Conclusion: Nanosilver-/DCOIT-containing surface coating has shown efficiency for sustainable reduction of bacterial load of frequently touched surfaces in a clinical setting., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Contact isolation of patients with multi-drug-resistant organisms (MDROs) is an essential element of infection prevention strategies in hospitals worldwide. However, this practice may be associated with adverse side effects on patients' health and well-being., Aim: This study was the first to assess mental health and well-being variables among isolated patients compared with non-isolated control patients in a German cohort., Methods: We conducted a matched case-control study among N = 267 patients admitted to a tertiary care teaching hospital in Germany. Their levels of anxiety, depression, loneliness, and dissatisfaction with their hospital experience were assessed using a questionnaire. Additionally, among isolated patients, it was evaluated how well they felt informed about their MDRO status., Findings: In our cohort, patients under contact isolation were significantly more dissatisfied than non-isolated control patients but did not show higher levels of anxiety, depression, and loneliness. A large proportion of patients felt insufficiently informed about their MDRO status. This lack of information was the strongest predictor of dissatisfaction among isolated patients., Conclusion: These findings underline the importance of adequate patient communication. It is essential for patients' well-being to receive timely, relevant, and understandable information about the background and consequences of their infection or colonisation with MDROs., (Copyright © 2022 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: A novel Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL)-positive meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clonal complex (CC)5-MRSA-IVc ('Sri Lankan' clone) was recently described from Sri Lanka. Similar isolates caused a recent Irish hospital outbreak., Aim: To investigate the international dissemination and diversity of PVL-positive CC5-MRSA-IVc isolates from hospital and community settings using whole-genome sequencing (WGS)., Methods: Core-genome single nucleotide polymorphism (cgSNP) analysis, core-genome multi-locus sequence typing (cgMLST) and microarray-based detection of antimicrobial-resistance and virulence genes were used to investigate PVL-positive CC5-MRSA-IVc (N = 214 including 46 'Sri Lankan' clone) from hospital and community settings in 12 countries over 17 years. Comparators included 29 PVL-positive and 23 PVL-negative CC5/ST5-MRSA-I/II/IVa/IVc/IVg/V., Results: Maximum-likelihood cgSNP analysis grouped 209/214 (97.7%) CC5-MRSA-IVc into Clade I; average of 110 cgSNPs between isolates. Clade III contained the five remaining CC5-MRSA-IVc; average of 92 cgSNPs between isolates. Clade II contained seven PVL-positive CC5-MRSA-IVa comparators, whereas the remaining 45 comparators formed an outlier group. Minimum-spanning cgMLST analysis revealed a comparably low average of 57 allelic differences between all CC5/ST5-MRSA-IVc. All 214 CC5/ST5-MRSA-IVc were identified as 'Sri Lankan' clone, predominantly spa type t002 (186/214) with low population diversity and harboured a similar range of virulence genes and variable antimicrobial-resistance genes. All 214 Sri Lankan clone isolates and Clade II comparators harboured a 9616-bp chromosomal PVL-encoding phage remnant, suggesting both arose from a PVL-positive meticillin-susceptible ancestor. Over half of Sri Lankan clone isolates were from infections (142/214), and where detailed metadata were available (168/214), most were community associated (85/168)., Conclusions: Stable chromosomal retention of pvl may facilitate Sri-Lankan clone dissemination., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Hand hygiene at critical time-points (as established by the World Health Organization's model 'Five Moments for Hand Hygiene') remains the leading measure for minimizing the risk of healthcare-associated infections. While many interventions have been tested to improve hand hygiene compliance (HHC) of healthcare workers (HCWs), little is known about the relationship between HHC and empathy of HCWs., Aim: To investigate the relationship between moment-specific HHC rates and empathy of HCWs at both individual and ward levels., Methods: HHC data were collected via observation and self-report, and empathy levels were measured using an established questionnaire. The survey was conducted on 38 wards of three tertiary care hospitals in Germany. Observation data were obtained via in-house observations conducted ≤8 months before or after the survey., Findings: Evidence for the expected correlation between empathy of HCWs and moment-specific HHC was found for both observed HHC (Moment 1: r=0.483, P=0.031; Moment 2: r=588, P=0.006) and self-reported HHC (Moment 1: r=0.093, P=0.092; Moment 2: r=0.145, P=0.008). In analyses of variance, the critical interaction effect between empathy (i.e. lower vs higher empathy) and designated time-point of hand hygiene (i.e. before vs after reference task) was also significant., Conclusion: Empathy of HCWs should be considered as an important factor in explaining differences between moment-specific HHC rates. In consequence, empathy comes into focus not only as a crucial factor for high-quality patient care, but also as an important contributor to improving HHC., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Near-patient surfaces are recognized as a source for hospital-acquired infections. Such surfaces act as reservoirs for microbial contamination by which pathogens can be transmitted from colonized or infected patients to susceptible patients. Routine disinfection of surfaces only results in a temporal elimination of pathogens, and recontamination inevitably occurs shortly between disinfections., Aim: A novel antimicrobial coating based on photodynamics was tested under laboratory conditions and subsequently in a field study in two hospitals under real-life conditions., Methods: Identical surfaces received a photodynamic or control coating. Bacterial counts [colony-forming units (cfu)/cm 2 ) were assessed regularly for up to 6 months., Findings: The laboratory study revealed a mean reduction of several human pathogens of up to 4.0 ± 0.3 log 10 . The field study in near-patient environments demonstrated mean bacterial values of 6.1 ± 24.7 cfu/cm 2 on all control coatings. Photodynamic coatings showed a significantly lower mean value of 1.9 ± 2.8 cfu/cm 2 (P<0.001). When considering benchmarks of 2.5 cfu/cm 2 or 5 cfu/cm 2 , the relative risk for high bacterial counts on surfaces was reduced by 48% (odds ratio 0.38, P<0.001) or 67% (odds ratio 0.27, P<0.001), respectively., Conclusion: Photodynamic coatings provide a significant and lasting reduction of bacterial counts on near-patient surfaces, particularly for high bacterial loads, in addition to routine hygiene. The promising results of this proof-of-concept study highlight the need for further studies to determine how this novel technology is correlated with the frequency of hospital-acquired infections., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)