Pre-Operative SARS-CoV-2 Testing in Asymptomatic Heart Transplantation Recipients.

Introduction: From the start of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, international guidelines have recommended pre-operative screening for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) before heart transplantation (HTx). Due to the changing prevalence of COVID-19, the chances of false positive results have increased. Because of increased immunity in the population and evolution of SARS-CoV-2 to current Omicron variants, associated mortality and morbidity have decreased.

Universal risk assessment upon hospital admission for screening of carriage with multidrug-resistant micro-organisms in a Dutch tertiary care centre.

Background: In Dutch hospitals a six-point questionnaire is currently mandatory for risk assessment to identify carriers of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) at the time of hospitalization. Presence of one or more risk factors is followed by pre-emptive isolation and microbiological culturing.

Aim: To evaluate the yield of the universal risk assessment in identifying MDRO carriers upon hospitalization.

Enterococcus faecium genome dynamics during long-term asymptomatic patient gut colonization.

Enterococcus faecium is a gut commensal of humans and animals. In addition, it has recently emerged as an important nosocomial pathogen through the acquisition of genetic elements that confer resistance to antibiotics and virulence. We performed a whole-genome sequencing-based study on 96 multidrug-resistant E.

Independent root-cause analysis of contributing factors, including dismantling of 2 duodenoscopes, to investigate an outbreak of multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Background And Aims: Worldwide, an increasing number of duodenoscope-associated outbreaks are reported. The high prevalence rate of contaminated duodenoscopes puts patients undergoing ERCP at risk of exogenous transmission of microorganisms. The contributing factors of the duodenoscope design to contamination are not well understood.

Risk factors for the acquisition of OXA-48-producing Enterobacteriaceae in a hospital outbreak setting: a matched case-control study.

Objectives: In the context of a large outbreak of OXA-48-producing Enterobacteriaceae (OXA-E) in a Dutch hospital we determined risk factors for acquisition of OXA-E.

Patients And Methods: A matched case-control study was performed in which cases (culture positive for OXA-E) were matched 1:3 to controls (culture negative for OXA-E) based on hospital ward, index date (±1 week) and time exposed in the hospital (best match). Stratified analyses were performed for patients with OXA-E producing and not producing ESBL.