Publications by authors named "Dafna Chen"
Escherichia coli producing OXA-48-like carbapenemases (OXA-EC) is considered a high-risk pathogen spread primarily in the community in low- and middle-income countries and nosocomially in high-income countries. We investigated the emergence and spread of OXA-EC in Israel, a high-income country with strong carbapenemase-directed infection control in healthcare institutions, by conducting a population-based study using data and isolates from the national surveillance system. A total of 3,510 incident cases of OXA-EC occurred during 2007-2023.
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- The study investigates the risk of bloodstream infections (BSI) caused by carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) among carriers in various settings, revealing a cumulative incidence of 2.4% over one year.
- The research found that the risk of BSI varies significantly depending on the bacterial species, with lower risk seen in Escherichia coli carriers compared to Klebsiella pneumoniae, while high-risk settings like intensive care units show increased BSI risk.
- Interestingly, the type of carbapenemase present did not significantly affect the risk of BSI, suggesting that the clinical environment and specific bacterial species may play a more crucial role in infection risk.
Article Synopsis
- Rapid and efficient infection control is essential during outbreaks of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales, with FTIR spectroscopy emerging as a promising alternative to the costly and complex WGS.
- A study investigated an outbreak of OXA-48-producing E. coli by using FTIR to determine the relatedness of isolates in real-time and confirmed findings with WGS.
- Results showed that FTIR successfully identified the outbreak cluster's genetic similarities and differences among isolates, suggesting its value as a quick, reliable tool for real-time outbreak investigations.
This study investigates the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on leadership within infection prevention and control (IPC) units across public hospitals in Israel. Through qualitative interviews with ten IPC managers from nine hospitals, equivalent to 30% of the country's acute care facilities, the research uncovers significant changes in managerial approaches due to the health crisis. The results reveal four main themes: (1) Enhanced managerial autonomy and leadership skills, with a noted rise in self-efficacy against the pandemic's backdrop; (2) Shifted perceptions of IPC units by upper management, recognizing their strategic value while identifying the need for a more profound understanding of IPC operations; (3) The increased emphasis on adaptability and rapid decision-making for effective crisis management; (4) The dual effect on job satisfaction and well-being, where greater commitment coincides with risks of burnout.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAutoproteolytic cleavage of the inactive acid ceramidase (AC) precursor into the active heterodimer exposes a free cysteine residue, leading us to study whether AC could be regulated by one or more members of the cystatin family. Co-expression of the full-length AC and cystatin SA (cysSA) cDNAs led to significant reduction of AC activity in the transfected cells. Expression of cysSA also inhibited endogenous AC activity in cells and increased ceramide.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: This study examined whether transition from hospital to hostel improves patients' quality of life (QOL).
Method: In a longitudinal prospective study comparing the QOL of 16 patients who moved to a hostel with that of 20 who remained hospitalized, we posited that the former would exhibit improved QOL. We also assessed the reliability of psychiatric patients' reports by comparing them with staff reports.