Incidence, risk factors and clinical outcome of multidrug-resistant organisms after heart transplantation.

Background: Transplant recipients commonly harbor multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), as a result of frequent hospital admissions and increased exposure to antimicrobials and invasive procedures.

Aim: To investigate the impact of patient demographic and clinical characteristics on MDRO acquisition, as well as the impact of MDRO acquisition on intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital length of stay, and on ICU mortality and 1-year mortality post heart transplantation.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed 98 consecutive heart transplant patients over a ten-year period (2013-2022) in a single transplantation center.

Knowledge regarding assessment of sepsis among Greek nurses.

The aim of the present survey was to evaluate nurses' knowledge regarding sepsis in Greece. A total of 835 registered nurses (125 males/710 females) from tertiary hospitals in Greece were interviewed from April 2008 to December 2009. All participants completed a self-completed questionnaire about assessment of sepsis (see Figure 1).

Pseudomonas aeruginosa susceptible only to colistin in intensive care unit patients.

Background: Gram-negative bacilli, including multi-drug-resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa, are responsible for severe intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired infections, mainly pneumonia and bacteremia. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of MDR strains of Pseudomonas in patients undergoing cardiac surgery, to elucidate the effectiveness of treating these patients with colistin, and to assess the safety of the drug.

Methods: A prospective study was conducted among 1,452 patients who underwent surgery for a variety of cardiac lesions over a one-year period, and who spent a portion of the recovery period in the surgical ICU.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus preventing strategy in cardiac surgery.

Objectives: The aim of this survey was to elucidate the efficacy of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) preventing strategy in our institution by investigating the incidence and evaluating the morbidity and mortality associated with this multi-resistant virulent organism.

Methods: A prospective observational cohort among patients submitted to cardiovascular surgical procedures was conducted from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2005. Preventing strategy included active screening programs by nasal swabs for all patients admitted from other hospitals or being at risk for developing infectious complications.

Preventing strategy of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumanii susceptible only to colistin in cardiac surgical intensive care units.

Objective: The study aimed to determine the incidence and mortality of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in cardiac surgery, to elucidate the effectiveness of colistin treatment and to identify if the additional measures to the recommended procedures were able to control the dissemination of the pathogen.

Methods: A prospective observational cohort was conducted among cardiac surgical patients from 1 September 2005 to 31 December 2006. We reviewed the prophylactic measures of the surgical intensive care unit and implemented a two scale multiple program.