Nosocomial Infections: A History of Hospital-Acquired Infections.

In the United States, healthcare acquired infections (HAIs) or nosocomial infections are the sixth leading cause of death. This article reviews the history, prevalence, economic costs, morbidity and mortality, and risk factors associated with HAIs. Types of infections described include bacterial, fungal, viral, and multidrug resistant infections that contribute to the most common causes of HAIs, which include catheter- associated urinary tract infections, hospital-acquired pneumonias, bloodstream infections, and surgical site infections.

Rapid identification of Gram-positive anaerobic coccal species originally classified in the genus Peptostreptococcus by multiplex PCR assays using genus- and species-specific primers.

Here, a rapid and reliable two-step multiplex PCR assay for identifying 14 Gram-positive anaerobic cocci (GPAC) species originally classified in the genus Peptostreptococcus (Anaerococcus hydrogenalis, Anaerococcus lactolyticus, Anaerococcus octavius, Anaerococcus prevotii, Anaerococcus tetradius, Anaerococcus vaginalis, Finegoldia magna, Micromonas micros, Peptostreptococcus anaerobius, Peptoniphilus asaccharolyticus, Peptoniphilus harei, Peptoniphilus indolicus, Peptoniphilus ivorii and Peptoniphilus lacrimalis) is reported. Fourteen type strains representing 14 GPAC species were first identified to the genus level by multiplex PCR (multiplex PCR-G). Since three of these genera (Finegoldia, Micromonas and Peptostreptococcus) contain only a single species, F.