Publications by authors named "M J Schwaber"
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.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEvolution of WHO COVID-19 mask guidelines amid intense demands for rapid advice.
PLOS Glob Public Health
November 2024
During a health emergency, there is an urgent need to rapidly develop guidelines that meet minimum quality standards, as exemplified by the development of WHO guidelines on mask use in health care and community settings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Between January 2020 and October 2023, WHO developed 21 guideline updates on the use of masks as part of infection prevention and control (IPC) practices. Guideline developers had to deal with an ever-growing volume of evidence of variable quality.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Creating and sustaining an institutional climate conducive to patient and health worker safety is a critical element of successful multimodal hand hygiene improvement strategies aimed at achieving best practices. Repeated WHO global surveys indicate that the institutional safety climate consistently ranks the lowest among various interventions.
Methods: To develop an international expert consensus on research agenda priorities related to the role of institutional safety climate within the context of a multimodal hand hygiene improvement strategy, we conducted a structured consensus process involving a purposive sample of international experts.
Article Synopsis
- 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.