Prophylactic phage aerosols for nosocomial infection control in an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation unit: A 4-year prospective study of temporospatially designed phage cocktails.

Phage-based decontamination has rarely been explored in real-world settings, particularly in the environments of patients undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). This four-year prospective study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of aerosolized phage cocktails tailored to combat target antibiotic-resistant species of Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. The decontamination procedure with phage aerosols was proactively implemented before the admission of ECMO patients based on a thorough analysis of phage typing results from bacterial species isolated from prospective patient areas during the preceding two months.