and Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci in COVID-19 Patients with Severe Pneumonia.

Broad-spectrum antibiotics administered to patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia pose a risk of infection caused by . This risk is reduced mainly by strict hygiene measures and early de-escalation of antibiotic therapy. Recently, oral vancomycin prophylaxis (OVP) has also been discussed.

Clonal Diversity of spp. and spp. Strains Isolated from Patients with Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia.

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is one of the most severe complications affecting mechanically ventilated patients. The condition is caused by microaspiration of potentially pathogenic bacteria from the upper respiratory tract into the lower respiratory tract or by bacterial pathogens from exogenous sources such as healthcare personnel, devices, aids, fluids and air. The aim of our prospective, observational study was to confirm the hypothesis that in the etiology of VAP, an important role is played by etiological agents from the upper airway bacterial microflora.

[Effect of previous antibiotic therapy on the epidemiology of ventilator-associated pneumonia].

Objectives: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is the most common nosocomial infection in intensive care patients. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of previous antibiotic therapy on the incidence of VAP, mortality and spectrum of bacterial pathogens.

Material And Methods: The retrospective, observational study comprised patients over 18 years of age meeting the clinical criteria of VAP.

[Hospital-acquired pneumonia in the light of current recommendations - is there a space for improving patient care?].

Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) is an infection of the lung parenchyma. It is the second most frequent nosocomial infection and the leading cause of death from infection in critically ill patients. Hospital-acquired and, particularly, ventilator-associated pneumonia prolong the hospital stay and increase treatment costs.

Detection of the etiological agents of hospital-acquired pneumonia - validity and comparison of different types of biological sample collection: a prospective, observational study in intensive care patients.

Background: There is still a lack of evidence as to which method of biological sample collection is optimal for identifying bacterial pathogens causing hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP). Much effort has been made to find an easy and valid approach to be used in clinical practice.

Methods: The primary endpoint of this prospective, observational study was to determine the predictive value of oropharyngeal swab (OS) and gastric aspiration (GA) as simple and non-invasive methods for diagnosing HAP.

Management of mechanical ventilation in patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia: A retrospective, observational study.

Background: Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) in intensive care patients is a frequent reason for mechanical ventilation (MV). The management of MV and ventilator weaning vary, depending on the type of lung inflammation. This retrospective, observational study screened the data from all patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc between 2011 and 2016.

Possibilities for modifying risk factors for the development of hospital-acquired pneumonia in intensive care patients: results of a retrospective, observational study.

Background: Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) development is affected by a range of risk factors.

Methods: A retrospective, observational study processing data on all consecutive intensive care patients older than 18 years of age between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2015. The aim was to determine the incidence of potential risk factors and their impact on the development of HAP.

[Antibiotic therapy of hospital-acquired pneumonia and its pharmacoeconomics].

Background: Important hospital-acquired infections include pneumonia, mainly because of the increasing resistance of bacterial pathogens to antimicrobials and the associated potential failure of antibiotic therapy. The present study aimed at determining the most frequent etiological agents of hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) and assessing the relationship between 30-day mortality and adequacy of antibiotic therapy. Based on the obtained information, optimal patterns of antibiotic therapy were to be defined, including a pharmacoeconomic perspective.

Epidemiology of hospital-acquired pneumonia: Results of a Central European multicenter, prospective, observational study compared with data from the European region.

Background: Hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) is associated with high mortality. In Central Europe, there is a dearth of information on the prevalence and treatment of HAP. This project was aimed at collecting multicenter epidemiological data on patients with HAP in the Czech Republic and comparing them with supraregional data.

Patient survival, predictive factors and disease course of severe sepsis in Czech intensive care units: A multicentre, retrospective, observational study.

Background: Severe sepsis/septic shock is associated with high mortality. In Central Europe, there is a dearth of information on the prevalence and treatment of severe sepsis. The EPOSS (Data-based Evaluation and Prediction of Outcome in Severe Sepsis) project launched in 2011 was aimed at collecting data on patients with severe sepsis/septic shock.

[Validity comparison of various biological samples from lower airway and their contribution for the detection of nosocomial pneumonia etiological agents].

Background: The aim of the study was to compare the validity of bronchial secretion sampling and bronchoscopy-assisted protected specimen brushing (PSB) in patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP).

Materials And Methods: In patients with HAP, bronchial secretion samples (aspiration of lower airway secretions from an orotracheal tube with a suctioning catheter) and PSB (bronchoscopy-assisted sampling from the most affected area of the lung, verified by CT scan) were taken at the same time. Both samples were processed by semiquantitative routine microbiological techniques.

[Serious sepsis treatment in intensive care departments in the Czech Republic - EPOSS Project pilot results].

Introduction: Severe sepsis is still associated with significant morbidity and mortality, which is however different, as well as its management, depending on the region. What is the situation in the Czech Republic and what is the character of patients with severe sepsis is currently not known. The aim of the project is to describe the processes of care, outcome and characteristics of patients with severe sepsis admitted to the intensive care department of the Czech Republic.

An outbreak of Burkholderia multivorans beyond cystic fibrosis patients.

Strains of the Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) are opportunistic pathogens capable of causing serious infection in cystic fibrosis patients. Recently we identified a suspected outbreak of infection with Bcc strains at the University Hospital Olomouc. Seventy-four Bcc strains were isolated from 52 patients, most of whom (N = 48) did not suffer from cystic fibrosis.

[Detection of Burkholderia cepacia complex strains in the University Hospital Olomouc].

Background: The aim was to assess the epidemiology of Burkholderia cepacia complex strains isolated at the Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University and University Hospital Olomouc, determine the most frequent strains and confirm or rule out potential clonal spread of the strains.

Material And Methods: Over a period of eight months, all strains classified as Burkholderia cepacia complex were collected. Susceptibility to selected antimicrobial agents was determined and adequate molecular genetic methods were used to assess their genetic relationship.

Hospital-acquired pneumonia in ICU patients.

Background: This prospective study aimed at assessing the effect of initial antibiotic therapy on the mortality of patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) by analyzing bacterial pathogens and their resistance to antimicrobial agents.

Methods: Included were patients hospitalized in the Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University Olomouc and University Hospital Olomouc in 2009 who developed HAP. Bacterial pathogens and their resistance to antibiotics were identified using standard microbiological methods.

Antibiotic utilization and Pseudomonas aeruginosa resistance in intensive care units.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the most frequent and dangerous pathogens involved in the etiology of severe nosocomial infections. A retrospective observational study was conducted at all intensive care units of the University Hospital in Olomouc, Czech Republic (155 ICU beds). Complete antibiotic utilization data of the ICUs in the period of 1999 to 2008 were processed according to ATC/DDD system and expressed in defined daily doses per 100 bed-days (DBD).

Can difficult intubation be easily and rapidly predicted?

Aim: Failed endotracheal intubation and inadequate ventilation with subsequent insufficient oxygenation can result in serious complications potentially leading to permanent health damage. Difficult intubation may occur not only in patients with apparent pathologies in the orofacial region but also, unexpectedly, in those without abnormalities. This study aimed at finding anthropometric parameters that are easy to examine and that would aid in predicting difficult intubation.