The ESCMID Study Group for Clostridioides difficile: History, Role, and Perspectives.

Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) is a major nosocomial pathogen but is also increasingly recognised as an important diarrhoeal pathogen in the community, not always associated with antibiotics. The European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Study Group for C.

Air and surface contamination patterns of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus on eight acute hospital wards.

Background: Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can be recovered from hospital air and from environmental surfaces. This poses a potential risk of transmission to patients.

Aim: To investigate associations between MRSA isolates recovered from air and environmental surfaces with those from patients when undertaking extensive patient and environmental sampling.

Do guidelines for the prevention and control of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus make a difference?

Many countries have national guidelines for the prevention and control of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) that are similar in approach. The evidence base for many recommendations is variable, and often, in the drafting of such guidelines, the evidence is either not analysed or not specifically reviewed. Guidelines usually recommend screening and early detection, hand hygiene, patient isolation or cohorting, and decolonization.