Contribution of microbiology to an effective control of healthcare-associated infections

Abstract

An effective control of healthcare-associated infections is not realized without an intensive participation of microbiologic activities. Authors present the model of a centre for healthcare-associated infection control established in 2008 at Semmelweis University. The new model of the surveillance system is based on diagnostic and experimental microbiologic data. Clinical and epidemiological microbiologic examinations are performed in the same laboratory using identical methods, and the results are continually compared. Reports consist of two functional parts; namely list of pathogens isolated and antibiotic sensitivity patterns for clinicians and messages especially for epidemiologists including abbreviated information on bacteria of nosocomial importance. Rapid detection of the most important pathogens both from clinical samples and from those obtained for detecting nasal carriage is carried out by a sensitive and specific method of an automated real time PCR. Biotyping of isolates by detailed biochemical substrate spectrum, genotyping by ready-to-use kits depending on polymorphism of repetitive DNA sequences, and cluster analysis of data are used for up-to-date survey of nosocomial situation. Statistical analysis of reports is performed by the multifactorial software OSIRIS Epidemiology. Orv. Hetil., 2011, 152, 437–442.