...How can communicable diseases be broken at a link within the communicable disease chain? Are there steps that a nurse can take to facilitate this process? Give a specific example. Use an example that is different than the postings of other students. There are six links in the Chain of Infection. Those areas include: 1. The infectious agent itself- 2. The reservoir where the infectious agent can live and multiply or lie dormant until the organism can find the opportunity to cause disease 3. The susceptible host 4. A means of Transmission 5. A portal of exit 6. A portal of re-entry Each link in this chain must be intact for a disease to be transmitted and infect another person. There is the potential to defeat a communicable disease process by disrupting the link in this chain at any point along the way thus preventing infection in another person. An example of the simplest chain of infection is an infected patient cared for by a health care worker who doesn't wash their hands before caring for another patient. Human sources of microorganisms are healthcare workers, patients themselves and visitors, any of whom may be individuals who are in some stage of an incubation period of a disease process, may already have a disease, or may be a chronic carrier of an infectious agent. The patient may be their own source of infection. (Baldwin, 2008) The bacteria must be able to find a susceptible host. Some individuals are immune to infection or are able to resist...
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...MRSA decontamination using octenidine-based products Mindaugas Danilevicius, Audra Juzéniené, Indré Juzénaité-Karneckiené, Anželika Veršinina Key words: Decontamination ■ Hospitalised patients ■ Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ■ Octenidine Mindaugas Danilevicius, 2UAB ‘Apiterapija’, Vilnius, Lithuania, Audra Juzéniené, Indré Juzénaité-Karneckiené, Republican Vilnius University Hospital, Department of Infection Control, Vilnius, Lithuania Accepted for publication: July 2015 S36 I British Journal of Nursing, 2015 (Tissue Viability Supplement), Vol 24, No 15 © 2015 MA Healthcare Ltd Abstract Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections are an increasing problem worldwide with a high risk of severe illness and mortality in hospitalised patients. Patients with chronic wounds are at particular risk of developing MRSA infections. As octenidinebased products have shown promising success in decontamination in the past, the aim of the present study was to determine its efficacy, safety, and tolerability in decontaminating hospitalised MRSApositive patients. Methods: From 1 April 2011 until 9 November 2012, 36 patients were screened MRSA-positive at the Republican Vilnius University Hospital, Vilnius, Lithuania. At least three swab tests were performed for each patient to screen for MRSA, one from each nostril and one from the perineum. In patients with wounds, an additional swab was taken from the wound surface...
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...Antibiotic resistance Antibiotic resistance is a form of drug resistance whereby some (or, less commonly, all) sub-populations of a microorganism, usually a bacterial species, are able to survive exposure to one or more antibiotics. Accordingly, pathogenic species which have become resistant cause infections which can not be treated with the usual, formerly efficacious antibiotic drugs and/or their usual, formerly efficacious, dosages and concentrations. Resistance may be instrinsic or acquired. Some clinically relevant pathogens have developed resistance to multiple antibiotics and are dubbed multidrug resistant (MDR pathogens). More recently, the colloquial term superbug has become widespread in both popular and technical accounts of the phenomenon with which it is synonymous. Antibiotic resistance is a serious and growing phenomenon in contemporary medicine and has emerged as one of the eminent public health concerns of the 21st century, particularly as it pertains to pathogenic organisms (the term is not especially relevant to organisms which don't cause disease in humans). In the simplest cases, drug-resistant organisms may have acquired resistance to first-line antibiotics, thereby necessitating the use of second-line agents. Typically, the first-line agent is selected on the basis of several advantages including safety, availability and cost; comparatively, the second-line agent is usually broader in spectrum, possesses a less favourable risk-benefit profile and may be...
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...MSc Biotechnology, Bioprocessing & Business Management 2014/15 Module name and number Fundamentals of Biotechnology: BS934 Assignment title Antimicrobials Student Number 1464986 Word Count 2470 The article will initially cover conventional antibiotics and how their abuse led to antibiotic resistance in bacteria. Alternative antimicrobials will be reviewed by taking into consideration their mechanisms of action and how they can represent a viable option to address the issue of antibiotic resistance. Antimicrobial Background ------------------------------------------------- Figure 1: Structure of penicillin and β-lactam ring (Adapted from LNLS, 2013) ------------------------------------------------- Figure 1: Structure of penicillin and β-lactam ring (Adapted from LNLS, 2013) Antimicrobials are substances that kill or suppress microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and viruses (EPA, 2014). The first evidence of antimicrobials dates back to the Egyptians who used mouldy bread to treat surface infections (Wainwright, 1989). At the beginning of the 20th century, Paul Ehrlich synthesized the first antimicrobial agent known as Salvarsan, a drug used for treating syphilis (Aminov, 2010). Successively Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin by noticing that the growth of Staphylococcus aureus was inhibited in presence of the mold produced by Penicillium fungi. This led to the conclusion that microorganisms produce substances to limit...
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...It is the major cause of infection-related mortality in critical patients and showed highest fatality rate amongst all gram-negative infections hence received much attention (Igbinosa et al. 2012). However it may cause disease in healthy individuals, it is a major threat to hospitalized patients suffering from cystic fibrosis, tissue injury, burn wounds and immune-compromised patients (Brown et al. 2004). Emergence of multidrug resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa is becoming serious clinical issue and a recognized community health problem because of limited number of available antimicrobials including penicillins, cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, carbapenems and fluoroquinolones with consistent activity against it. Several mechanisms are involved in the development of multidrug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa including increased production of beta-lactamase or cephalosporinase, loss of porin channels and mutations in fluoroquinolone binding site. However Pseudomonas aeruginosa acquires additional resistance in the form of plasmids from other strains and develops in to multidrug resistant pathogen (Meenakumari et al....
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...It is easy to see when looking and comparing results with my fellow lab mates that the pathogen I did was the most senstive. S.aureus had many large zones of inhibition when measuring and when looking on the chart was sensitive to 7 drugs while the others were only sensitive to 6 or less. I don’t really understand why this is so sensitive because while doing research I learned that Staphylococcus aureus, demonstrates the ability of developing resistance to many antimicrobial agents but it could be that the antibiotic concentration is so strong or that this is a gram positive...
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...Superbugs are diseases that formed a resistance to antibacterial. They result from nature and human behavior. A mutation has been inevitable since scientist discovered the cure-all, antibacterial. Antibacterial has saved thousands of lives and has changed life quality. Citizens have taken antibacterial for granted the past few decades overusing and misusing them. Hospitals use lots of antibacterial, every corner there’s hand sanitizer. Physicians prescribed 27 million antibiotics in Canada alone in a year. Specialists prescribed antibiotics to kill a virus; which causes issues. A sudden change from the parent to offspring with different characteristics is a mutation. These microorganisms are acting on Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. His theory...
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...understand the science behind them. These superbugs are methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Clostridium difficile (C. diff), Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE), Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) and Carbapenem-resistant and necrotizing fasciitis. These infections can be costly, difficult to treat, even life threatening. The best way to prevent the spread of infection is a simple task that will only take everyone 60 seconds or less to do. Superbugs-Hospital Acquired Infections A superbug is a...
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...plan for reducing this problem in the future. Keep these questions in mind: · What data supports the hypothesis that antibiotic-resistance is on the rise? What problems do you see in this data? Can you propose a way to overcome these problems · Which methods have been successful in decreasing the number of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains? Which methods have not? · What shortcomings or errors do these given studies have? Can you design a new study that would overcome them? Student Deliverable: Summarize, evaluate, and argue the validity of the data that demonstrate the problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Can antibiotic resistance be over come? What can we do?Let's start with washing our hands often with soap and water this will help to prevent a disease and also the need for antibiotics. Also, while handling food such as meet make sure meat is cooked though, and the food is handled hygienically. This will help with food-borne illnesses. We need to make sure to take antibiotics only if needed. What is happening is more often than most is, we tend to go to the doctor for the mere ordinary cold. But do you really need that antibiotic? A cold is a virus antibiotic will not help cure the common cold but most of us think we will get better soon. The reason you will get worse is that your body will start to develop an antibiotic resistance. According to You Decide :what can we do about antibiotic resistant bacteria, rotating antibiotics did not even help. I have...
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...bacterium. It typically grows and divides to form microscopic grape like clusters. (Laberge, 2011) MRSA is a popular strain of Staphylococci. MRSA belongs to category of multidrug resistant organisms. These organisms are disease causing bacteria that are resistant to antibiotic drugs. MRSA infections are caused by Methicillin resistant S. aureus. Methicillin is an antibiotic that is used against S. aureus. MRSA infections are caused by unnecessary antibiotic use. Antibiotics promote the drug resistance due to the fact they cannot kill all bacteria. Presence of antibiotics in the food chain also causes antibiotic resistance. In the United States antibiotics a given to livestock unknowingly to consumers. Consumer usually ingest the antibiotics in their food. The Food And Drug Administration has recommended that US animal growers to phase out the use of antimicrobial drugs given to animals to promote growth. By phasing out antibiotic usage in animals, this will prevent antibiotic drug resistance in humans. The most common food poisoning is Staph contamination in food. Antibiotics can also be found in the drinking water systems. (Laberge, 2011) Symptoms of MRSA can vary. Skin infections caused pimples or boils that become infected. These conditions usually turn into painful abscesses. An abscess is an accumulation of yellowish or greenish fluid, otherwise known as pus, surrounded by red tissue. Other common symptoms include fever, rash, chills, shortness of breath, headaches and muscle...
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...Screening and Decolonization of MRSA in the Preoperative Patient Suzanne Miller Aspen University HUM410 Abstract Staphylococcus aureus is the most common organism responsible for surgical site infections. The colonization of Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been identified as a significant risk factor for patients undergoing orthopedic surgery, putting this patient at a higher risk of developing a surgical site infection. Screening preoperatively and treating colonization is a tool to aid in the prevention of surgical site infections in patients undergoing elective joint surgery. Results of various studies of patients undergoing elective joint replacement surgery have been reviewed. A nasal swab was obtained and cultured during preadmission testing. If the culture showed that the patient was positive for MRSA colonization they were treated with nasal mupirocin. They also were instructed to bathe with surgical wipes containing chlorhexidine prior to the procedure. The results of the research suggest that the use of a screening protocol prior to surgery can decrease the risk of MRSA in the postoperative patient. Table of Contents 1. Literature Review........................................................................................................................4 2. Discussion....................................................................................................................................7 3. Conclusion................
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...Global pandemic: Of the Purple Cocci March 1st 2014 Abstract Hard to believe that a very common bacterium that is nearly present on everyone’s skin has been the cause of thousands of deaths every year. It has gained virulence that helps it survive a host’s immune system and many common antibiotics. This bacterium produces biofilms and toxins which allows it to survive in a host’s body. This bacterium has increasingly new strains that have evolved genetically. With new genetic strains it because more resistant to many different antibiotics. Global pandemic: Of the Purple Cocci Bacteria are living organisms and just like any other living organism, it wants to live and survive, even when it’s trying to be killed. It is this survival instinct that has lead certain bacterial strains to evolve and grow, to become a global pandemic. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA is a group of bacteria leads to thousands of deaths every year. In order to understand MRSA, you first need to know about the bacteria’s original characteristics, and then you learn about this bacterium’s evolution over the years, and finally learn the current way in which MRSA is treated with antibiotics. S. aureus is a very common bacterium that lives on or in people; it usually lives on the skin, inside your nostrils, stomach and intestines. Many people are carrying it and are totally unaware that it is colonizing in or on them. Colonization is the establishment and growth of pathogens without...
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...Attributable Hospital Cost and Length of Stay Associated with Health Care-Associated Infections Caused by Antibiotic-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria Patrick D. Mauldin, Cassandra D. Salgado, Ida Solhøj Hansen, Darshana T. Durup and John A. Bosso Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 2010, 54(1):109. DOI: 10.1128/AAC.01041-09. Published Ahead of Print 19 October 2009. Downloaded from http://aac.asm.org/ on January 1, 2012 by guest Updated information and services can be found at: http://aac.asm.org/content/54/1/109 These include: REFERENCES This article cites 43 articles, 12 of which can be accessed free at: http://aac.asm.org/content/54/1/109#ref-list-1 Receive: RSS Feeds, eTOCs, free email alerts (when new articles cite this article), more» CONTENT ALERTS Information about commercial reprint orders: http://aac.asm.org/site/misc/reprints.xhtml To subscribe to to another ASM Journal go to: http://journals.asm.org/site/subscriptions/ ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY, Jan. 2010, p. 109–115 0066-4804/10/$12.00 doi:10.1128/AAC.01041-09 Copyright © 2010, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved. Vol. 54, No. 1 Attributable Hospital Cost and Length of Stay Associated with Health Care-Associated Infections Caused by Antibiotic-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria Patrick D. Mauldin,1,2 Cassandra D. Salgado,3 Ida Solhøj Hansen,1 Darshana T. Durup,1 and John A. Bosso1,3* Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Outcome Sciences, South Carolina College of Pharmacy...
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...1.2.1 Exposure to long term antibiotic therapy Long-term antibiotic therapy is one of the most extensively studied risk factors. Exposure to multiple and prolonged use of broad spectrum antimicrobials have been found to be independent risk factors for candidemia. The reason for this being, many of the antibiotics like beta-lactams and vancomycin used in the wards and intensive care unit (ICU) settings lead to the depletion of normal bacterial flora resulting in fungal overgrowth. The increasing use of oral vancomycin in the ICUs results in the depletion of anaerobic bacterial flora of the gut. 1.2.2 Intravascular Catheters and Central Venous Catheters Intravascular catheters are also one of the important risk factors in the acquisition of candidemia. Candida species adhere avidly to materials used in intravascular catheters and provide a potential nidus for infection. Some species like Candida parapsilosis are especially implicated in intravascular catheter-related infections in neonates and in the paediatric age group. The role played by intravascular catheters in perpetuating candidemia has implications for its management. Removal of vascular catheters has been advocated as an adjunctive strategy for treating patients with catheter-related candidemia. However, there is some controversy regarding the benefits and risks of removal of vascular catheters in management of candidemia....
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...Staphylococcus aureus specie. Indigenous plants possess the ability to produce phytochemicals which they use to protect themselves against insect infection and environmental harsh conditions. Currently, the phenomenon of antibiotic resistance is the greatest challenge on the treatment of bacterial infection in Zimbabwe (Weinstein R.A, 1998). In Zimbabwe vanocomycim, meropenem, imipenem are antibiotics which are being used against methicillin resistant S.aureus specie and are considered very expensive because they are not manufactured in Zimbabwe. Combretum molle is an indigenous plant which produces phytochemicals which possess the ability to inhibit the growth of bacteria and have several biological activities like antioxidant, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial activities. These phytochemicals can be used in rotation with the conventional drugs since they possess a different structure which is new to the bacteria. Using phytochemicals as antibacterial agents from Combretum molle plant can be of great advantage since it is readily available in Zimbabwe thereby cutting cost of importing and they do not cause undesirable toxic effects because they are natural. 1.1 Problem statement Currently, the phenomenon of antibiotic resistance is the greatest challenge on the treatment of bacterial infection in Zimbabwe especially the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus specie. The number of bacteria that are resistant toward these synthetic antibacterial agents...
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