Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) are defined as infections acquired 48 hours after hospital admission or within 30 days of in-patient care. Despite significant progress in preventing nosocomial infections by implementing and increasing compliance with hygiene protocols, the latest survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (October 2018) estimated that one out of every 31 hospitalized patients still suffers from HAI. The World Health Organisation has also recorded varying HAI prevalence among countries reaching 19% in some areas. As the healthcare burden increases, the risk of insufficient application of standard precautions increases. Longer hospital stays, complex procedures, patients with underlying conditions and the use of invasive devices are all factors contributing to a higher risk of HAI.
Infections can be propagated through inanimate surfaces with infections typically reported on catheters (catheter-associated urinary tract infections or CAUTI), ventilators (healthcare/ventilator-associated pneumonia or HAP/VAP), central lines (central-line-associated bloodstream infections or CLABSI), and surgical sites (surgical site infections, SSI). At least 80% of HAIs are caused by Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus species, Escherichia coli, Staphylococci, Klebsiella species, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, Enterobacter species, Proteus species, and Candida species.
Many strategies have been employed to render surfaces resistant to microbial growth, these strategies include modifications for surface topography (ex. Roughness, nanostructure, stiffness), surface properties (ex. surface charges and wettability), adhesion points, and surface composition (ex. metal ions, TiO2, cationic molecules, zwitterionic poly-carboxy betaine acrylamide (PCBAA, 3-((3-acrylamidopropyl)-dimethylammonium) propanoate) hydrogel, Polyurethane, Polyethylene glycol…etc ). The mechanism by which some surface materials can exert their antimicrobial activity was described, like that for copper surfaces, for example. Copper is known to have ‘contact-killing properties’, through membrane depolarization and an increase in membrane permeability leading to the leakage of intracellular components and microbial death.
It is important to seek different approaches to reduce the possibility of acquiring nosocomial infections. Therefore, the identification of mechanisms by which microorganisms maintain their viability and adherence on surfaces is necessary to guide better surface design and reduce microbial attachment and development.
In this Research Topic we welcome contributions in the form of reviews, mini-reviews, opinions, perspectives, translational or fundamental research covering the following topics:
• Identify/explain different mechanisms of adherence and viability on surfaces
• Identify potential targets during microbial growth establishment
• Techniques to reduce microbial adherence and viability on surfaces
• New surface designs/materials with antimicrobial (antibiofilm, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral) properties
• New testing protocols to simulate reel conditions of different surfaces with standardized methods to evaluate tested materials
Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) are defined as infections acquired 48 hours after hospital admission or within 30 days of in-patient care. Despite significant progress in preventing nosocomial infections by implementing and increasing compliance with hygiene protocols, the latest survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (October 2018) estimated that one out of every 31 hospitalized patients still suffers from HAI. The World Health Organisation has also recorded varying HAI prevalence among countries reaching 19% in some areas. As the healthcare burden increases, the risk of insufficient application of standard precautions increases. Longer hospital stays, complex procedures, patients with underlying conditions and the use of invasive devices are all factors contributing to a higher risk of HAI.
Infections can be propagated through inanimate surfaces with infections typically reported on catheters (catheter-associated urinary tract infections or CAUTI), ventilators (healthcare/ventilator-associated pneumonia or HAP/VAP), central lines (central-line-associated bloodstream infections or CLABSI), and surgical sites (surgical site infections, SSI). At least 80% of HAIs are caused by Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus species, Escherichia coli, Staphylococci, Klebsiella species, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, Enterobacter species, Proteus species, and Candida species.
Many strategies have been employed to render surfaces resistant to microbial growth, these strategies include modifications for surface topography (ex. Roughness, nanostructure, stiffness), surface properties (ex. surface charges and wettability), adhesion points, and surface composition (ex. metal ions, TiO2, cationic molecules, zwitterionic poly-carboxy betaine acrylamide (PCBAA, 3-((3-acrylamidopropyl)-dimethylammonium) propanoate) hydrogel, Polyurethane, Polyethylene glycol…etc ). The mechanism by which some surface materials can exert their antimicrobial activity was described, like that for copper surfaces, for example. Copper is known to have ‘contact-killing properties’, through membrane depolarization and an increase in membrane permeability leading to the leakage of intracellular components and microbial death.
It is important to seek different approaches to reduce the possibility of acquiring nosocomial infections. Therefore, the identification of mechanisms by which microorganisms maintain their viability and adherence on surfaces is necessary to guide better surface design and reduce microbial attachment and development.
In this Research Topic we welcome contributions in the form of reviews, mini-reviews, opinions, perspectives, translational or fundamental research covering the following topics:
• Identify/explain different mechanisms of adherence and viability on surfaces
• Identify potential targets during microbial growth establishment
• Techniques to reduce microbial adherence and viability on surfaces
• New surface designs/materials with antimicrobial (antibiofilm, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral) properties
• New testing protocols to simulate reel conditions of different surfaces with standardized methods to evaluate tested materials