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Microorganisms
Special Issues
Overview of Healthcare-Associated Infections
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Overview of Healthcare-Associated Infections

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 2679

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Tun-Chieh Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, No. 68, Jhonghua 3rd Rd, Cianjin District, Kaohsiung 80145, Taiwan
Interests: infectious diseases; clinical microbiology; clinical epidemiology
Prof. Dr. Yusen Eason Lin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Center for Environmental Laboratory Services, National Kaohsiung Normal University, Kaohsiung 80201, Taiwan
Interests: infection control; nosocomial infections; waterborne pathogens; laboratory diagnosis; AI in healthcare
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Healthcare-Related Infections (HCAIs) are a significant and escalating issue in the realm of public health. These are infections that patients acquire while receiving treatment for other conditions within healthcare settings. These infections can lead to prolonged hospital stays, long-term disability, increased resistance of microorganisms to antimicrobials, significant additional financial burdens for healthcare and insurance systems, high costs for patients and their families, and most importantly, unnecessary deaths.

The journal “Microorganisms” is seeking high-quality research papers that delve into the complexities of HCAIs. We are particularly interested in innovative research that explores prevention strategies, novel treatments, microbial pathogenesis, resistance patterns, and the impact of HCAIs on healthcare systems.

Manuscripts of all types are welcome, including reviews, research articles, and short communications. By submitting your work to our journal, you will be contributing to a body of knowledge that can significantly reduce the incidence of these infections and improve patient outcomes worldwide. We look forward to your valuable contributions to this critical field of study.

Dr. Tun-Chieh Chen
Prof. Dr. Yusen Eason Lin
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • infection
  • healthcare
  • public health

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 986 KiB  
Article
Implementation of 2% Chlorhexidine Bathing to Reduce Healthcare-Associated Infections Among Patients in the Intensive Care Unit
by Hsu-Liang Chang, Tzu-Ying Liu, Po-Shou Huang, Chin-Hwan Chen, Chia-Wen Yen, Hui-Zhu Chen, Shin-Huei Kuo, Tun-Chieh Chen, Shang-Yi Lin and Po-Liang Lu
Microorganisms 2025, 13(1), 65; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13010065 - 2 Jan 2025
Viewed by 824
Abstract
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) significantly increase morbidity, mortality, length of hospital stays, and costs, particularly among ICU patients. Despite standard interventions, catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) and central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) remain major HAI contributors. This study evaluated the efficacy of daily 2% [...] Read more.
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) significantly increase morbidity, mortality, length of hospital stays, and costs, particularly among ICU patients. Despite standard interventions, catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) and central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) remain major HAI contributors. This study evaluated the efficacy of daily 2% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) bathing in reducing HAI incidence, specifically CAUTI, CLABSI, and multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), in a 20-bed ICU at a regional hospital. Using a prospective, uncontrolled before-and-after design, we compared traditional soap-water bathing (pre-intervention period) with CHG bathing over a one-year intervention and one-year post-intervention follow-up. The total number of patients and patient days admitted to the ICU per year were around 1330–1412 patients and 6702–6927 patient days, respectively, during 2018–2020. Results showed a significant reduction in HAI incidence rates from 3.43‰ to 0.58‰ (p < 0.05) during the intervention and sustained benefits post-intervention. Incidences of CAUTI and CLABSI decreased markedly (p < 0.05), with reduced MDRO isolates, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant Enterococci, carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Our findings support the implementation of daily CHG bathing as an effective strategy to reduce HAI and MDROs in ICU settings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Overview of Healthcare-Associated Infections)
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13 pages, 1874 KiB  
Article
Chronic Kidney Disease and Infection Risk: A Lower Incidence of Peritonsillar Abscesses in Specific CKD Subgroups in a 16-Year Korean Nationwide Cohort Study
by Mi Jung Kwon, Ho Suk Kang, Joo-Hee Kim, Ji Hee Kim, Woo Jin Bang, Dae Myoung Yoo, Na-Eun Lee, Kyeong Min Han, Nan Young Kim, Hyo Geun Choi, Min-Jeong Kim and Eun Soo Kim
Microorganisms 2024, 12(12), 2614; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12122614 - 18 Dec 2024
Viewed by 619
Abstract
Peritonsillar abscesses and deep neck infection are potentially serious infections among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), posing risks for severe complications and drawing significant public health concern. This nationwide, population-based longitudinal study (2002–2019) assessed the extended relationship between chronic kidney disease (CKD) [...] Read more.
Peritonsillar abscesses and deep neck infection are potentially serious infections among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), posing risks for severe complications and drawing significant public health concern. This nationwide, population-based longitudinal study (2002–2019) assessed the extended relationship between chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the likelihood of peritonsillar abscess and deep neck infection in a Korean cohort. Using a 1:4 propensity score overlap-weighted matching, we included 16,879 individuals with CKD and 67,516 comparable controls, accounting for demographic variables and comorbidities to ensure balanced group comparisons. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for deep neck infection and peritonsillar abscesses in relation to CKD history were calculated with a propensity score overlap-weighted Cox proportional hazards model. Our results revealed no significant increase in the overall incidence of deep neck infections or peritonsillar abscesses in CKD patients compared to controls. Interestingly, CKD patients demonstrated a 50% reduced likelihood of developing peritonsillar abscesses (HR 0.50; 95% CI = 0.30–0.83; p = 0.007), particularly among subgroups aged 70 years or older, females, non-smokers, rural residents, overweight individuals, and those with lower comorbidity burdens (e.g., absence of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, or hyperglycemia). In summary, the results suggest that lifestyle modifications and the effective management of comorbidities could reduce the risk of peritonsillar abscess in certain CKD subgroups. Our findings may help to alleviate public health concerns regarding peritonsillar abscesses and deep neck infections as CKD-related comorbidities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Overview of Healthcare-Associated Infections)
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Graphical abstract

17 pages, 4807 KiB  
Article
A Causal Relationship between Type 2 Diabetes and Candidiasis through Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Analysis
by Juan Xiong, Hui Lu and Yuanying Jiang
Microorganisms 2024, 12(10), 1984; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12101984 - 30 Sep 2024
Viewed by 920
Abstract
The potential relationship between type 2 diabetes (T2D) and candidiasis is of concern due to the respective characteristics of these conditions, yet the exact causal link between the two remains uncertain and requires further investigation. In this study, the inverse-variance-weighted (IVW) analysis indicated [...] Read more.
The potential relationship between type 2 diabetes (T2D) and candidiasis is of concern due to the respective characteristics of these conditions, yet the exact causal link between the two remains uncertain and requires further investigation. In this study, the inverse-variance-weighted (IVW) analysis indicated a significant genetic causal relationship between T2D and candidiasis (p = 0.0264, Odds Ratio [OR], 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.1046 [0.9096–1.2996]), T2D (wide definition) and candidiasis (p = 0.0031, OR 95% [CI] = 1.1562 [0.8718–1.4406]), and severe autoimmune T2D and candidiasis (p = 0.0041, OR 95% [CI] = 1.0559 [0.9493–1.1625]). Additionally, the MR-Egger analyses showed a significant genetic causal relationship between T2D (wide definition) and candidiasis (p = 0.0154, OR 95% [CI] = 1.3197 [0.7760–1.8634]). The weighted median analyses showed a significant genetic causal relationship between severe autoimmune T2D and candidiasis (p = 0.0285, OR 95% [CI] = 1.0554 [0.9498–1.1610]). This Mendelian randomization (MR) study provides evidence for a genetic correlation between T2D and candidiasis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Overview of Healthcare-Associated Infections)
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