title: [Common antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in nosocomial infections in Taiwan and their prevention].
abstract: Infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria, especially multidrug-resistant strains (MDR) that cause difficulties in clinical treatment, have long been a problem of global concern. Drug-resistant strains of common nosocomial infections in Taiwan include Gram-positive coccal methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant enterococci, and Gram-negative bacilli such as carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae, among others. About 10 to 20% of Gram-negative bacteria that encode extended-spectrum β-lactamases are resistant to cephalosporin, a third generation antibiotic, and the fluoroquinolone-resistance rate has continued to increase in recent years. Despite the high mortality rate in patients with infections caused by MDR, the problem is still solvable by blocking or reducing MDR dissemination in addition to proper antibiotics use. Hand hygiene is the simplest, most effective measure for preventing nosocomial infections. However, healthcare workers' adherence to recommended hand hygiene practices is unacceptably low worldwide, making the promotion of hand hygiene a major challenge for infection control experts. Therefore, as a first step of preventing the spread of MDR bacteria, knowledge of hand hygiene and adherence to hand hygiene practices must be required of healthcare workers. Such should help reduce nosocomial infections significantly and upgrade healthcare quality.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry, Tzu Chi University, ROC. ntlin@mail.tcu.edu.tw
authors.forename: Nien-Tsung
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; D013624:Taiwan; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance