title: Enterococci, Clostridium difficile and ESBL-producing bacteria: epidemiology, clinical impact and prevention in ICU patients.
abstract: Most hospital-acquired infections arise from colonising bacteria. Intensive care patients and immunocompromised individuals are at highest risk for microbial invasion and subsequent infection due to multiple invasive procedures in addition to frequent application of chemotherapeutics and presence of poor microperfusion leading to mucosal disruption. In this narrative review, we summarise the literature on bacterial colonisation in intensive care patients, in particular the epidemiology, the clinical impact and respective infection control strategies of three pathogens, i.e., Enterococcus spp., extended-spectrum ß-lactamase producing gram-negative bacteria and Clostridium difficile, which have evolved from commensals to a public health concern today.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sidler
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Battegay
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tschudin-Sutter
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Andreas F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Widmer
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weisser
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D002710:Chlorhexidine; D016360:Clostridioides difficile; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D016983:Enterococcus; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000458:organization & administration; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D001618:beta-Lactamases
chemical_list: D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D001618:beta-Lactamases; D002710:Chlorhexidine