title: French recommendations for the prevention of 'emerging extensively drug-resistant bacteria' (eXDR) cross-transmission.
abstract: Controlling the spread of multi- or extensively drug-resistant bacteria (MDR or XDR) includes a dual strategy for reducing antibiotic prescriptions and preventing their spread from patient carriers. Standard precautions are applicable to all health professionals caring for any patients; additional barrier precautions (isolation) are recommended for patients carrying transmissible infectious diseases or MDR bacteria in sporadic or epidemic situations. Moreover, additional precautions may be required for populations at particular risk of infection or colonization by emerging XDR (eXDR), defined in our country as carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae and vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Our ability to detect and identify eXDR carriers early and ensure their follow-up, through effective communication between all those involved, is a significant challenge for controlling their spread. Thus, the French High Committee for Public Health has updated and standardized all French existing recommendations concerning the prevention of the cross-transmission of these bacteria, and these recommendations are summarized in this review. The recommendations are based on scientific and operational knowledge up to 2013. Different preventive strategies are recommended for patients found to be carrying eXDR and those who are considered to be at risk of having eXDR because of a history of contact. The local context, the experience of the infection control team, the different times at which detection of eXDR takes place (during admission, hospitalization, etc.) and the epidemiological situation (sporadic cases, clusters, outbreaks, widespread epidemic) must be included in risk assessments that in turn inform the control measures that should be applied in each clinical circumstance.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Gestion du risque Infectieux, Service de Bactériologie-Hygiène Hospitalière, CHU Nantes, Nantes, France; Université de Nantes, EA 3826, UFR Médecine, Nantes, France. Electronic address: didier.lepelletier@chu-nantes.fr.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lepelletier
authors.affiliation: Unité d'Hygiène Inter-Hospitalière, Service des Maladies Infectieuses et Laboratoire des Agents Infectieux et Hygiène, CHU St-Etienne, St Etienne, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Berthelot
authors.affiliation: Unité Hospitalière de Lutte contre l'Infection Nosocomiale, GH Bichat - Claude Bernard, AP-HP, Paris, France.
authors.forename: J-C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lucet
authors.affiliation: CLIN central de l'AP-HP, Paris, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fournier
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Bactériologie, Hôpital La Pitié-Salpêtrière, AP-HP, Paris, France; CLIN central de l'AP-HP, Paris, France.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jarlier
authors.affiliation: Unité de Lutte contre les Infections Nosocomiales, Service du Risque Infectieux, des Vigilances et d'Infectiologie, CHRU Lille, Lille, France.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Grandbastien
mesh_terms: D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / Q000187:drug effects; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*
keywords: Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE); Extensively drug-resistant bacteria (XDR); Multidrug-resistant bacteria (MDR); Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE)