Healthcare workers are at high risk of getting infected with tuberculosis in countries where the disease is endemic (prevalent). Here we show that an interferon gamma release assay (IGRA) has no advantage over the cheaper tuberculin skin test (TST) in screening these workers in this setting. Although IGRAs are recommended for screening and have been shown to have many advantages over the conventional TST, this test should be used based on applicability and usefulness evaluated in a local setting.

Hand hygiene is well established as being fundamental in infection control programs for preventing and controlling HAIs. This paper will describe a successful hand hygiene program, aimed at effecting culture change, which significantly improved and maintained hand hygiene compliance from 22% to 71%, tripling the use of alcohol-based handrub.

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) continue to be a global issue contributing to thousands of deaths each year. This study set out to determine the effectiveness of the swab 3M™ Clean-Trace™ ATP System over time in determining the cleanliness of surfaces, which could help lower HAIs. ATP bioluminescence is not sensitive enough to distinguish between viable organisms and organic debris remnants on sterilised equipment.

A contained vancomycin-resistant enterococcus bacteraemia outbreak case-control analysis in a haematology cohort. The aim of this analysis was to determine the aetiology of this rare and potentially fatal event, and revealed that recent ward relocation, as well as several patient factors, likely contributed. These results aid in minimising future risk of bacteraemia outbreak.

There are many influences on the decision to prescribe antibiotics, including culture. We found that in European countries there was an association between some cultural characteristics and the inappropriate use of antibiotics. Societal and cultural factors should be considered when designing interventions to improve antibiotic prescribing.

Antibiotic resistance is a major concern for both clinicians and the community at large. Our study reports an increase in fluoroquinolone resistance rates from samples obtained from community-acquired cases of microbial keratitis between 2014 (6.6%) and 2000 (0%; P = 0.002). This data provides some insight into the shifting pattern of antibiotic resistance and, if replicated, would advocate for greater antibiotic stewardship within the community.

Sensitive electrical clinical equipment cannot be easily decontaminated between patients. This study examined the effect of neutral electrolysed water for decontaminating electrical probes used for measuring transcutaneous oxygen concentrations. Electrolysed water appeared to eliminate the risk of pathogen transmission without compromising monitoring data. This product could be useful for decontaminating similar clinical equipment.

Infections in surgical wounds can be prevented by the use of the correct dose of the correct antibiotic at the correct time before or during surgery. This research from the Philippines assessed how well surgical teams follow international guidelines on antibiotic use. The study adds to other evidence from around the world that surgical teams often do not follow guidelines and that awareness-raising initiatives within hospitals may be needed.