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The aim: To find out whether or not the presence of pregnancy loss and preterm birth was associated with the history of healthcare-associated infection (HAI) of women reproductive tract. Materials and methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study was based on surveillance data. This study included 1,027 fertile women aged 21-50 years admitted to 8 hospitals from 2017-2019 with complaints to pregnancy loss or preterm birth. Definitions HAI of women reproductive tract were used from the CDC/ NHSN. Results: Of 1,027 fertile women with complaints to pregnancy loss or preterm birth, 702 (68.4%) HAIs of reproductive tract were detected. The predominant HAIs were: postpartum endometritis (19.1), bacterial vaginitis (15.8%), chorioamnionitis (11.3%), vaginal cuff infection (9.1%), and parametritis (5.6%). According to the statistical data, a significant association between HAI of women reproductive tract and the history of pregnancy loss (p < 0.05) was determined. The presence of HAI had no effect on the first trimester miscarriage (p > 0.05), but HAI women reproductive tract had strongly affected the second trimester pregnancy losses (p < 0.05). Main causative agents of HAI were Escherichia coli (31.5%), Enterobacter spp. (18.4%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (12.5%), Enterococcus faecalis (11.6%),Staphylococcus aureus (10.2%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (8.4%). Conclusions: This study identified a significant association between healthcare-associated infection of women reproductive tract and a history of miscarriage. However, there was no association between HAI and a history of preterm birth.

Introduction: Staphylococcus aureus is one of the major pathogens that causes of surgical site infection (SSI). Scant information is available on the occurrence and antimicrobial susceptibility of S. aureus in patients with SSI in Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) surgery. The aim: To assess the activity of antimicrobials against S.aureus, isolated from patients with SSI by the ENT departments of Kyiv hospitals. Materials and methods: A total of 516 S. aureus isolates from of patients with SSI in ENT surgery. Antimicrobial susceptibility of S. aureus were determined, using automated microbiology analyzer. Some antimicrobial susceptibility test used Kirby – Bauer antibiotic testing. Interpretative criteria were those suggested by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). Results: The most active antibiotics found in the study were linezolid and tigecycline, showing growth inhibition of 100% strains tested. Susceptibility to the other antimicrobials was also on a high level: 98,4% of strains were found susceptible to nitrofurantoin, 98.1% – to trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole, 97.6% – to fusidic acid, 97.1% – to mupirocin, 95.9% – to teicoplanin, 94.7% – to vancomycin and fosfomicin, 90.6% – to moxifloxacin, 89.1% – to tobramycin, 87.3% – to gentamycin. Susceptibility to rifampicin (85.5%), cefoxitin (84.6%), levofloxacin (84.3%), erythromycin (82.6%), tetracycline (76.3%), and clindamycin (75.4%) was observed to be some lower. Resistance to oxacyllin S.aureus (MRSA) came up to 21.1%. Conclusions: S. aureus in ENT departments to be a serious therapeutic and epidemiologic problem. The constant monitoring of antimicrobials resistance in every hospital is required. Antibiotics application tactics should be determined in accordance with the local data of resistance to them.

The aim: To obtain the first estimates of the current prevalence of nasal carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among healthcare workers (HCWs) in the departments of Otorinolaryngology and Dentistry and to determine of genes virulence factors (Panton Valentine Leukocidine (PVL) genes). Materials and methods: We performed a multicenter cross-sectional study. The susceptibility to antibiotics was determined by disk diffusion method according to the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing. The virulence factor encoding genes, mecA, lukS-lukF, were detected by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Results: Incidence rate of S. aureus nasal carriage among HCWs was 36.2%, whereas MRSA carriage was 17%. Prevalence of MRSA carriage rate was 34.9% in Otorhinolaryngology departments and 9.7% in Dentistry. PCR testing confirmed that all MRSA strains were mecA gene-positive. The virulence factor encoding genes were detected in 82.3% of the S. aureus isolates from HCWs. Among S.aureus, the lukS-lukF genes were detected in over 59% of the strains. The lukS-lukF genes were detected in 55.5% of MRSA and in 58.9% of MSSA strains. LukS-lukF genes were most commonly co-present in MRSA strains. No significant difference was detected between the occurrences of lukS-lukF genes (P > 0.05). Conclusions: Personnell in otorhinolaryngology and dentistry departments have a high rate of nasal colonization of MRSA. This carrier state may be an important risk factor for transmission MRSA from physicians and nurses to patients and vice-versa. Screening for MRSA nasal carriage of HCWs is a key element in enabling infection control measures and early therapeutic decisions.

The aim: To study the impact of the internal nasal valve shape on respiratory and olfactory nose function as well as on quality of life. Materials and methods: The study involved 17 volunteers who noted satisfaction of nasal breathing in the absence of changes during endorhinoscopy. The study was con¬ducted in two stages: stage 1 involved assessing initial indicators of quality of life by the SNOT-22 questionnaire, performing active anterior rhinomanometry, and estimating the olfactory function (Sniffin’ Sticks); stage 2 consisted in re-assessing the mentioned indicators after changing the shape and lumen of the internal nasal valve. The sodium alginate self-hardening gel was used for simulating the narrowing of the nasal valve. It was applied to the mucous in the upper part of the nasal valve area, obturating the diffuser above the level of attachment of the middle nasal turbinate to a depth of 3-4 mm from nasal vestibule. Results: Air resistance did not change significantly after partial blockage of the internal nasal valve, although, 16 out of 17 patients showed signs of hyposmia with an average Sniffin’ Sticks test score 8.68 ± 0.15. Conclusions: The simulated partial blockage of the internal nasal valve lumen in its upper part in the area of the diffuser does not significantly affect the resistance of the air passing through the nasal passages, but the olfactory function is impaired, which is reflected the quality of life.