Detection of multidrug-resistant pathogens as a risk for patients in healthcare settings

Abstract

Purpose of review Healthcare-acquired Infections and antimicrobial resistance are major challenges for both healthcare management and patient safety. Every year, resistant microorganisms seem to outperform our ability to develop new interventions to counteract this escalation. This review, focusing mainly on bacteria, aims to provide an update on the recent advances in diagnostics and on the strategies to manage healthcare-acquired infections. Recent findings Both phenotypic and molecular methods are profitably growing in recent years. In addition to these classical techniques, new methodologies are continuously developed with more focus on other methods like the use of nanotechnologies, the implementation of computational analysis, and the machine-learning approach. An increasing effort is also given to developing alternatives to antibiotics such as phage therapy and the use of probiotics or other antagonizing microorganisms. Summary Unfortunately, even if new methods are developed each year, on the surveillance and infection prevention side of the problem, the main approach is still based on observational and descriptive studies. A shift in how we implement infection control measures by using modern diagnostic tools and novel typing approaches is essential in resolving the problem.