Modern machine learning techniques used in prediction of sepsis and bloodstream infection in burn patients: A systematic review.

Dissimilar impacts of inappropriate administration of empirical antimicrobials on mortality between cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic adults with bloodstream infections.

Clinical characteristics and mortality risk factors in enterococcal bloodstream infections: a 9-year retrospective cohort study in Japan.

Cefoperazone/sulbactam (CPZ/SUL, 1:1) is used for Pseudomonas aeruginosa bloodstream infections (BSIs); however, its clinical minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) breakpoint remains undefined. This study aimed to evaluate the association between CPZ/SUL MIC values and clinical outcomes. We retrospectively analysed 122 adults with P. aeruginosa BSIs treated with CPZ/SUL (1:1) for ≥3 days across eight Taiwanese medical centres (July 2017-May 2024). MICs were determined using agar dilution, and outcomes were categorized as favourable (cure/improvement) or poor (failure/mortality). Isolate susceptibilities to other agents were also evaluated. Overall, 76.2% achieved favourable outcomes. Patients with MICs ≤16 mg/L had significantly higher favourable rates than those with MICs ≥32 mg/L (81.0% versus 54.5%; P = 0.013). This association remained significant across all hierarchical models, including the fully adjusted model (aOR 2.74, 95% CI 1.44-5.25). Pneumonia-associated BSIs had lower favourable outcomes (64.1%). Among all isolates, 82% exhibited MICs ≤16 mg/L. Carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa (CRPA) accounted for 18% of cases, with 59.1% showing favourable responses to CPZ/SUL. Lower CPZ/SUL MIC values were independently associated with more favourable clinical outcomes in patients with P. aeruginosa BSIs. These findings support the clinical relevance of MIC stratification and may inform antimicrobial stewardship and individualized treatment decisions.

Midline and central line catheters usage and blood stream infection: Trends and insights from 2016 to 2024.

Emergence of Klebsiella variicola harboring blaKPC-2 and blaCTX-M-15 on an IncP-6/IncR hybrid plasmid from a bloodstream infection case in Japan.

Impact of delayed blood culture bottles incubation on the recovery and detection of microorganisms : Effect of ambient room temperature versus 4°C.

Bloodstream infections are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have been shown to improve clinical outcomes when combined with antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programmes. The lack of systematic reporting of rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) can cause delays in communication to prescribers and in targeted antimicrobial treatment. To evaluate the impact of a structured intervention in integrating systematic RAST and AMR detection within an existing AMS programme. The main outcomes were time to report (from Gram to AST report) (TTR), time from Gram to AMS recommendation (TAMS) and time to change antimicrobial prescription (TCAP) following this recommendation. We performed a contemporaneous comparative study evaluating episodes of bacteraemia managed with rapid AST (RAST) and/or antimicrobial resistance mechanisms (AMR) detection integrated into AMS workflows versus episodes managed without RAST/AMR during the same implementation period. Episodes managed with RAST/AMR had significantly shorter TTR, TAMS and TCAP compared with episodes without RAST/AMR (median absolute reduction in hours of 31, 37 and 24, respectively). There was no significant reduction in duration of antimicrobial therapy, hospital length of stay (LOS) or mortality in the RAST/AMR group. Compliance with AMS recommendations was high (90%). As reported previously, RAST or AMR detection in combination with AMS was an effective strategy for targeting antimicrobial therapy. This intervention demonstrates that structured implementation of RAST/AMR detection, when embedded within the AMS workflow, can substantially shorten time to targeted therapy even in settings with pre-existing AMS infrastructure.

Shared occurrence of Malassezia spp. in dogs and their owners.

Neonatal Sepsis from 2014-2024: The Resurgence of Gram-Negative Rods.

Clinical factors associated with central line-associated bloodstream infections in hospitalized dialysis patients.

The substrate-binding protein DppA modulates the virulence of hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Socioeconomic determinants and their impact on clinical outcomes in pediatric home parenteral nutrition.

Efficacy and safety of contezolid-containing treatment in treating Gram-positive bacterial bloodstream infections following cardiac surgery: A single-center real-world experience.

Influence of hypoxic conditions on Trichosporon asahii virulence in a Galleria mellonella infection model.

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a major global health problem. Gaps in their detection in low- and middle-income countries may be caused by limited surveillance capacity and lack of contextualized surveillance tools. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of HAIs and their determinants using contextually adapted HAI case definitions and tools. This was a cross-sectional multi-centre point prevalence survey among adults (≥18 years) and children (≥1 month) from 10 hospitals in Western Sierra Leone. The determinants of HAIs were derived using logistic regression analysis and adjusted relative risks with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) reported as a measure of association, and a P value ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. Among the 10 hospitals, the mean hospital bed capacity was 109, and the average hand hygiene (HH) compliance was 30.6%. None of the hospitals had a functional bacteriology laboratory. Of the 319 eligible patients, 40 (12.5%) acquired HAIs, with 31 (77.5%) having suspected bloodstream infections. Cigarette smoking (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 3.764, 95% CI: 1.07-13.13, P: 0.038), leucopenia (aOR: 0.137, 95% CI: 0.019-1.003, P: 0.05), blood transfusion (aOR: 0.309, 95% CI: 0.126-0.759, P: 0.01), and use of oxygen apparatus (aOR: 0.260, 95% CI: 0.084-0.805, P: 0.02) were shown to be predictors of HAIs. There was a high prevalence of microbiologically unconfirmed HAIs with patient-related factors and service delivery interventions as independent predictors. Fundamental gaps are low HH compliance and limited laboratory capacity to support HAI surveillance. We recommend sustained HH improvement initiatives, strengthening bacteriology capacity for HAI detection, and periodic point prevalence surveys on HAIs as an entry point.

Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections remain a major clinical challenge. A key knowledge gap is how S. aureus adapts to the hostile, nutrient-limited environment of human serum, where immune pressures, such as complement, antimicrobial peptides, and nutritional immunity, restrict bacterial survival. Recent investigations integrating transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic data across five clinically relevant S. aureus lineages revealed coordinated serum-specific metabolic and stress-response adaptations (W. Mujchariyakul, C. J. Walsh, S. Giulieri, C. Cramond, et al., mSystems 11:e01183-25, 2026, https://doi.org/10.1128/msystems.01183-25). Serum triggered increased gluconeogenic and TCA-cycle activity, expanded carbohydrate, amino acid, and lipid utilization, and induction of iron-acquisition systems, nucleotide biosynthesis, and oxidative-stress defenses, while suppressing ribosome biogenesis. Functional validation confirmed key roles for carbon-metabolism genes (gapdhB, sucA), siderophore and iron-uptake systems (sirA, sstD), and the peroxide regulator perR. These findings highlight the metabolic resourcefulness and stress resilience that enable S. aureus survival and persistence despite antibiotic therapy. This work underscores the importance of multiomic approaches across pathogens and physiologic models to reveal new therapeutic targets for bloodstream infections.

Due to the rapid development of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria due to the inappropriate use and misuse of antibiotics and the ineffective performance of antibiotics against refractory biofilm-associated infections (BRI), there is an urgent need for novel alternative antimicrobials and strategies to combat bacterial infections. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have attracted considerable interest due to their potent activity against MDR pathogens and biofilm-associated infections, coupled with a substantially reduced risk of driving antimicrobial resistance-especially when employed as alternatives or adjuncts to conventional antibiotics. With the development of nanocarrier-based delivery strategies, AMP nanomaterials significantly improve the therapeutic effect of AMP by improving the hydrolytic stability, in vivo half-life, solubility, and reducing cytotoxicity and hemolysis of AMP. Distinct from previous reviews that primarily focus on AMP sequence engineering or generic nanocarrier types, this work adopts a clinically oriented framework organized by infection site-including pulmonary, bloodstream, gastrointestinal, chronic wound, and implant-associated infections. Key therapeutic outcomes reported in the literature are systematically compared, such as reductions in minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), biofilm eradication efficiency, survival benefits in sepsis models, and wound closure kinetics. Formulation design strategies, administration routes, and the rational application of nanocarriers constructed from metallic elements, biocompatible polymers, and lipid-based architectures are discussed in the context of specific infectious microenvironments. By correlating the physicochemical properties of nanocarriers-such as surface charge, degradation profile, and release kinetics-with therapeutic performance across diverse infection models, this review also addresses the current limitations of AMP-based formulations in clinical applications. Overall, this review provides insights into the advantages and disadvantages of AMP-based nanomaterials currently under development for the treatment of bacterial infections in the literature, bringing inspiration and recommendations for their future design.

Helicobacter pylori is a primary driver of peptic ulcer disease and gastric adenocarcinoma, yet epidemiological data regarding its prevalence among indigenous communities in Sarawak are scarce. This study aimed to determine the H. pylori seroprevalence and identify associated socio-demographic and lifestyle factors within the Dayak population. It was a cross-sectional study carried out in rural areas of Kuching Division. Data was collected using blood sampling, interview-guided questionnaires, and anthropometric measurements. The questionnaire included socio-demographic profiles, history of illness, smoking habit, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and dietary intake. Factor analysis was used to identify dietary patterns. Health profile including helicobacter pylori infection status, blood pressure and body mass index were collected. A total of 199 respondents aged 18 to 91 years from six villages participated in this study, yielding a response rate of 96.6%. About 60% of the respondents were found to be overweight or obese, and 48.7% had hypertension. Blood test analysis detected H. pylori antibodies in 46.2% of the respondents. In the multivariate analysis, several factors were found to be significantly associated with the presence of H. pylori antibodies: increasing age (OR: 1.042, 95% CI: 1.011-1.074), lower systolic blood pressure (OR: 0.967, 95% CI: 0.941-0.994), high physical activity level (OR: 0.278, 95% CI: 0.121-0.640), and medium intake of nutritious food and dairy (OR: 3.364, 95% CI: 1.394-8.117). Implementing community-level screening programs is essential for early detection and targeted intervention, which could ultimately reduce the burden of infection and its associated complications.

Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of bloodstream infections, but how variation between strains in their ability to adhere to host proteins influences disease severity remains unclear. Here we show that adhesion is a highly variable and biologically important trait in 236 phylogenetically diverse, representative bacteremia isolates profiled for binding to fibrinogen and fibronectin and analysed together with bacterial whole-genome sequences and matched patients' clinical data. Stronger fibrinogen-binding, particularly in strains lacking α-toxin, correlates with heightened systemic inflammation (r = 0.401, P = 0.0001) but lower mortality (16.6% vs. 38.7%, P = 0.018), linking bacterial adhesion to distinct clinical outcomes. Genome-wide association analyses identify top-associated variants in genes encoding known adhesins (clfA, fnbA, fnbB, ebh), other surface factors (spa, sdrH), mobile genetic elements, and novel loci (csbB, glcA), although not statistically significant. Functional analyses reveal that protein A limits ClfA-dependent fibrinogen binding through steric hindrance, CsbB interferes with ClfA exposure on bacterial surface, and GlcA enhances fibronectin binding via metabolic regulation. These findings define adhesion as a polygenic, evolutionarily variable trait and suggest that highly-adhesive, α-toxin-defective isolates promote inflammatory but self-limiting infections, whereas weakly adhesive, high-toxicity strains favour immune evasion and severe disease.