| Theme |
Dealing with infections in hemodialysis facilities |
| Title |
Measures against gram-negative bacteria [multidrug-resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa, MDR Acinetobacter, Serratia spp.,Legionella spp.] |
| Author |
Masato Inaba |
Department of Infectious Diseases, Fujita Health University |
| Author |
Yoshichika Arakawa |
Department of Bacteriology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine |
| [ Summary ] |
Patients in a dialysis unit are at a high risk of exposure to various pathogens because several patients undergo dialysis therapy simultaneously over several hours. The primary countermeasures to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the dialysis unit comprise standard hygiene and contact precautions. Patients known to be carriers of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria often undergo dialysis in the dialysis unit. In such instances, the appropriate precautions based on the characteristic of each drug-resistant organism must be implemented. For example, a patient who is a known carrier of MDR pathogens must receive dialysis therapy in a private room. Patients undergoing dialysis are prone to develop bacterial infections because of impaired defense mechanisms against infectious agents. Therefore, implementing strict infection control measures, as well as maintaining a clean environment in clinical settings is essential in the dialysis unit to prevent infections and colonization by drug-resistant bacteria in this patient population. |