Nosocomial infections in small animal veterinary practice

作者：Walther Birgit^*; Grobbel Mirjam

来源：Kleintierpraxis, 2009, 54(1): 33-40.

• antimicrobial therapy
• hygiene management
• MRSA
• MRSP
• Enterobacteriaceae

Nosocomial infections, a well-known problem in hospital settings for decades, are nowadays also a frequently observed phenomenon in veterinary settings. Due to the accumulation of resistance genes in many bacterial species associated with nosocomial infections, such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae or Acinetobacter slop., many of these pathogens are resistant to several commonly used antimicrobial agents in veterinary medicine. In some cases, there is even no possibility left for a successful antimicrobial therapy. In addition, some of these pathogens are also transmissible to humans and so not only the patient itself, but also the owner, other family members and veterinary personnel are potentially at risk. This especially applies to immunosuppressed people and the chronically sick (e.g. diabetics), as well as newborns. The most important factors for avoiding nosocomial infections are (1) education of the veterinary staff, (2) implementation of a targeted hygiene regime including disinfection of the hands, and (3) the prudent use of antimicrobial agents. It now depends upon us veterinarians to face the new challenge regarding the increasing number of nosocomial infections and to develop strategies to combat multi-drug-resistant pathogens in close cooperation with the human health sector.

• 出版日期2009-1