hospital acquired infections Archives
VUMC team discovers how bacterial pathogen survives without water
May. 5, 2022—Vanderbilt researchers are studying a bacterial pathogen that can survive on hospital surfaces — without water — for months, an ability that has helped it become a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections.
Molecular imaging of C. diff infection
Sep. 30, 2021—C. difficile — the leading cause of hospital-associated intestinal infections — induces a rapid influx of bile acids into the gut, which could provide a novel target for blocking infection.
Probing pathogen antibiotic resistance
Sep. 17, 2020—Understanding how bacteria evolve resistance to antibiotics and host stresses could guide the development of more effective antimicrobial therapeutics.
Zinc uptake by a deadly pathogen
Jan. 13, 2020—The increasingly antibiotic-resistant bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii requires zinc to cause infection, and Vanderbilt researchers have identified the zinc uptake system it uses.
Pain relievers a risk for C. diff?
Jan. 17, 2019—A link between anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and C. diff infection suggests caution against overusing such drugs in patients at high risk for infection.
New staph virulence factor
Jun. 28, 2018—Jun. 28, 2018—The new factor, an enzyme involved in host-pathogen interactions, may be a viable target for treating staph infections.
Novel infection fighter
Jun. 13, 2018—A drug in use clinically to help make vaccines more effective may be a powerful new tool for fighting antibiotic-resistant infections.
Room-cleaning robots use UV radiation to zap microorganisms
Oct. 19, 2017—Germ-killing robots are being enlisted to further safeguard Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) patients from health care-associated infections.
Detect and defend against pathogens
Nov. 4, 2015—Understanding factors, such as the receptor TLR9, that detect and defend against pathogens may lead to therapeutic approaches that promote an effective immune response to treat infections.
Study identifies C. diff toxin receptor, suggests new treatment approaches
Jun. 4, 2015—Vanderbilt University investigators have identified a cellular receptor for a toxin from Clostridium difficile (“C. diff”) — the leading cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea in the United States.
Findings do not support chlorhexidine bathing in ICUs
Jan. 21, 2015—Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers have found that bathing critically ill patients with disposable chlorhexidine cloths did not decrease the incidence of health care-associated infections when compared to less expensive nonantimicrobial cloths, according to a study appearing online in JAMA this week.
PICU reaches new milestone in fight against infections
Feb. 7, 2013—On Jan. 10, the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt reached impressive new territory — 365 days without a single case of central line associated blood stream infection (CLABSI), catheter associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) or ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP).
