TY - JOUR
T1 - Molecular epidemiology tools in the management of healthcare-associated infections
T2 - Towards the definition of recommendations
AU - Boccia, Stefania
AU - Pasquarella, Cesira
AU - Colotto, Marco
AU - Barchitta, Martina
AU - Quattrocchi, Annalisa
AU - Agodi, Antonella
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - Introduction. Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) are an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and have a significant economic impact for health systems. Molecular epidemiology tools have a central role in HAI prevention programs. In order to give an overview of their specific advantages and disadvantages we reported current and new molecular typing methods for HAI outbreak detection and epidemiological surveillance. Methods. The current review was drafted as a short version of a longer document written by the Public Health Genomics (GSP) working group, and the Italian Study Group of Hospital Hygiene (GISIO), entitled Molecular epidemiology of Healthcare Associated Infections: recommendations from the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health (SItI). This text considers various aspects related to HAIs: the role of genotyping and bioinformatics, the organizational levels of laboratories, as well as ethical and economic aspects. Conclusions. The use of molecular epidemiology represents a key tool in the management of HAIs, to be used as a complement to conventional control measures. The present contribution aims to increase knowledge on the proper use of such methods, given the major challenge HAI represents for National Health systems.
AB - Introduction. Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) are an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and have a significant economic impact for health systems. Molecular epidemiology tools have a central role in HAI prevention programs. In order to give an overview of their specific advantages and disadvantages we reported current and new molecular typing methods for HAI outbreak detection and epidemiological surveillance. Methods. The current review was drafted as a short version of a longer document written by the Public Health Genomics (GSP) working group, and the Italian Study Group of Hospital Hygiene (GISIO), entitled Molecular epidemiology of Healthcare Associated Infections: recommendations from the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health (SItI). This text considers various aspects related to HAIs: the role of genotyping and bioinformatics, the organizational levels of laboratories, as well as ethical and economic aspects. Conclusions. The use of molecular epidemiology represents a key tool in the management of HAIs, to be used as a complement to conventional control measures. The present contribution aims to increase knowledge on the proper use of such methods, given the major challenge HAI represents for National Health systems.
KW - Genotyping methods
KW - Healthcare-associated infections
KW - Molecular epidemiology
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84968764286&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Review article
C2 - 26499411
AN - SCOPUS:84968764286
SN - 1120-9763
VL - 39
SP - 21
EP - 26
JO - Epidemiologia e prevenzione
JF - Epidemiologia e prevenzione
IS - 4
ER -