An In-Depth Analysis of Microorganisms Linked to Various Forms of Hospital-Acquired Infections: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Nosocomial infections (NIs) represent one of the serious public health concerns worldwide that are linked with healthcare-associated infections. The present study reviewed the microorganisms associated with various types of NIs. The data search strategy was guided by the PRISMA-P protocol with the utilization of various search engine databases (PubMed, Springer Link, Science Direct, and Google Scholar) and pre-determined keywords. The search retrieved 504 articles from 2014 to 2019. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria stated, only a total of 63 articles have been discussed further in this study. The signatures of NIs can be described by microorganisms associated with the transmission route groups (Nosocomial bloodstream infections-BSI, Hospital Acquired Pneumonia-HAP, Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection-CAUTI, Surgical Site Infection-SSI). BSI is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitals. HAP is the most frequently reported case including Ventilator-associated Pneumonia-VAP. Microorganisms such as Acinetobacter Baumannii spp., Escherichia spp., Streptococcus spp., Staphylococcus aureus spp., and Pseudomonas spp. pathogens are commonly associated with NIs. Recently, the healthcare challenge is also associated with Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR) related strains that contribute to a significantly high mortality rate, especially in immune-compromised patients. Hence, the emergence of various nosocomial infections marked the relevant steps and measures that need to be taken with effective precautions.