Infection prevention
Vital role of disinfection in tackling AMR
In this article, Jędrzej Gromadecki examines the importance of disinfection in reducing the spread of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), within healthcare settings. He highlights how evidence-based practices, emerging technologies, and integration with antimicrobial stewardship programmes can optimise outcomes. By addressing gaps in implementation and leveraging innovation in the disinfection field, healthcare facilities can significantly reduce the transmission of MDROs.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and infections caused by MDROs have emerged as one of the most pressing threats to global health, particularly within healthcare environments. These pathogens, which include resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus spp., and Gram-negative bacilli, as well as biofilms, are associated with prolonged hospital stays, increased treatment costs, and elevated mortality rates. The global health community recognises that
we are entering a post-antibiotic era, where the effectiveness of once-revolutionary drugs is critically declining. This is why the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have identified MDROs as priority pathogens, due to their ability to evade conventional antimicrobial therapies. It is also why implementation of effective infection prevention strategies is so crucial. Environmental contamination plays a pivotal
role in MDRO transmission. High-touch surfaces, medical devices, and shared equipment often function as reservoirs, facilitating indirect patient-to-patient spread. Studies have demonstrated that MDROs can persist on surfaces for days to months, even under routine cleaning conditions, underscoring the need for robust disinfection protocols. Inadequate or inconsistent disinfection
practices – such as inadequate contact time, missed surfaces, or incorrect dilution – significantly reduce efficacy and can contribute to the persistence of these organisms, amplifying the risk of healthcare- associated infections (HCAIs). Many hospitals lack standardised auditing and adequate staff training.
Disinfection serves as a critical intervention
to break the chain of infection transmission. Effective disinfectants must exhibit broad- spectrum activity, short contact times, and
good material compatibility. Compliance with standardised protocols, such as those outlined by EN 14885, ensure that disinfection strategies meet regulatory and clinical benchmarks.
Understanding the MDRO threat MDROs – such as MRSA, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Gram- negative bacilli and Candida auris – represent some of the most dangerous infectious threats, worsening patient outcomes, prolonging hospital stays and limiting therapeutic options. As highlighted by the CDC, unsuccessful prevention and transmission control increase antimicrobial use and allow MDROs to proliferate further within healthcare settings.1
The
COVID-19 pandemic further intensified this trend. Hospital-onset antimicrobial resistant infections and associated deaths increased by at least 15% in the first year alone, and bacterial AMR hospital-acquired infections remained 20% higher than prepandemic levels – even into 2022. These increases underscore that MDRO transmission is heavily influenced by environmental and procedural pressures – both of which effective disinfection directly targets.2
Biofilm A biofilm is a community of microorganisms that attach to surfaces and develop an extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) matrix and exhibit physiological behaviours distinct from free- floating (planktonic) cells.3 Serious implications of biofilms include the necessity of greater concentrations of antibiotics to treat common human infections, even contributing to AMR, since bacteria embedded within biofilms are protected from the action of potential antibiotics.4
Biofilms
are known for their high tolerance to many chemicals, as well as physical agents. This
April 2026 I
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